Research

Oceaneering ROV Global Explorer

Cryptic Biodiversity of Mesophotic Reefs

The cryptobenthos of mesophotic coral reefs is an incredibly diverse community of invertebrates that has yet to be described in the Gulf of Mexico. Studying these communities is challenging as scuba diving has limited bottom time at mesophotic depths and ROV video fails to capture all benthic organisms due to their small size.

My Ph.D. research will focus on using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) to characterize cryptic biodiversity and population connectivity of mesophotic coral reefs within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), and determine how they are ecologically connected and the environmental factors that drive community composition and biodiversity hotspots. This project is funded by NOAA and is in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History.

Octocoral Reproductive
Biology

I am also interested in using molecular techniques to explore genes involved in sex determination and reproductive timing of mesophotic and deep-sea octocorals. While there is minimal information regarding these corals' reproductive biology, understanding these processes is essential for describing population dynamics, assessing vulnerability to human-induced disturbances, and evaluating recovery potential.

Through collaborative efforts, we aim to describe the reproductive biology of mesophotic and deep-sea octocorals in the Gulf of Mexico and the greater Caribbean.

WHOI/MISO/NDSF HOV Alvin

Cryptic Biodiversity of Hydrothermal Vents

An active off-axis hydrothermal vent field was recently discovered 750m east of the East Pacific Rise Axis at 9º 50'N. This vent field is thought to have avoided lava flow from the 2005-2006 eruption, thus serving as a possible source of larvae to recovering on-axis vents.

Through collaborative investigations, we aim to characterize the biological communities at YBW-Sentry Vent Field. I have also deployed ARMS at the East Pacific Rise Axis to test if the ARMS metabarcoding approach is consistent with and/or complimentary to the successful Mullineaux sandwich method in characterizing hydrothermal vent communities. We also aim to contribute to hydrothermal vent fauna's barcode reference library by sampling multiple benthic habitats at the East Pacific Rise and the Western Galapagos Spreading Center.

Publications

Google Scholar

Maloney, R. T.,Ye A. Q., Saint Pre, S-K., Alisch, T., Zimmerman, D.M., Pittoors, N.C., and de Bivort, B.L. 2024. Drift in Individual Behavioral Phenotype as a Strategy for Unpredictable Worlds. bioRxiv 2024.09.05.611301; DOI:10.1101/2024.09.05.611301.

McCartin, L.J., Saso, E., Vohsen, S., Pittoors, N.C., Demetriades, P., McFadden, C., Quattrini, A., and Herrera, S. New eDNA Meta-barcoding Primers for Anthozoan Coral Biodiversity Assessment. 2023. bioRxiv 2023.10.26.564240; DOI:10.1101/2023.10.26.564240.

Herrera, S., Chadwick, W.W., Jackson, M.G., Konter, J., McCartin, L., Pittoors, N., Bushta, E., Merle, S.G. 2023. From basalt to biosphere: Early non-vent community succession on the erupting Vailulu'u deep seamount. Frontiers in Marine Science. 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1110062.

McDermort, J.M., Parnell-Turner, R., Barreyre, T., Herrera, S., Downing, C., Pittoors, N.C., Pehr, K., Vohsen, S.A., Dowd, W.S., Wu, J., Marjanoic, M., Fornari, D. 2022. Discovery of active off-axis vents at 9º 54’N East Pacific Rise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205602119.

Maciejewski, M.F., Meyer, K.S., Wheeler, J.D., Anderson, E.J., Pittoors, N.C., Mullineaux, L.S. 2019. Helical swimming as an exploratory behavior in competent larvae of the eastern oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 510: 86-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2018.10.007.

FKt230812-Dive562MissionControl-20230819-Ingle-8291_edited.jpg

Alex Ingle, Schmidt Ocean Institute

Research Expeditions

2024 R/V Atlantis. HOV Alvin. AUV Sentry. AT50-21. Monitoring hydrothermal fluid origin, crustal permeability and seafloor morphology. Leg 3. East Pacific Rise 9º 50’N, Pacific Ocean. Starboard Observer on HOV Alvin dive AL5237, Port Observer on dive AL5241. 34 days.

2023 R/V Falkor (too). ROV SuBastian. FKt230812. Hydrothermal Vents of the Western Galapagos. Galapagos. 30 days. ROV Watch Leader.

2023 R/V Falkor (too). ROV SuBastian. FKt230417. Health Diagnostics of Deep-Sea Corals. Puerto Rico. 19 days.

2023 R/V Atlantis. HOV Alvin. AUV Sentry. AT50-07. Monitoring hydrothermal fluid origin, crustal permeability and seafloor morphology. Leg 2. East Pacific Rise 9º 50’N, Pacific Ocean. Starboard observer on HOV Alvin dive AL5147. 29 days.

2021 R/V Point Sur. ROV Global Explorer. ConnectivitY of CoraL Ecosystems (CYCLE). U.S. Gulf of Mexico. 13 Days.