Overview
I am broadly interested in how organisms adapt the their environment at a molecular level. My research is largely focused on conservation genetics in wild populations of marine organisms and my lab employs a combination of molecular, genetic, and genomic tools. My lab is currently working on conservation genetics and hybridization in river herring, populations of juvenile summer flounder using the Pamlico Sound as a nursery, environmental selection of blue crabs in Lake Mattamuskeet, identifying genes involved in barnacle adhesion, and use of environmental DNA to detect anadromous fish and species composition in the ichthyoplankton.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor of the Practice of Marine Molecular Conservation
·
2023 - Present
Marine Science and Conservation,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Associate Professor of the Practice of Biology
·
2024 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Microbiome Development of Seawater-Incubated Pre-production Plastic Pellets Reveals Distinct and Predictive Community Compositions
Journal Article Frontiers in Marine Science · January 14, 2022 Featured Publication Plastics of various chemistries pollute global water bodies. Toxic chemicals leach with detrimental and often unpredictable impacts on the surrounding ecosystems. We found that seawater leachates of plastic pre-production pellets from 7 recycle categories ... Full text CiteCompositional and Functional Microbiome Variation Between Tubes of an Intertidal Polychaete and Surrounding Marine Sediment
Journal Article Frontiers in Marine Science · May 31, 2021 Featured Publication The decorator worm Diopatra cuprea, a tube-forming marine polychaete common to intertidal and shallow subtidal waters, modifies habitats it occupies through microreef construction and algal gardening. While several studies have demonstrated that decorator ... Full text CiteExploring the Diversity of the Marine Environment for New Anti-cancer Compounds
Journal Article Frontiers in Marine Science · January 21, 2021 Featured Publication Marine ecosystems contain over 80% of the world’s biodiversity, and many of these organisms have evolved unique adaptations enabling survival in diverse and challenging environments. The biodiversity within the world’s oceans is a virtually untapped resour ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Cuvier's beaked whale integrated ecosystem study: Systematic use of novel eDNA methodology to characterize and compare beaked whale populations and their associated prey community across regions
ResearchCo-Project Leader · Awarded by Kelp Marine Research · 2023 - 2027REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Systems
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2021 - 2025Metabarcoding the Global Fouling Community
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2021 - 2023View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill ·
1996
Ph.D.