- Invasive Ecology. Non-native species have become increasingly prevalent around the world, largely due to human-mediated introductions. In particular, marine invasive species represent a severe threat to the functioning and economic value of our marine ecosystems by displacing native species, disrupting local communities and harming aquaculture activities. Ascidians (also known as sea-squirts) are among the first taxa that colonize human-altered marine habitats and accordingly, many species have been introduced worldwide. Research at my lab seeks to identify and genetically barcode all ascidian species in eastern US and Caribbean harbors, marinas and aquaculture facilities. My goal is to establish the most vulnerable areas to species introductions, ecosystem disruption and economic damage so I can inform all interested stakeholders. So far, we have determined the diversity, distribution and key population dynamics of ascidians in North Carolina, Florida and Puerto Rico harbors and marinas. Ongoing efforts are targeting the reefs of Georgia, and Belizean harbors, mangroves, seagrass meadows and coral reef habitats.
- Microbial Symbiosis. Symbiotic microbial communities in marine invertebrates include diverse lineages of bacteria, archaea, fungi, microalgae and viruses. Research conducted in my lab has shown that some ascidian species have been able to successfully establish long-term populations in new habitats (sometimes thousands of kilometers apart) thanks to the provision of supplemental nutrition, production of defensive secondary metabolites, and possibly innocuous processing of toxic heavy metals and pollutants by their microbial symbionts. In collaboration with national and international colleagues, we have significantly contributed to the characterization of both sponge and ascidian microbial symbionts using next-generation-sequencing techniques and are presently analyzing meta-transcriptomic and meta-genomic data to unravel their function within the host.
Two additional areas of research naturally derive from investigating the two topics described above:
- Population connectivity of non-native species. Marine populations are connected by natural or human-facilitated larval dispersal, with distant populations acting as larval reservoirs for re-colonization of previously disturbed habitats or vectors for the introduction of non-native species. Thus, in order to find out where these non-native species come from, we need to determine their population structure, gene flow, and phylogeography. The main goal is to assess the main source population of new genetic variants, so we can halt further introductions as necessary.
- Ascidian taxonomy and phylogenetics. In order to preserve biodiversity, it is necessary to know the range and abundance of species. To date, only a handful of studies have used the molecular tools and morphological data necessary to validate ascidian species descriptions and distributions. In my lab, we barcode ascidian species in order to facilitate future identifications and to census species, and we also perform phylogenetic analyses to elucidate the evolutionary relationships within this class.
2. EXPERIENCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP COMMUNITY
My first experience convening conferences was as a recently graduated PhD student in 2006. I served as a member for the Executive Committee of the XIV Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology in Barcelona (Spain). Thankfully, most of the organizational effort was performed by faculty from the University of Barcelona, and the conference was relatively small (200 to 300 participants), with mostly national attendants. Yet, the amount of work that went into organizing the Symposium was staggering, and attention to detail was paramount for a successful event. The experience gained during that first event proved invaluable when 4 years later when we organized the 8th World Sponge Conference, this time in Girona (Spain). Over 500 participants came from all over the world and my ability to speak 4 languages finally paid off. As stressful as this experience was, it was also incredibly rewarding and allowed me to establish a solid network of international collaborators. In 2014, I was part of the organizing committee for the 2nd International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology that convened in Baltimore, Maryland. For this particular meeting, most of my obligations consisted of facilitating advertising and discussion sessions, rating abstracts and deciding which ones would be talks and which posters, and serving as Chair of one of the sessions. As the topic may suggest, the conference was relatively small, with just 52 participants but coming from 12 countries. Finally, the most challenging, time consuming and ultimately disappointing experience organizing a conference was in 2020. My colleague Dr. Joe Pawlik (UNCW) and I spent countless hours organizing the 49th Benthic Ecology Meeting here in Wilmington. We visited 3 potential venues, talked with caterers, discussed prices, estimated revenues, created sub-committees, secured a website and app for the conference, solicited abstracts and were happily expecting 750 attendees. One month before the event, we had to cancel the meeting because of covid-19.
