As part of RWU's Center for Economic and Environmental Development, the Coral Microbial Ecology Lab is interested in how interactions with microbes, both beneficial and pathogenic, impact the fitness and survival of corals, both temperate and tropical. This is especially important as marine species, communities, and ecosystems face the emerging threats of climate change.
Our research explores the microbial ecology and chemical ecology of coral-bacterial symbioses, with a focus on the microbiome’s role in shaping the coral’s response and resilience to change. Much of our work is focused on the temperate coral Astrangia poculata, which we have worked to establish as a useful experimental system for studying the ecology and physiology of coral-microbial symbiosis. We study microbe acquisition and transmission by corals; bacterial production of protective antibacterial compounds that defend their animal hosts; patterns of microbial community diversity and dynamics across different coral populations; and the impact of environmental disturbances, including thermal stress and microplastics pollution on coral microbiomes. Underlying all of the work that we do is the goal to identify the mechanisms that drive the assembly and stability of microbiomes that support animal health in the face of global climate change.
Learn more about current research in the Coral Microbial Ecology Lab.
We're always looking for motivated students to join our group! Thinking of coming to RWU to study Biology, Marine Biology, or Environmental Sciences? Contact Koty to explore joining our research team while you're here!
Want to learn more about Astrangia and the people who study it? Check out the Temperate Coral Research Group, a large coordinated community of researchers dedicated to studying temperate corals, including corals belonging to the genera Astrangia and Oculina. We hold the Temperate Coral Research Conference biennially.
Our research explores the microbial ecology and chemical ecology of coral-bacterial symbioses, with a focus on the microbiome’s role in shaping the coral’s response and resilience to change. Much of our work is focused on the temperate coral Astrangia poculata, which we have worked to establish as a useful experimental system for studying the ecology and physiology of coral-microbial symbiosis. We study microbe acquisition and transmission by corals; bacterial production of protective antibacterial compounds that defend their animal hosts; patterns of microbial community diversity and dynamics across different coral populations; and the impact of environmental disturbances, including thermal stress and microplastics pollution on coral microbiomes. Underlying all of the work that we do is the goal to identify the mechanisms that drive the assembly and stability of microbiomes that support animal health in the face of global climate change.
Learn more about current research in the Coral Microbial Ecology Lab.
We're always looking for motivated students to join our group! Thinking of coming to RWU to study Biology, Marine Biology, or Environmental Sciences? Contact Koty to explore joining our research team while you're here!
Want to learn more about Astrangia and the people who study it? Check out the Temperate Coral Research Group, a large coordinated community of researchers dedicated to studying temperate corals, including corals belonging to the genera Astrangia and Oculina. We hold the Temperate Coral Research Conference biennially.
