Cryptic Species and how to find them: Factors governing coral responses to global change

This seminar explores coral bleaching as one of the most visible and consequential responses of marine ecosystems to environmental stress. Although corals are often treated as biologically homogeneous units, bleaching susceptibility varies widely among species and populations. The presentation highlights how genomic tools can be used within an integrative biological framework to investigate the mechanisms underlying this variation in coral bleaching responses.

About: Dr. Sarah Davies is an Associate Professor of Biology at Boston University. Her research focuses on ecological genomics and population genetics, with an emphasis on understanding coral ecology and the impacts of climate change on marine systems. She uses molecular ecology approaches to study symbiosis and resilience in coral communities, working to uncover how genetic and environmental factors shape the future of reef ecosystems.