My first experience convening conferences was as a recently graduated PhD student in 2006. I served as a member for the Executive Committee of the XIV Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology in Barcelona (Spain). Thankfully, most of the organizational effort was performed by faculty from the University of Barcelona, and the conference was relatively small (200 to 300 participants), with mostly national attendants. Yet, the amount of work that went into organizing the Symposium was staggering, and attention to detail was paramount for a successful event. The experience gained during that first event proved invaluable when 4 years later when we organized the 8th World Sponge Conference, this time in Girona (Spain). Over 500 participants came from all over the world and my ability to speak 4 languages finally paid off. As stressful as this experience was, it was also incredibly rewarding and allowed me to establish a solid network of international collaborators. In 2014, I was part of the organizing committee for the 2nd International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology that convened in Baltimore, Maryland. For this particular meeting, most of my obligations consisted of facilitating advertising and discussion sessions, rating abstracts and deciding which ones would be talks and which posters, and serving as Chair of one of the sessions. As the topic may suggest, the conference was relatively small, with just 52 participants but coming from 12 countries. Finally, the most challenging, time consuming and ultimately disappointing experience organizing a conference was in 2020. My colleague Dr. Joe Pawlik (UNCW) and I spent countless hours organizing the 49th Benthic Ecology Meeting here in Wilmington. We visited 3 potential venues, talked with caterers, discussed prices, estimated revenues, created sub-committees, secured a website and app for the conference, solicited abstracts and were happily expecting 750 attendees. One month before the event, we had to cancel the meeting because of covid-19.
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Last year, with colleagues Drs. Mary Nydam (SUA) and Lauren Stefaniak (CCU), we organized a 5-day long workshop on “Ascidian Taxonomy” in Alijo Viejo, CA. We organized lectures, sampling trips, and dissection sessions for 12 students that came from 6 countries (Figure 1). The workshop was a huge success and all “students” (many were working professionals) reported tremendous satisfaction with the experience and as one student wrote “returned filled with new knowledge, motivation, enthusiasm and joy”. For this workshop, we were also able to provide two scholarships to support students from underrepresented minorities in STEM. We are currently organizing another ascidian taxonomy workshop, this time in Myrtle Beach, SC, scheduled for June 24-28, 2024.
Finally, I just started organizing with Dr. Patrick Erwin (UNCW) the 2024 meeting for the NC branch of the American Society for Microbiology. This one-day conference brings together 200 to 300 microbiologists (faculty and students) from all over NC to discuss current global challenges, including human health, food security, and environmental sustainability as they relate to the microbial world. |
Fig. 1 Instructors and prticipants during the Ascidian Taxonomy Workshop (CA).
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Additional contributions include serving as an editorial board member for three journals and as an article reviewer for 52 journals. Being an editor is undoubtedly an honor and it is also very enlightening to learn how a journal works from the inside. However, it is also a tremendous amount of work (reviewing and managing multiple manuscripts each year) and it inevitably takes a toll on my other obligations. In the past, I have served for Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) and for Thalassas (Springer). I am currently still an editor for Taxonomy (MDPI), which so far has been good at sending me a manageable number of articles to process each year. I am also a very busy article reviewer. To date, I have reviewed 93 articles (more than I have published!) for 52 journals (see CV for a complete list), and I continue to review 6 to 8 papers each year. Serving as a journal reviewer keeps me informed of recent advances in my discipline, and I hope my constructive comments help my peers advance our field of research.
