Publications
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Bold: Davies Lab Member
2024
Fifer JE, Speare KE, Leinbach SE, HendricksS, Davies SW, Burkepile DE, Adam TC, Hofmann GE and ME Strader. Genomic signatures of coral adaptation and recovery following a mass mortality event. In review at Nature Climate Change.
Wuitchik DM, Aichelman HE, Atherton KF, Brown CM, Chen X, DiRoberts L, Pelose GE, Richmond K, Tramonte C, and SW Davies. Photosymbiosis lessens the environmental stress response under a heat challenge in a facultatively symbiotic coral. In review at Scientific Reports.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.13.566890v1
Bennett MJ, Grupstra CGB, Da’Anoy JP, Andres M, Holstein D, Rossin A, Davies SW and KS Meyer-Kaiser. Ex situ spawning, larval development, and settlement in the massive reef-building coral Porites lobata in Palau. In review at Invertebrate Biology.
Strader, ME, Wright RM, Pezner AK, Nuttall M, Aichelman HE and SW Davies. Intersection of a localized mortality event and ex situ deoxygenation on coral molecular responses. In revision at Ecology and Evolution
Li Shing Hiung DLCY, Schuster JM, Duncan MI, Payne ML, Helmuth B, Chu JWF, Brambilla V, Bruno J, Davies SW, Dornelas M, Guy-Haim T, Jackson J, Madin JS, Monteith ZL, Queirós A, Schneider EVC, Starko S, Talwar BS, Wyatt ASJ, Aichelman HE, Bensoussan N, Baum JK, Caruso C, Castillo KD, Choi F, Dong YW, Gagnon P, Garrabou J, Guillemain D, Higgs N, Jiang Y, Kersting DK, Kushner DJ, Leichter JJ, Longo G, Neufeld C, Peirache M, Smyth T, Sprague JL, Urvoy G, Zuberer F and AE Bates. Ocean weather, biological rates and unexplained global ecological patterns. In revision at PNAS Nexus 2023-20967.
¶Castillo KD, ¶Bove CB, Hughes AM, Powell ME, JB Ries and SW Davies. Gene expression plasticity facilitates acclimatization of a long-lived Caribbean coral across divergent reef environments. In revision at Scientific Reports
¶Castillo and Bove contributed equally to this work
Aichelman HE, Huzar A, Wuitchik DM, Schlatter E, Russo J, Haftel N, Wright RM, Atherton KF, and SW Davies. Symbiosis modulates gene expression of symbionts, but not hosts, under thermal challenge. Accepted with minor revisions at Molecular Ecology MEC-23-1127.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.21.568130v1
Valadez-Ingersoll M, Aguirre Carrión PJ, Bodnar C, Desai NA, Gilmore TD and SW Davies. Nutrient deprivation differentially affects gene expression, immunity, and pathogen susceptibility across symbiotic states in a model cnidarian. In press at Proceedings of the Royal Society B RSPB-2023-1685. https://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.30.551141v1
Grupstra CGB, Gómez-Corrales M, Fifer J, Aichelman HE, Meyer-Kaiser K, Prada C and SW Davies. Integrating cryptic diversity into coral evolution, symbiosis and conservation. Nature Ecology Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02319-y pdf
2023
Starko S, Fifer J, Claar DC, Davies SW, Cunning R, Baker AC and JK Baum. Rapid selection during marine heatwaves threatens cryptic coral diversity and erodes associations amongst coevolving partners. Science Advances. 9(eadf0954). pdf
Aguirre Carrión PJ, Desai N, Brennan JJ, Fifer J, Davies SW, and TD Gilmore. Starvation decreases immunity and immune regulator NF-κB in the starlet sea anemone Nematostalla vectensis. Communications Biology 9(698). pdf
Scavo-Lord K, Lesneski KC, Buston PM, Davies SW, D’Aloia CC, Finnerty JR. Rampant asexual reproduction and limited dispersal in a mangrove population of the coral Porites divaricata. Proceedings of the Royal Society- Biology 290(2002). pdf
Davies SW, Gamache MH, Howe-Kerr LI, Kriefall NG, Baker AC, Banaszak AT, Bay LK, Bellantuono AJ, Bhattacharya D, Chan CX, Claar DC, Coffroth MA, Cunning R, Davy SK, del Campo J, Frommlet JC, Fuess LE, González-Pech RA, Goulet TL, Hoadley KD, Howells EJ, Hume BCC, Kemp DW, Kenkel CD, Kitchen SA, LaJeunesse TC, Lin S，McIlroy SE, McMinds R, Nitschke MR, Oakley CA, Peixoto RS, Prada C, Putnam HM, Quigley KM, Reich HG, Reimer JD, Rodriguez-Lanetty M, Rosales SM, Saad OS, Sampayo EM, Santos SR, Shoguchi E, Smith EG, Stat M, Stephens TG, Strader ME, Suggett DJ, Swain TD, Tran C, Traylor-Knowles N, Voolstra CR, Warner ME, Weis V, Wright RM, Xiang T, Yamashita H, Ziegler M, Correa AMS and Parkinson JE Building consensus around the assessment and interpretation of Symbiodiniaceae diversity. PeerJ 11:e15023 pdf
