We are interested in the physiological acclimations and evolutionary adaptations of marine invertebrates to changing environmental conditions, whether they be natural or anthropogenically induced. Our approach is inherently integrative and comparative - we ask questions about the effects of environmental stress at the cellular, tissue, and whole-organism levels, often across a number of species. In particular, our efforts are focused on the consequences of low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) and elevated carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) on muscle physiology, metabolism, and immune function. The following is a list of recent and ongoing research projects from our lab:

 

 

★ How does intertidal zone position influence phenotype (morphology, physiology and behavior) in marine invertebrates (e.g., barnacles, mussels)?

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★What are the effects of oxygen and diffusion limitation on energetics and structural organization in giant muscle fibers of crustaceans (crabs, barnacles)?

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★ Can sublethal stress exposure in larval Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) increase the survival of adult farm-raised oysters?

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★ Restoration of the native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) in our local Morro Bay Estuary: a conservation physiology approach.

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★ Evolution of extreme physiological tolerance in isolated desert pupfishes.