3. RECORD OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL GRANT FUNDING
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to achieve uninterrupted funding for my research and establish a successful and sustainable research program. While at the University of Barcelona, I secured extramural funding from both national (e.g., Spanish Government) and international (e.g., European Commission) sources. This strategy allowed me to support both masters and PhD students, and develop a student-focused lab that was extremely productive and vibrant. When I joined UNCW in 2014, I reapplied the same strategy, and successfully obtained grant funding from both national (e.g., National Science Foundation) and international (e.g., Binational Science Foundation) agencies. Overall, I have secured over $1.7 million in external funding since joining UNCW (see CV for explicit funding amounts and granting agencies), joining the James F Merritt Million Dollar Club in 2022.
3. RECORD OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL GRANT FUNDING
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to achieve uninterrupted funding for my research and establish a successful and sustainable research program. While at the University of Barcelona, I secured extramural funding from both national (e.g., Spanish Government) and international (e.g., European Commission) sources. This strategy allowed me to support both masters and PhD students, and develop a student-focused lab that was extremely productive and vibrant. When I joined UNCW in 2014, I reapplied the same strategy, and successfully obtained grant funding from both national (e.g., National Science Foundation) and international (e.g., Binational Science Foundation) agencies. Overall, I have secured over $1.7 million in external funding since joining UNCW (see CV for explicit funding amounts and granting agencies), joining the James F Merritt Million Dollar Club in 2022.
Fig. 2. UNCW funding obtained to enhance undergraduate research experiences.
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Most of the external funding I have received to date ($1.7 million) supports the research and salary of my graduate students. In addition, I have provided meaningful applied learning experiences for our undergraduate students supported by >$30,000 in internal funding (Figure 2). With these experiences, not only can the students apply knowledge learned in the classrooms, but they can add some meaningful research experiences to their CVs, further their chances of a successful career.
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Accordingly, I always encourage undergraduate students to apply for CSURF supply and SURCA awards (and many have been successful over the years!). I also actively try to enhance their hands-on experiences with well-functioning equipment and resources, and regularly apply for applied learning funds from my department, mini-grants, and Friends of UNCW awards (Figure 2).
Although my main research program has been well funded by external grants, I have also applied and obtained several internal grants to fund what I like to call my “side” projects. As often happens in research, resolving one question brings up a few new ones, and more often than not, my restless mind cannot leave those alone. Internal funds are ideal as seed dollars to obtain pre-liminary data and assess the feasibility and impact of such new research ideas. Over the years, I have secured $49,970 in Pilot Grants (notably from the Center for Marine Science) and $12,740 in Charles Cahill Awards. I am really thankful for the existence of these awards and the opportunity they confer for innovation.
4. RECORD OF COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
Although my main research program has been well funded by external grants, I have also applied and obtained several internal grants to fund what I like to call my “side” projects. As often happens in research, resolving one question brings up a few new ones, and more often than not, my restless mind cannot leave those alone. Internal funds are ideal as seed dollars to obtain pre-liminary data and assess the feasibility and impact of such new research ideas. Over the years, I have secured $49,970 in Pilot Grants (notably from the Center for Marine Science) and $12,740 in Charles Cahill Awards. I am really thankful for the existence of these awards and the opportunity they confer for innovation.
4. RECORD OF COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
Table 1. UNCW Faculty collaborators and co-authors.
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I consider myself a highly collaborative researcher. Although I would certainly love to master all possible analyses and techniques in my field of research, the truth is that I often struggle to keep up with rapidly evolving methods and technology, especially those involving genetics. I acknowledge my strengths as well as my weaknesses, and seek collaborators with whom I can work synergistically. So far, I have been extremely fortunate to find many excellent collaborators at UNCW (Table 1), but also nationally and internationally (Figure 3)
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Not surprisingly, most of my co-authors and grant collaborators today are from the United States (27), although I maintain good working relationships with many past colleagues in Spain and in France (Figure 3), where I did my masters and PhD theses, and my first postdoc, respectively.
