Research

I'm interested in understanding reef fish biodiversity and how it is maintained. My dissertation research focuses on uncovering the drivers of cryptic speciation in the blenny family, Chaenopsidae. Acanthemblemaria spinosa has one of the largest mitochondrial to nuclear substitution rate ratios in vertebrates, making it a prime candidate for studying the role of Dobzhansky-Muller Incompatibilities between nuclear and mitochondrial genes. A portion of my research focuses on using genomics to find potential genes underlying speculation between populations of this fish. Cryptic speciation appears to be pervasive within the genus Acanthemblemaria. Is this speciation driven by the same large substitution rate ratios? I am currently using genomic data to determine modes of speciation across the Acanthemblemaria genus. 

I am also interested in studying phylogenetics and population connectivity in other  blenny species as well. Currently I am researching a potential introduced species of Hypleurochilus blenny in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and continuing to understand the interrelationships of this genus. I am also researching the population connectivity of species within the blenny genus, Chasmodes and within other Chaenopsid species across the Caribbean.

I have also begun to use environmental DNA to look at present species assemblages and hop to apply the techniques to look at historic species assemblages and how they have changed through time.