Rivera HE, Tramonte CA, Samaroo J, Dickerson H and SW Davies Heat challenge elicits stronger physiological and gene expression responses than starvation in symbiotic Oculina arbuscula. Journal of Heredity Special Issue: Conservation Genomics esac068. pdf
Bove CB, Greene K, Sugierski S, Kriefall NG, Huzar AK, Hughes AM, Sharp K, Fogarty ND and SW Davies Molecular and microbial responses to global change and microplastics in an endangered coral. Frontiers in Marine Science 9:1037130. pdf
Barfield S, Davies SW and MV Matz Evidence of sweepstakes reproductive success in a broadcast-spawning coral and its implications for coral metapopulation persistence. Molecular Ecology 2022:00:1-7. pdf
2022
Bove CB, Valadez Ingersoll M and SW Davies Help me symbionts, you’re my only hope: Approaches to accelerate our understanding of holobiont interactions. Integrative and Comparative Biology icac141. pdf
Bove CB, Davies SW, Ries JB, Umbanhowar J, Thomasson BC, Farquhar EB, McCoppin J and KD Castillo Global change differentially modulates coral physiology and suggests future winners and losers. PlosONE 17(9):e0273897. pdf
Doyle SM, Self MJ, Hayes J, Shamberger KEF, Correa AMS, Davies SW and JB Sylvan. Microbial Community Dynamics Provide Evidence for Hypoxia During a Coral Reef Invertebrate Mortality Event. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 10.1128/aem.00347-22.
pdf
Fifer J, Bui V, Berg JT, Kriefall NG, Klepac S, Bentlage B and SW Davies. Microbiome structuring within a colony and along a sedimentation gradient. Frontiers in Marine Science 8:805202. pdf
Kriefall NG, Kanke MR, Aglyamova GV, Davies SW. Reef environments shape microbial partners in a highly connected coral population. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 289: 20212459. pdf
Fifer J, Yasuda N, Yamakita T, Bove C and SW Davies. Genetic divergence and range expansion in a western North Pacific coral. Science of the Total Environment 813: 152423. pdf
2021
Rivera HE and SW Davies. Symbiosis maintenance in the facultative coral Oculina arbuscula relies on nitrogen cycling, cell cycle modulation, and immunity. Scientific Reports 11:21226. pdf
Reyes CL, Benson BE, Levy M, Pires A, Pechenik JA and SW Davies. Effects of ocean acidification on Crepidula fornicata physiology and gene expression across two life history stages. Frontiers in Physiology 702864. pdf
Wuitchik DM, Reyes C, Benson BE, Almanzar A, Brennan S, Chavez D, Liesegang M, Reavis K, Schniedewind M, Trumble I and SW Davies. Characterizing the environmental stress responses of aposymbiotic Astrangia poculata to divergent thermal challenges. Molecular Ecology 00:1-16. pdf
Strader M, Aichelman HA, Tramonte CA, Dickerson HEW, Benson BE, Howe-Kerr LI, Hickerson EL and Davies SW. Expanding coral reproductive knowledge using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV): broadcast spawning observations of mesophotic corals at the Flower Garden Banks. Marine Biodiversity 51:70. pdf
Voolstra CR, Quigley K, Davies SW, Parkinson JE, Peixoto RS, Aranda M, Baker AC, Barno A, Barshis DJ, Benzoni F, Bonito V, Bourne D, Buitrago-Lopez C, Bridge T, Chan CX, Combosch DJ, Craggs J, Frommlet JC, Herrera S, Quattrini AM, Rothig T, Reimer JD, Rubio-Portillo E, Suggett D, Villela H, Ziegler M and M Sweet. Consensus guidelines for advancing coral holobiont genome and specimen voucher deposition. Frontiers in Marine Science 8: 1029. pdf
Aichelman HA, Bove CB, Castillo KD, Boulton JM, Knowlton AC, Nieves OC, Ries JB and SW Davies. Exposure duration modulates the response of Caribbean corals to global change stressors. Limnology and Oceanography 9999: 1-16. pdf
Davies SW¶, Putnam HM¶, Tracy Ainsworth, Julia K. Baum, Colleen B. Bove, Sarah C. Crosby, Isabelle M. Côté, Anne Duplouy, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Alyssa J. Griffin, Torrance C. Hanley, Tessa Hill, Adriana Humanes, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Anna Metaxas, Laura M. Parker, Hanny E. Rivera, Nyssa J. Silbiger, Nicola S. Smith, Ana K. Spalding, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Brooke L. Weigel, Rachel M. Wright, Amanda E. Bates. Shifting our value system beyond citations for a more equitable future. Plos Biology 19(6): e3001282. pdf
¶Davies and Putnam contributed equally to this work
Highlighted in EurekAlert, STRI News, BU Brink, WCS Figi, Futurity, UC Davis, Nature Index
Brave New Women Podcast
