Alright now that I’m home I guess it’s time to officially announce some really good news: I have received an NIH R35 MIRA!! This award will fund five years of research in my group using Aiptasia to study context dependency and GxGxE interactions in animal-microbe symbioses!

My lab at @stonybrooku.bsky.social Dept of Ecology & Evolution is recruiting a 2-year Postdoc! They will split time between genomics and symbiosis dynamics of cnidarians 🪸, and the development of STAGdb. Start date as early as Sept 2026. Please share this post with anyone who might be a great fit!

Attending ICRS 2026 in Auckland? Want to learn how we streamline coral genotype tracking? Join us (me, Kim De Luca and @ibaums.bsky.social) for an interactive workshop on Standard Tools for Acroporid Genotyping Database (STAGdb)! #ICRS2026 #CoralRestoration #Bioinformatics #ConservationGenetics

After a searing ocean heat wave in 2023, two of the most historically important coral species in Florida are functionally extinct from the state’s reef, scientists have found.

Staghorn and Elkhorn Coral Are Functionally Extinct Off Florida, Researchers Say

Elkhorn and staghorn coral are now functionally extinct around the state, researchers say, meaning they no longer play any significant role in their ecosystem.

nyti.ms

Big day in the lab..Demi Carballosa successfully defended her Masters thesis 🎉 A solid first act for the rest of the lab to follow. We will miss her 🥹 but can’t wait to see what she does next. 🪸

Florida elkhorn corals need active genetic help to handle climate change, they cannot do it on their own. The risk is far less than the risk of doing nothing. 🌏🧪https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14920439 @coralconsortium.bsky.social