THE BIOLOGY OF
ECOSYSTEM PERSISTENCE
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
I study the mechanisms that shape and sustain marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on symbiosis, plasticity, and adaptation. My work integrates field observations, experimental approaches, and high-throughput meta-analyses to reveal how small interactions scale up to influence long-term ecosystem persistence.
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At the core of my research is the idea that ecosystem persistence emerges from a cascade of mechanisms that begin at the cellular level and extend through physiology, ecological interactions, and evolutionary processes. By tracing this cascade, we can reveal how basic biological interactions scale into ecosystem resilience. My ultimate goal is to translate this understanding into actionable conservation strategies that ensure ecosystem survival in a rapidly changing world.
PHOTOSYMBIOSIS
Photosymbiosis underpins most life on earth. In plants, the ancient integration of a photosynthetic endosymbiont facilitates their survival, now known as the chloroplast. In shallow marine ecosystems, a more recent form dominates. In this process, an algal cell is ingested into another organism to exchange nutrients yet retains its ability to live and reproduce independently. The most well-known example is reef-building corals, which form the structural foundation of coral reef ecosystems. However, photosymbiosis is found across a wide range of organisms and ecosystems.
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My research explores how these host-alga relationships not only sustain individual organisms but also support entire ecosystems. To best understand the universalities of this relationship, I both study the basic biology of these dinoflagellates in culture conditions and across a diverse set of host systems, including corals, jellyfish, anemones, and even salamanders.
CORAL REEFS
Coral reefs sustain millions of people's lives and are widely considered the biodiversity center point of the ocean. Coral reefs likely began dominating nutrient-poor waters following the evolution of a symbiotic relationship between corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellates. No doubt, this relationship underpins the extraordinary productivity and biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems. Therefore, photo-endosymbiosis is the engine of coral reef persistence.
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At the core of my research, I investigate how this relationship is established, maintained, and destabilized. One of my favorite techniques is the use of bleached cnidarian hosts to establish novel symbioses under different conditions, thus revealing specific cellular mechanisms or ecological interactions that support the entire ecosystem. I extend these insights into conservation biology by studying dynamics within the context of restoration efforts (Anthony et al. 2024 Mar Poll Bull) and by developing approaches that incorporate natural biological mechanisms into coral restoration (Anthony et al. 2025 One Earth).
THE OCEAN'S SURFACE
To test the generality of these mechanisms, I also study the ecosystem at the ocean's surface (termed 'the neuston'), a comparatively simple ecosystem similarly centered around Cnidaria. My work has shown that these animals evolved from benthic ancestors (Anthony et al. 2024 Current Biology) and have since diversified into unique species, depending on their ocean basin (Church et al. 2025 Current Biology). Recently, we have been exploring the endosymbiotic dinoflagellates within two of the primary inhabitants Velella and Porpita ('F', 'G' in figure below), which raises new questions about the evolution of symbiosis and its contribution to ecological success across ocean systems.
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