Introduction
Our research explores how environmental stress—from acidification to warming—shapes physiology, gene expression, and performance in shellfish.
Using integrative tools that span cytology, bioenergetics, and genomics, we identify the candidate traits that determine resilience and apply these insights to improve hatchery and breeding practices.
Research
Early-Life Programming
What we ask: Can moderate, timed stress during early life enhance resilience later on?
Focus: Hormetic conditioning experiments on oysters and scallops test how environmental cues “prime” larvae for tolerance and growth.
Why it matters: This work identifies programming windows and gene activation patterns that hatcheries can use to strengthen seed survival and yield.
Cellular and Bioinformatic Approaches
What we ask: How do cellular mechanisms and genetic regulation underpin adaptation?
Focus: Chromatin accessibility, SNP mapping, and multi-omics data reveal how acclimation and adaptation interact under stress.
Why it matters: These insights connect molecular mechanisms—such as mitochondrial function and immune pathways—to population-level resilience.
Predictive Phenotyping
What we ask: Can we predict aquaculture performance from cellular traits?
Focus: High-throughput phenotyping links metabolism, bioenergetics, and survival metrics to breeding outcomes.
Why it matters: This approach bridges lab assays and hatchery practice, helping forecast which broodstock will thrive in future ocean conditions.
Research Framework Visual
View the “Environmental Change → Candidate Traits → Aquaculture Intervention → Product Outcome” diagram from pages 57–60, which visually ties together his theoretical and applied work.
Where We’re Headed”
High-throughput predictive phenotyping trials are underway in collaboration with NOAA, OSU, and partner hatcheries—testing how biological insights can scale to real aquaculture settings.