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Over the years, I have also been able to widen my international collaborative network to include researchers from 24 countries (Figure 4). I recognize that I am extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to meet and work with such an intellectually and culturally diverse group of researchers, sharing knowledge, discussing results, experiences and sometimes, agreeing to disagree. I believe that my research background and findings are much stronger for it, and that I have gained a more holistic understanding of how marine invertebrates deal with human impacts. In particular, I now have a global perspective of the spread and prevalence of marine invasive species and their adaptive strategies and successful establishment in different habitats and oceans.
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Fig. 3. Number of co-authors/collaborators by country.
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5. INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH INTO UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE COURSES AND CURRICULUM
Research and teaching are two essential components of higher education that go hand in hand. I firmly believe that integrating research into undergraduate and graduate courses is crucial for providing students with a well-rounded education that will facilitate their success as biologists. I have integrated my research in three main courses, two at the undergraduate level and one for graduate students.
Research and teaching are two essential components of higher education that go hand in hand. I firmly believe that integrating research into undergraduate and graduate courses is crucial for providing students with a well-rounded education that will facilitate their success as biologists. I have integrated my research in three main courses, two at the undergraduate level and one for graduate students.
Fig. 4. "Search for an Invasive" student assignment, Fall 2023.
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BIO 322: Biological Invasions. I suggested and consequently developed this new course for UNCW in 2016 (first under the umbrella of BIO 485: “Special topics in Advanced Biology” and eventually obtaining its own number in 2021: BIO 322). Since then, I have taught this course yearly because of continuous interest and high enrollment (57 to 60 students yearly, course capped at 60). Indeed, the students appear to enjoy it very much (overall IDEA score average 4.65 ± 0.21 SD) and have reported gaining a throughout understanding of the economic and ecological impacts of invasive species and how to best managed them.
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The full course is based on my research expertise (see section 1) and I use numerous examples to illustrate theoretical concepts that I take directly from my research portfolio. Over the years, I have also incorporated several innovative teaching strategies. One of my students’ favorite assignments is the search for an invasive species on campus or their neighborhood. Students have to identify the species using reputable databases introduced in class, and report the species location, origin, economic and ecological threat and potential management strategies (Figure 4). This applied learning experience help students gain confidence and expertise via implementation of the knowledge acquired in class while at the same time it helps me achieve a better understanding of the presence and spread of invasive species in our county.
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BIO 495: Senior Seminar. In Spring 2016, I developed my first senior seminar, entitled “Marine Bioinvasions”, which I renamed “Aquatic Invasions” to include freshwater invaders in summer 2019. Since then, I have taught this course at least once a year. Seminar courses are designed to provide students with basic key information on a topic, in this case aquatic biological invasions, provide guidelines and resources for researching relevant literature, and have the students synthesize the gained information in an oral presentation. Thus, for this course I concentrate my efforts in facilitating inquiry-based learning to generate student curiosity and boost their confidence in their mastery of the topic during their presentations.
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Fig. 5. BIO 495 "Best Presentation Award" recipient (fall 2016).
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Thus, for this course I concentrate my efforts in facilitating inquiry-based learning to generate student curiosity and boost their confidence in their mastery of the topic during their presentations. Moreover, to make the experience more memorable and similar to what they would experience in a scientific conference setting, at the end of the course I recognize the best presenter with a “Best Presentation Award” (Figure 5). This approach has been extremely well-received by the students, with an overall IDEA score for this course averaging 4.92 (± 0.11 SD).
Fig. 6. BIO 534 students dissecting sea-squirts on the docks of UNCW Center for Marine Science.
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534: Advanced topics in Ecology: Molecular Ecology. This is a 3-credit graduate course that focuses on Molecular Ecology and during which I teach topics related to populations genetics and phylogenetics (section 1, research topics 3 and 4). BIO 534 has a laboratory component (BIOL 534) where students engage in hands-on activities to apply knowledge acquired during the lecture component of the course. Students have the opportunity to thoroughly experience the scientific method, from collecting their own ascidian samples (Figure 6) and DNA barcoding them, to analyzing the data with top notch software (Geneious, R, MEGA), drawing conclusions, and lastly writing a formal scientific report.
