Hawaii Institute of Marine BiologyHawaii Institute of Marine Biology

Stephen A. KarlStephen A. Karl

Associate ResearcherAssociate Researcher

Research Program

• Hired September 2005

• Renovated 750 ft2 lab in old building, August 2006

• 1 Lab coordinator, 1 Ph.D. student, 1 RA, 3 high school student volunteers, 2 Ph.D. students at USF.

• Current Funding:

– Arcadia Wildlife Inc.

– National Science Foundation

Research Interests

• Conservation

• Population Genetics

• Evolution

• Coral Reef Ecology

Research Highlights

Conservation

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Research Highlights

Population Genetics

Research Highlights

Evolution

Sparisom

Nicholsina

Cryptotomus

Calotomus

LeptoscarusScaru

Chlorurus

Hipposcarus

Cetoscaru

Bolbometopon

Haremic & Diandrous

Territorial & Haremic

ReefTerritorial

Monandrous & Diandrous

Seagrass

Research Highlights

Coral Reef Ecology: Mapping Colonies

Reef 19 - Kaneohe Bay

Coral Reef Ecology: Geo-positioning Colonies

HydrophonePinger

Satellites

Global Position

RadioDeck Receiver

Sound (39 KHz)

Research Highlights

Research Highlights

Coral Reef Ecology: Genotyping Colonies

AllelesAlleles

Alleles

Size Standards

Gene 1Gene 2

Gene 3

Research Highlights

Coral Reef Ecology: Temperature Monitoring

Not yet analyzed

Hot Spots

July

August

October

Research Highlights

Coral Reef Ecology: Temperature Monitoring

Not yet analyzed

Temperature Pulses

June

October

January 2007

22.0

22.5

23.0

23.5

24.0

24.5

25.0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Date

Tem

pera

ture

NE - 2 m deep

NW - 2 m deep

Research Highlights

Coral Reef Ecology: Temperature Monitoring

Coral Reef Ecology: NWHI Marine National Monument

French Frigate Shoals

Pearl & Hermes

Research Highlights

Future Research Interests

• Add more physical monitors (salinity, current, etc).– Collaborative NSF grant with Drs. Thomas and Gates to

characterize physiological, genetic, and physical micro-spatial scale architecture of coral reefs.

• Micro-spatial genetic analysis of other reefs in the main Hawaiian Islands.– what are the fundamental properties of coral reefs?

• Individual variation in reproductive success– is everyone contributing equally to the gamete pool?

• Genetics of recruitment– are new recruits locally derived?– are newly settled recruits a random mix of spawning

adults?– are surviving recruits a random selection of the settled

recruits?• Develop continuous, remote monitoring systems.