Ecology & Evolution of Disease and Immunity

Key words: Eco-immunology, host-parasite interactions, disease, pollution, co-infection, marine biology

My research on octocorals in Puerto Rico is in collaboration with Dr. Ernesto Weil.

Coral co-infection

Co-infection is the reality for organisms living in a natural environment, but relatively little has been done to uncover the role of multiple parasites in the wild. Laboratory research points to important ways that parasites can interact within a host, with a variety of consequences for host health. However, field studies of co-infection are sparse. My research contributes to the emerging body of work on natural co-infections.

Marine pollution

In addition to the many large scale stressors that corals must contend with, there are important local stressors that further influence coral health. Pollution is a local stressor that can have devastating effects on marine life, but may also be more tractable to resolve at a local scale. One aspect of my research focuses on the effects of pollutants on octocorals.

Coral eco-immunology

Host-parasite interactions are a normal part of healthy ecosystems, but environmental stressors can tip the balance in favor of the parasite. For example, conditions that lead to suppressed host immune function can allow a parasite to devastate the population. 

I am currently exploring the relationship between ecological factors and immune function in sea fan octocorals in the Caribbean. The purple sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina, is a well-characterized species of soft coral that harbors a variety of pathogenic organisms. I am particularly interested in the unexpected outcomes of multiple stressors for coral disease and immunity.

Coral microbial communities

Coral microbes can play an important role in both healthy and diseased corals. In addition to the microbes that cause disease, there are also microbes that are essential for healthy function and provide critical services to the coral host. I am interested in the role the environment plays in shaping these microbial communities and some of my past research investigates this question in the octocoral, Gorgonia ventalina. In the future, I hope to further pursue questions about the microbial communities in complex environments and the ensuing effects on the host.

Marine disease in a changing ocean

I am currently working on a project to assess whether marine disease is changing with the advent of the Anthropocene.

Host and strain variation in Eelgrass Wasting Disease

Morgan Eisenlord, another Harvell lab graduate student, studies Wasting Disease of eelgrass in the Pacific Northwest. I am collaborating with her to study host and strain variation at Friday Harbors Laboratories.

Funding Sources

Friday Harbors Laboratories, Graduate Research Grant
Betty Miller Francis ’47 Fund
Cornell Graduate School, Research Travel Grant 
National Geographic Young Explorers, Young Explorers Grant
American Academy of Underwater Sciences, Kathy Johnston
Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Sustainable Biodiversity
The Explorers Club, Student Grants
Paul P. Feeny Graduate Research Fund      
Sigma Xi, Cornell chapter 
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Graduate student grant
Sigma Xi, National chapter 
National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship
Presidential Life Sciences Fellowship, Cornell University

Parguera, Puerto Rico

Parguera, PR is the field site for my disease surveys and laboratory experiments. I am based out of Isla Magueyes, home of the Department of Marine Sciences for the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.