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I first taught this class in 2015 as a BIO 585 “Special Topics in Advanced Biology” and had taught it yearly since. This course has also been very well received by the 45 graduate students that have taken it so far, with an average overall IDEA score of 4.98 (± 0.04 SD).
Finally, I would like to note that preparing materials for teaching allows me to stay updated on the latest developments in my field of research and bring novel knowledge into the classroom. Therefore, the integration of research and teaching significantly enhances the overall learning experience for students while advancing my knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. A win-win situation for all!
Finally, I would like to note that preparing materials for teaching allows me to stay updated on the latest developments in my field of research and bring novel knowledge into the classroom. Therefore, the integration of research and teaching significantly enhances the overall learning experience for students while advancing my knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. A win-win situation for all!
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6. GUIDANCE OF STUDENTS IN THESIS WORK, HONOR'S PROJECTS, OR OTHER RESEARCH RELATED ACTIVITIES
This is the most rewarding aspect of my job. I get to help both graduate and undergraduate honors students to come up with a hypothesis, design strategies to collect data in the field, chose the correct statistical analyses, reporting (including critical discussion) and writing of a scientific article, and finally presentation of results in a conference. I enjoy every step of the process and I am proud to report that all my honors students and graduate students have graduated with at least a paper in a scientific journal (Table 2; only UNCW students listed). In total, I have published 49 papers with student co-authors and participated in 89 oral and poster presentations (Figure 7). To date, I have also mentored five “first year research experience” (FYRE) students, some of whom had continued later as “directed independent study” (DIS) students in my lab. |
Table 2. List of UNCW undergraduate Honors students and graduate-students (PhD or MS) and publications resulting from their work.
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My involvement with undergraduate research was recognized in 2020 with an UNCW Discere Aude award for outstanding mentoring of undergraduate students.
In addition to mentoring my students, I am always glad to serve in my colleagues’ students committees and contribute as much as needed to their own research programs and success. Over the years, I have served in 7 PhD and 21 MS committees (both nationally and internationally), as well as in 5 honors thesis committees here at UNCW. Finally, I would like to mention that I actively involve students traditionally underrepresented (URM) in the STEM disciplines in my research. Besides recruiting URM students in my lab, I also participate in university wide initiatives. For instance, UNCW’s “Mentors initiating community action, support, and advocacy” (MI CASA) program seeks to facilitate access to higher education to Hispanic/Latino high school students in North Carolina. I have welcomed students participating in this program to seat in my classroom several times, and last year I also showed three MI CASA students how to use automatic pipettes (Figure 8) in an effort to get them even more excited about STEM disciplines. Providing these kinds of opportunities to URM students is always forefront in my mind. For instance, in my most recently funded federal grant (NSF-DEB) we budgeted 4 “full-support” scholarships to attend the week long “Ascidian Taxonomy” workshops mentioned in section 3.
In addition to mentoring my students, I am always glad to serve in my colleagues’ students committees and contribute as much as needed to their own research programs and success. Over the years, I have served in 7 PhD and 21 MS committees (both nationally and internationally), as well as in 5 honors thesis committees here at UNCW. Finally, I would like to mention that I actively involve students traditionally underrepresented (URM) in the STEM disciplines in my research. Besides recruiting URM students in my lab, I also participate in university wide initiatives. For instance, UNCW’s “Mentors initiating community action, support, and advocacy” (MI CASA) program seeks to facilitate access to higher education to Hispanic/Latino high school students in North Carolina. I have welcomed students participating in this program to seat in my classroom several times, and last year I also showed three MI CASA students how to use automatic pipettes (Figure 8) in an effort to get them even more excited about STEM disciplines. Providing these kinds of opportunities to URM students is always forefront in my mind. For instance, in my most recently funded federal grant (NSF-DEB) we budgeted 4 “full-support” scholarships to attend the week long “Ascidian Taxonomy” workshops mentioned in section 3.
