RAPID: How does hurricane-induced selection on predator behavior and morphology influence ecological recovery from hurricane disturbance?

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Extreme weather events such as hurricanes can have devastating impacts on coastal ecosystems. The process of recovery from these events is likely influenced by hurricane-driven evolutionary changes in the species that inhabit these ecosystems. The effects of these evolutionary changes can be propagated through food webs by interactions with other species. This project investigates how evolutionary change in top predators influences the recovery of coastal ecosystems affected by Hurricane Dorian – a historically powerful storm that hit Abaco, Bahamas on September 1, 2019 with maximum sustained winds of 295 km/hr. The research will deepen our understanding of both the impacts of hurricanes on coastal ecosystems and the pace and trajectory of recovery. This work will facilitate our ability to predict effects of extreme weather events and to manage vulnerable shorelines. Results will be shared with the local community through collaboration with a Bahamian non-profit organization. Hurricanes are expected to exert natural selection on both morphological and behavioral traits of the predatory brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei). In turn, we expect shifts in these traits to alter the effect of brown anoles on arthropods and plants during the early stages of recovery from Hurricane Dorian. These hypotheses will be evaluated by: 1) comparing lizard populations pre- and post-hurricane to assess selection imposed on brown anole morphological and behavioral traits, and 2) using replicated experimental brown anole reintroductions to small islands. These experimental populations will differ in morphological and behavioral traits, and will be used to investigate how hurricane-driven trait changes influence the recovery of vegetation and the reassembly of arthropod communities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.