Conservation Genetic Projects
In collaboration with Dr. Andrea Davalos (SUNY Cortland) and Dr. Annise Dobson (Yale University), we received 3-years funding (2019-2022) from New York Department of Environmental Conservation to use genetic identification of cryptic invasive worm species in order to model habitat use and dispersal with in NY State Parks. The project began in the summer of 2019. Two undergraduates, Nicholas Lavy and Ava Adams, are working on the project. Nick was part of the field sampling in the summer, and both Nick and Ava are working DNA extractions, amplification of COI and 16s genes, and DNA sequencing.
As an additional project, Marissa Kordal exploring the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify the presence of invasive worm species from soil samples as part of an Honor's project. The photo above are a few of her mesocosms for an initial pilot study on the feasibility of using the eDNA method. Photo by Laura Eierman |
This ongoing project is in partnership with ECOMAR, a Belizean non-profit, along with collaborators from San Fransisco State University and Los Andes University of Colombia.. The study began with using mesocosms at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) to develop a protocol to sample water and assess the presence of D. antillarum, the long-spined urchin, using DNA extraction from water samples. D. antillarum is a keystone species for Caribbean reefs that help reduce the presence of macroalgal, an alternative state for coral reefs. The species suffered a catastrophic mortality event in the 1980s and has struggled to recover. The initial work on the project was done by an undergraduate student, Allyson Dahlen, at SMCM. Her work confirmed that species-specific primers of COI (cytochrome oxidase 1) could indicate the presence and relative abundance of urchins.
During field trips to Belize, as part of the Marine Biology (BIO315) course at SUNY Cortland, students collect and filter water samples for eDNA and use quadrats to estimate the number of urchins present on different reef areas from which the water samples are taken. Additional sampling by Linda Searle of ECOMAR is currently underway with analysis occurring Spring 2022. This work is currently funded by an internal grant through SUNY Cortland to collect preliminary results. Photo by Laura Eierman |