NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Investigating the potential role of coral-associated microbes in regulating calcifying fluid chemistry

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This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Marine calcifying organisms, such as corals, are threatened by ocean acidification (OA), caused by changes in seawater chemistry that result from increasing levels of carbon dioxide. It is important to understand, in order to predict, how marine organisms respond to environmental changes (such as increasing temperatures) in this era of climate change. A critical factor in the response of corals and other marine calcifying organism to OA is their ability to regulate the chemistry at the site where calcification happens. Symbiotic coral microbes provide numerous services to their host. For example, some coral symbiotic bacteria can protect the coral host from pathogens. Some non-symbiotic microbes can help the formation of calcium carbonate minerals. However, it is unknown whether symbiotic microbes can play a similar role. The objective of this research project is to investigate whether symbiotic microbes of coral help these coral with calcification. Throughout the duration of the fellowship, the fellow will also work towards broadening participation of groups underrepresented in biology at the postdoctoral level by leading a book club for the WHOI post-doc community.This interdisciplinary project, which integrates carbonate chemistry and microbial metagenomic analysis, aims to contribute significantly to our understanding of (1) how marine calcifying organisms (specifically Astrangia poculata) regulate the chemistry at their site of calcification and (2) how host-associated microbial communities may contribute to the health and resilience of their host. This project will also (3) shed new light on the debated topic of whether or not coral endosymbiotic algae play a role in calcification. In addition to working on this project, the fellow will lead a book club with the aim of helping participants learn about and discus the experiences of traditionally underrepresented groups of scientists and assess what we can do as individuals to make underrepresented minorities feel included within our community. The book club has potential to improve retention of underrepresented groups at the post-doctoral level by training allies that will assist in creating an inclusive environment, thereby improving the experiences of post-docs from underrepresented groups.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.