My Current Research
I am broadly interested in coral resilience - specifically, I aim to better understand the mechanisms responsible for naturally driven thermal tolerance, as well as test the potential capacity for human induced thermal tolerance. All of my research is done within the fringing reefs of southern Taiwan.
Testing potential means of enhancing thermal toleranceThe growing concern for corals in a warming ocean has led to the exploration of whether or not increased thermal tolerance can be artificially induced. I explore the potential for trans-generational acclimation (i.e. a relatively fast epigenetic change) in the ecologically important reef building coral, Pocillopora acuta. I strive to determine if thermal pre-conditioning of adult colonies can provide a benefit to offspring when they are subsequently exposed to thermal stress. More generally, I also evaluate how increased temperature affects three critical life history stages: reproduction, settlement, and recruitment.
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Exploring mechanisms of heat stress response (ex-situ)There is mounting evidence suggesting that thermal tolerance in corals varies among species and across locations, suggesting that life history traits and reef thermal regime can play a critical role in the development of thermal tolerance. I experimentally test heat stress responses of multiple species of corals sourced from reefs with different temperature regimes, in an attempt to identify traits and mechanisms linked to thermal resilience. I focus on assessing: Symbiodiniaceae genotype, density, and photochemical efficiency, as well as the cellular responses related to proteins and lipids.
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Assessing coral holobiont seasonal dynamics (in-situ)Complementary to my lab-based experiments, I conduct long term field-based studies where I use photogrammetry to seasonally monitor individual coral colonies at reefs with different thermal regimes to test for differences in coral holobiont dynamics. Similar to my lab experiments, I examine Symbiodiniaceae genotype, density, photochemical efficiency, and host protein and lipids, and also place an additional focus on coral bleaching trends. I am particularly interested in comparing the heat stress responses in the lab with that of corals experiencing peak summer temperatures in the marine environment.
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