NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2016

Fritts-Penniman Allison L, Santa Monica CA

Investigators

Abstract

Postdoctoral Fellow: Allison Fritts-Penniman Proposal number: 161282 This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2016, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a professional development plan that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Allison Fritts-Penniman is 'Understanding the role of ecology in the evolution of high biodiversity on coral reefs.' The host institution for this fellowship is the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Terrence Gosliner. This project investigates the role of ecology and natural selection in driving the formation of new species, a process known as ecological speciation. Specifically, the Fellow is examining the role corals play in the evolution of nudibranchs, an extremely diverse group of sea slugs found throughout the world's oceans. Coral-feeding nudibranchs, like many marine animals, depend on specific coral species for food and protection. Previous work has shown that new species can evolve through adaptation to life on a different species of coral. The Fellow is integrating geographic, ecological, morphological, and genomic data to evaluate the evolutionary history of all coral-feeding nudibranchs. This will shed light on the importance of coral diversity in producing and maintaining the biodiversity of other organisms, an evolutionary process that is endangered in the face of massive coral die-offs. In addition to improving our understanding of the evolution and taxonomy of this megadiverse group, the Fellow is developing genomic tools to advance future evolutionary studies of nudibranchs and their mollusc relatives. In terms of training, the Fellow is learning comparative genomic techniques, developing museum collection and curation skills, and advancing her skills in mentoring and science communication. The Fellow is mentoring high school students from groups underrepresented in biology through the CAS Careers in Science (CiS) Internship Program. These students are learning how to study evolution using nudibranchs as a model system, and collaborating with the CAS Teen Advocates for Science Communication to create videos to 1) teach the public about evolution on coral reefs, and 2) show their high school peers that being a scientist is exciting, fun, and achievable regardless of economic or ethnic background. To further engage the general public and augment our knowledge of the biology and natural history of nudibranchs, the Fellow is starting a global nudibranch photo collection project using the iNaturalist platform. iNaturalist is accessible to people on a global scale, including people in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia who do not often have opportunities to contribute to international research.