Fig. 7. Total number of publications and presentations with graduate and undergraduate students as co-authors.
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Fig. 8. MI CASA students learning to pipette at the iMESA Lab.
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7. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PEER RECOGNITION OF SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS
I believe my research contributions are well-recognized nationally and internationally. Some significant examples include: 1. The greatest honor I have received so far was the naming of two ascidian species by Brazilian colleagues Rocha and Counts (2019) in recognition of my work. The first species, Pyura imesa, was named after my lab “The name is a homage to the Integrated Molecular Ecology of Sponges and Ascidians lab at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for their contributions to ascidian molecular ecology”. The second species, Pyura lopezlegentilae was named after me for my “important research contributions on ascidian genetics and systematics” (Figure 9). |
Fig. 9. The new ascidian species Pyura lopezlegentilae (Rocha & Counts 2019).
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2. I am regularly asked to review grant proposals for the National Science Foundation (20 proposals reviewed so far), as well as for NOAA’s Sea Grant program. I have been invited to serve as a panelist for NSF twice: in 2015 for the Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) program: Symbiosis, Defense and Self-Recognition, and in 2023 for the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program: Division of Biological Infrastructure. My expertise has also been sought internationally, and I have reviewed grant proposals for The Spanish National Agency of Evaluation and Prospective (11 proposals), The Argentinian National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion (1 proposal), The German Research Foundation (1 proposal), the Dutch Research Council (1 proposal), and The Israel Science Foundation (3 proposals).
3. As mentioned in section 2, I also review six to eight peer-reviewed articles yearly. As of November 2023, I have reviewed 93 manuscripts for 52 journals, several for high impact Journals such as Scientific Reports, The ISME Journal, iSCIENCE, and Marine Pollution Bulletin (Text S1).
4. I have also been invited to serve as the “senior evaluator” or “committee president” Or “expert reviewer” or “opponent” (depending on how each country calls the most honorific position in a PhD committee) for five international PhD defenses: (1) L. Behrendt (2013), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; (2) T.M. Morganti (2016), University of Barcelona, Spain; (3) M. Casso (2020), Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Spain; (4) K. Steffen (2022), Uppsala University, Sweden; and (5) C. Galià-Camps (2024), University of Barcelona, Spain. When serving in this capacity, all my travel expenses are covered by the receiving university.
5. Finally, I have been invited to join several international research grants, notably with colleagues from Spain, Israel and Brazil, and have hosted visits of the principal investigators to my lab.
3. As mentioned in section 2, I also review six to eight peer-reviewed articles yearly. As of November 2023, I have reviewed 93 manuscripts for 52 journals, several for high impact Journals such as Scientific Reports, The ISME Journal, iSCIENCE, and Marine Pollution Bulletin (Text S1).
4. I have also been invited to serve as the “senior evaluator” or “committee president” Or “expert reviewer” or “opponent” (depending on how each country calls the most honorific position in a PhD committee) for five international PhD defenses: (1) L. Behrendt (2013), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; (2) T.M. Morganti (2016), University of Barcelona, Spain; (3) M. Casso (2020), Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Spain; (4) K. Steffen (2022), Uppsala University, Sweden; and (5) C. Galià-Camps (2024), University of Barcelona, Spain. When serving in this capacity, all my travel expenses are covered by the receiving university.
5. Finally, I have been invited to join several international research grants, notably with colleagues from Spain, Israel and Brazil, and have hosted visits of the principal investigators to my lab.
