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Francois Seneca University of Hawai‘i at Mãnoa, Honolulu, 2004 James Cook University, Townsville, Australia, 2010 Research Interests: I am broadly interested in understanding how marine invertebrate species respond to physical changes in their environment with the goal to predict the consequences of further global climate change on these organisms. My research concentrates on the detection and measurement of change in gene expression levels within the cells of organisms exposed to different stressor stimuli. Studying gene expression patterns under stressful conditions can help to understand the mechanisms behind observed physiological disturbances, and therefore explain the symptoms of a specific stress in an individual. I have used progressive technologies novel to the field of Marine Biology, such as microarray, quantitative real-time PCR, and genetic analysis systems, to look at the gene expression response in corals exposed to certain stressors. Specifically, my research has focused on the molecular stress response of the reef-building coral species, Acropora millepora, during a natural bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and has found evidence that corals show signs of severe molecular perturbation weeks before any visual signs of bleaching could be observed in the field. My previous work has also included the discovery and characterization of a novel coral stress gene family, and the effects of land based pollutants on different coral life stages. My current research interests aim to address the big question: can reef-building corals adapt to future global climate change? In recent years, our group has studied a very special population of corals found in the shallow waters of an Ofu Island lagoon in American Samoa. These corals experience extreme fluctuations in daily average temperature and pH, the maxima of which are similar to the predictions for the environmental conditions on coral reefs worldwide 50 - 100 years from today. My goal is to determine if these hardy individuals are only acclimatized or in fact adapted to their harsher conditions. In the latter case, we might expect that similarly adapted populations across the tropics may act as potential sources for the dissemination of those genetic traits needed for coral survival in the face of future global climate change. Recognition of these potential refugia will be essential to successful management of climate change effects on coral reef ecosystems and designating such valuable populations as conservation priorities. Selected publications: Forêt S#, Seneca F#, de Jong D, Bieller A, Hemmrich G, Augustin R, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Bosch TCG, Agata K, Hassel M and Miller DJ (2011) Phylogenomics reveals an anomalous distribution of USP genes in metazoans. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 28(1): 153-161. #These authors contributed equally. PDF Souter P#, Bay LK#, Andreakis N#, Császár N, Seneca F and van Oppen MJH. (2011) A multi-locus, temperature stress related gene expression profile assay in Acropora millepora, a dominant reef-building coral. Molecular Ecology Resources, 11: 328-334. #These authors contributed equally. PDF Seneca F, Forêt S, Ball E, Smith-Keune C, Miller D J and van Oppen M. (2010) Patterns of Gene expression in a Scleractinian coral undergoing natural bleaching. Marine Biotechnology, 12(5): 594-604. PDF Császár N, Seneca F, and van Oppen M. (2009) Variation in expression levels of antioxidant genes in the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora under laboratory thermal stress conditions. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 392: 93-102. PDF Bay L, Nielsen B, Jarmer H, Seneca F, van Oppen M. (2009) Transcriptomic variation in a coral reveals pathways of clonal organization. Marine Genomics, 2: 119-125. PDF |
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