Speare Lab
Marine Microbial Ecology
RESEARCH PROJECTS:
Acropora cervicornis - Halobacteriovorax to Optimize Restoration Action (AHORA)
Ruth D. Gates Coral Restoration Innovation Grant:
A Novel Approach to Enhance Acropora cervicornis Survivorship in Restoration Initiatives
In collaboration with Dr. Stephanie Rosales at the University of Miami and NOAA, this project aims to develop antibiotic-independent treatments for coral diseases by leveraging interbacterial interactions already occurring within coral tissue. Using manipulative tank experiments, microbial inoculations, and 16S rRNA gene analysis, we are exploring biological agents as tools to treat bacterially-induced disease in Caribbean Acroporid corals. Lab members include Kelly Lumpkin and Chloe Manley.
Georgia Tech SEI & BBISS Sustainability Next Seed Grant: Translating Halobacteriovorax therapy from proof-of-concept to field-ready application.
In collaboration with The University of Miami and Rescue A Reef, this project aims improve coral restoration outcomes by testing the application of an antibiotic-independent therapy, Halobacteriovorax marinus, in the field. Our goal is to translate aquaria findings into the field by testing this treatment in coral nurseries. Collaborators include Dr. Stephanie Rosales, Dr. Allyson DeMerlis, and Dr. Diego Lirman. Lab members include Kelly Lumpkin, Dr. Macey Coppinger, & Athena Peterson.
Investigating the diversity & mechanisms of prey selection of marine predators.
Marine predatory bacteria inhabit nearly every marine habitat and are considered "generalists", consuming a range of gram-negative prey. However, we know little about the diversity of these predators or the ecology and evolutionary forces underpinning their behaviors. This project aims to explore the diversity, functional potential, and evolution of marine predators as well as mechanisms that permit prey defense or resistance. Lab members include Dr. Macey Coppinger, Rowan Thomas, and Priya Master.
Assessing intermicrobial interactions within the coral holobiont
Corals house incredibly diverse microbial communities composed of beneficial symbionts, commensals, opportunists, pathogens, parasites, and microbes with unknown functions. Interactions between different members of these microbiomes have the potential to alter community structure and function, yet we lack a comprehensive understanding of these interactions, how they affect holobiont fitness, and how they are shaped by their environment. This project aims to identify the nature and mechanisms of interactions between common coral microbiome members. Lab members include Athena Peterson, Rowan Thomas, and Chloe Manley.
Georgia Tech SEI & BBISS Climate Action Challenge Grant: Macro- & Microscale drivers of Coral Reef Resilience in a Changing Climate
.png)
In collaboration with Dr. Isaiah Bolden and support from the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, this project aims to understand drivers of coral reef resilience. By leveraging carbonate chemistry and microbiome composition of coral reef calcifiers - stony corals and crustose coralline algae - this work aims to develop chemical and biological assessments of reef stability, risk of disease and regeneration potential to predict overall reef resilience. Lab members include Chloe Manley.