Matthew R. Gilg

I am interested in a variety of evolutionary questions including the genetics and process of speciation, hybridization, and how organisms respond to climate change.  I currently have several study systems that students in my lab are researching. 

One of my study systems involves an assessment of naturally hybridizing populations of two species of killifish, Fundulus grandis and Fundulus heteroclitus.  These two species overlap in range in northeastern Florida and occupy the same habitats as adults.  I am currently researching the spatial and temporal dynamics of this hybrid zone in an attempt to identify whether hybrid fitness is influenced by habitat and whether the hybrid zone is shifting in response to climate change.

A second area of research involves the investigation of adaptation and acclimatization of the threatened coral species, Acropora cervicornis, to increased ocean temperatures.  Students in my laboratory are attempting to identify coral genotypes that are especially tolerant of elevated temperatures, and determine the genetic and physiological variations that differentiate them from intolerant genotypes.  We are also investigating whether coral that have had previous exposure to elevated temperatures are better able to survive subsequent thermal stress events, and how these stress treatments affect survival of outplanted coral fragments.

My third study system involves work with a local invasive species, the green mussel, Perna viridis.  Green mussels are native to the Indo-Pacific and have been introduced to several locations in the Caribbean and Florida over the last 20 years.  Students in my laboratory are involved in a collaborative project comparing the cold temperature tolerance of introduced populations in the U.S. to native populations in China.  We are attempting to identify whether introduced populations have adapted to the colder winter temperatures in the U.S. and whether this could influence their range expansion.