8. INNOVATIVE OR ORIGINAL SCHOLARLY, RESEARCH, CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
Ascidians are among the marine taxa with the highest numbers of introduced or non-native species. Despite this, they remain one of the least ecologically studied groups by the scientific community. This lack of research is concerning as ascidians play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their impact on native species and habitats is not well understood. My lab is one of few worldwide working in this topic and accruing the information we need to understand, manage and mitigate the detrimental effects that non-native species may cause to the marine environment. Moreover, I am proud to be among the pioneering researchers utilizing molecular tools to investigate this issue (see section 7, bullet point 5). I have used genetic approaches to resolve questions such as the origin of non-native species, gene flow among populations, and the role of their microbial symbiont in host successful establishment in a new habitat. Through my work, I aim to provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between ascidians, their symbionts and their environment, and to protect our oceans from the threat of invasive species. As mentioned above, my innovative approach to a worldwide issue was recognized by the scientific community in 2019, with the naming of two new ascidian species after myself and my lab (Figure 9).
9. DEMONSTRATED APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SOCIETY
Invasive species pose a significant threat to native ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as our economy, and health. As a result, conservation efforts have become increasingly important in mitigating the negative effects of these species. By actively managing and controlling invasive species, we can preserve the natural balance of our ecosystems and protect vulnerable species. Additionally, conservation efforts can benefit society by preserving natural resources, providing economic services, and supporting local communities. In order to effectively address this issue, my ongoing research on the biology and ecology of marine invasive species such as ascidians is crucial.
It is equally crucial to inform all stakeholders, including policymakers and the general public, of the potential detrimental impacts invasive species can cause and their pathways of arrival. Only by informing all stakeholders can we gain the support and cooperation needed to successfully eradicate or manage these invaders. Accordingly, I regularly participate in outreach events (Figure 10A), hold meetings with interested stakeholders (notably harbor authorities; Figure 10B), and distribute species catalogs listing non-native and native species as well as which species are of special concern and need to be watched more closely (Figure 10C).
Ascidians are among the marine taxa with the highest numbers of introduced or non-native species. Despite this, they remain one of the least ecologically studied groups by the scientific community. This lack of research is concerning as ascidians play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their impact on native species and habitats is not well understood. My lab is one of few worldwide working in this topic and accruing the information we need to understand, manage and mitigate the detrimental effects that non-native species may cause to the marine environment. Moreover, I am proud to be among the pioneering researchers utilizing molecular tools to investigate this issue (see section 7, bullet point 5). I have used genetic approaches to resolve questions such as the origin of non-native species, gene flow among populations, and the role of their microbial symbiont in host successful establishment in a new habitat. Through my work, I aim to provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between ascidians, their symbionts and their environment, and to protect our oceans from the threat of invasive species. As mentioned above, my innovative approach to a worldwide issue was recognized by the scientific community in 2019, with the naming of two new ascidian species after myself and my lab (Figure 9).
9. DEMONSTRATED APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SOCIETY
Invasive species pose a significant threat to native ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as our economy, and health. As a result, conservation efforts have become increasingly important in mitigating the negative effects of these species. By actively managing and controlling invasive species, we can preserve the natural balance of our ecosystems and protect vulnerable species. Additionally, conservation efforts can benefit society by preserving natural resources, providing economic services, and supporting local communities. In order to effectively address this issue, my ongoing research on the biology and ecology of marine invasive species such as ascidians is crucial.
It is equally crucial to inform all stakeholders, including policymakers and the general public, of the potential detrimental impacts invasive species can cause and their pathways of arrival. Only by informing all stakeholders can we gain the support and cooperation needed to successfully eradicate or manage these invaders. Accordingly, I regularly participate in outreach events (Figure 10A), hold meetings with interested stakeholders (notably harbor authorities; Figure 10B), and distribute species catalogs listing non-native and native species as well as which species are of special concern and need to be watched more closely (Figure 10C).
Fig. 10. A: The iMESA Lab stand at the CMS open house (>750 participants). B: Meeting with San Juan harbor authorities in Puerto Rico. C: Sea-squirt species catalog, showing the invasive status of each species and what to look for.