DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of dispersal in reef-building corals

通过跟踪环境条件，尽管局部物种灭绝，但物种的扩散使其能够在全球范围内持续存在。造礁珊瑚在世界范围内正在减少，这主要归因于全球变暖。气候模型表明，现有的珊瑚栖息地将继续恶化，这表明向高纬度珊瑚礁的扩散可能会使它们逃离恶劣的环境。然而，问题仍然存在，如果珊瑚有足够的扩散潜力来逃脱，它们是否可以进化以增加它们的扩散能力？我们假设珊瑚的扩散潜力是一种可遗传的，因此是可进化的，与特定的幼虫能量谱相关的特征，包括代谢基因差异表达中反映的脂质和蛋白质代谢率。我们的研究量化了这些过程中的遗传变异，并调查了可能成为气候变化下自然选择目标的潜在分子机制。通过范围变化确定珊瑚能够在多大程度上避免气候变化的不利影响，将有助于改进对珊瑚持久性的预测，并增加我们对海洋适应性进化的基本了解。该项目为公众宣传和教育提供了广泛的机会。珊瑚生物学对本科生志愿者来说很有吸引力，联合项目负责人已经指导了25名来自不同背景的本科生。学生学习如何使用遗传学和生物信息学来回答生态学和进化的问题。这项研究还涉及澳大利亚詹姆斯库克大学的学生。科学的公众传播也很广泛，从在？星空下的科学？系列到参加“女性参与科学”活动。

Dispersal allows species to persist globally despite local extinctions by tracking environmental conditions. Reef-building corals are declining worldwide, largely attributable to global warming. Climate models indicate that existing coral habitats will continue to deteriorate, suggesting that dispersal to higher-latitude reefs might allow escape from poor conditions. However, the question remains if corals possess enough dispersal potential to escape, and can they evolve to increase their dispersal capabilities? We hypothesize that coral dispersal potential is a heritable, and therefore evolvable, trait associated with specific larval energetic profiles, including lipid and protein metabolism rates reflected in differential expression of metabolic genes. Our research quantifies the genetic variation in these processes and investigates the underlying molecular mechanisms that may be the targets of natural selection under climate change. Establishing the extent to which corals might be able to avoid the adverse effects of climate change through range shifts will enable improved predictions of coral persistence and add to our basic understanding of adaptive evolution in the sea. The project provides broad opportunities for public outreach and education. Coral biology is enticing for undergraduate volunteers and the co-PI has mentored twenty-five undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. Students learn how to use genetics and bioinformatics to answer questions of ecology and evolution. This research also involves students from James Cook University in Australia. Public dissemination of science is also extensive ranging from public lectures at ?Science Under the Stars? series to participating in Woman in Science events.