Publications

Overview

Our work appears in journals that bridge physiology, genetics, and applied aquaculture. These studies reveal how early-life stress, cellular mechanisms, and genetic adaptation shape shellfish resilience — and how those discoveries translate to more sustainable hatchery practices and breeding programs.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Gurr, S. et al. (2025)
Multigenerational Responses of Bay Scallops to Ocean Acidification.
Ecology & Evolution.
Identifies immune and metabolic genes driving adaptation across three scallop generations, providing evidence that tolerance can evolve under realistic environmental conditions.
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Gurr, S. et al. (2024)
Cellular and Bioinformatic Dissection of Ocean Acidification Tolerance in Scallops.
Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS).
Links mitochondrial function and gene regulation to survival differences under acidification, revealing cellular signatures of resilience.
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Gurr, S., Mackenzie, C., Roberts, S., Putnam, H. (2022)
Front-Loaded Gene Expression and Chromatin Modifiers Underlie Hormetic Conditioning in Bivalves.
Molecular Ecology.
Demonstrates how moderate stress during early life primes later performance through epigenetic mechanisms.
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Gurr, S. et al. (2021)
Physiological Performance and Transcriptional Priming Under Variable CO₂ Exposure in Pacific Oysters.
Journal of Experimental Biology.
Shows that short, moderate stress events can enhance survival and growth, supporting the concept of “early-life programming.”
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Gurr, S. et al. (2020)
Hormetic Conditioning Improves Thermal and Acidification Tolerance in Juvenile Clams.
Conservation Physiology.
Provides experimental evidence that controlled stress exposure can strengthen physiological resilience in aquaculture species.
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In Preparation / Under Review

Gurr, S. et al. (in review)
Predictive Phenotyping in Bivalve Breeding Programs: Linking Metabolism to Market Traits.
Develops high-throughput assays to forecast survival and yield in selective breeding lines.

Gurr, S. & Gavery, M. (in prep)
Disentangling Adaptation from Acclimation in Atlantic Sea Scallops.
Combines genomics and epigenomics to separate long-term selection from rapid physiological plasticity.

Conference Presentations & Talks

  • NOAA Ocean Acidification Principal Investigators’ Meeting — “Integrative Biology for Aquaculture Resilience” (2024)

  • National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting — “From Early-Life Stress to Genetic Adaptation” (2023)

  • Oregon State University Research Seminar — “Predictive Phenotyping and the Future of Shellfish Aquaculture” (2025)

Collaborative Reports

  • NOAA Ocean Acidification Program — “Multigenerational Resilience in Bay Scallops” (2024)

  • Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research — “Conditioning Windows for Hatchery Performance” (2023)