Shore AN, JA Sims, M Grimes, LI Howe-Kerr, CGB Grupstra, SM Doyle, L Stadler, J Sylvan, K Shamberger, SW Davies, LZ Santiago-Vázquez and AMS Correa. On a reef far, far away: Anthropogenic impacts following extreme storms affect sponge health and bacterial communities. Frontiers in Marine Science 8: 608036. pdf
Fulweiler RW¶, Davies SW¶, Biddle JF, Burgin AJ, Cooperdock EHG, Hanley TC, Kenkel CD, Marcarelli AM, Matassa CM, Mayo TL, Santiago-Vazquez LZ, Traylor-Knowles N and M Ziegler. Rebuild the Academy: Supporting academic mothers during COVID-19 and beyond. PlosBiology 19(3): e3001100. pdf
¶Fulweiler and Davies contributed equally to this work
Highlighted in Inside Higher Ed, BU Today, The Brink, EurekAlert, and Science Women’s Health In Focus at NIH Quarterly
Rivera HE, Aichelman HA, Fifer JE, Kriefall NG, Wuitchik DM, Wuitchik SJS and SW Davies. A framework for understanding gene expression plasticity and its influence on stress tolerance. Molecular Ecology 30(6):1381-1397. pdf
2020
Davies SW, Mooreland KN, Wham D, Kanke M and MV Matz. (2020) Cladocopium community divergence in two Acropora coral hosts across multiple spatial scales. Molecular Ecology DOI: 10.1111/mec.15668. pdf
Rodas A, Wright RD, Buie L, Aichelman H, Castillo KD and Davies SW. (2020) Eukaryotic plankton communities across reef environments in Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama. Coral Reefs https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-020-01979-7 pdf
Speare L, Davies SW, Balmonte JP, Baumann J and KD Castillo. Patterns of environmental variability influence coral‐associated bacterial and algal communities on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Molecular Ecology. doi:10.1111/mec.15497. pdf
2019
Rippe JP, Kriefall NG, Davies SW, and Castillo KD. 2019. Differential disease incidence and mortality of inner and outer reef corals of the upper Florida Keys in association with a white syndrome outbreak. Bulletin of Marine Science, 95(2), 305-316. pdf
Ali A, Kriefall NG, Emery LE, Kenkel CD, Matz MV, and Davies SW. 2019. Recruit symbiosis establishment and Symbiodiniaceae composition influenced by adult corals and reef sediment. Coral Reefs, 38(3), 405-415. pdf
Bove CB, Ries JB, Davies SW, Westfield IT, Umbanhowar J, and Castillo KD. 2019. Common Caribbean corals exhibit highly variable responses to future acidification and warming. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286(1900), 20182840. pdf
Baums IB, Baker AC, Davies SW, Grottoli AG, Kenkel CD, Kitchen SA, Kuffner IB, LaJeunesse TC, Matz MV, Miller MW, Parkinson JE, and Shantz AA. 2019. Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic. Ecological Applications, 29(8), e01978. pdf
Awarded Coral Reef Hero 2020 status from Environment, Coastal and Offshore (ECO) magazine for making significant contributions to the field
Wright RM, Correa AMS, Quigley LA, Santiago-Vázquez LZ, Shamberger KEF, and Davies SW. 2019 Gene Expression of Endangered Coral (Orbicella spp.) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary After Hurricane Harvey. Frontier Marine Science, 6:672. pdf
Parkinson JE, Baker AC, Baums IB, Davies SW, Grottoli AG, Kitchen SA, Matz MV, Miller MW, Shantz AA, and Kenkel CD. 2019. Molecular tools for coral reef restoration: beyond biomarker discovery. Conservation Letters, e12687. journal cover. pdf
On the cover!
2018
Kriefall NG, Pechenik JA, Pires A, and SW Davies. 2018. Resilience of Atlantic Slippersnail Crepidula fornicata larvae in the face of severe coastal acidification. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5:312. pdf
Rippe JP, Baumann JH, De Leener DN, Aichelman HE, Friedlander EB, Davies SW, and KD Castillo. 2018. Corals sustain growth but not skeletal density across the Florida Keys reef tract despite ongoing warming. Global Change Biology. pdf
Maytin AK, Davies SW, Smith GE, Mullen SP, and PM Buston. 2018. De novo transcriptome assembly of the clown anemonefish (Amphiprion percula): a new resource to study the evolution of fish color. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5:284. pdf
Davies SW, Ries JB, Marchetti A, and Castillo KD. 2018. Symbiodinium functional diversity in the coral Siderastrea siderea is influenced by thermal stress and reef environment, but not ocean acidification. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5:150. pdf
Baumann JH, Davies SW, Aichelman HE, and KD Castillo. 2018. Coral Symbiodinium community composition across the Belize Mesoanerican Barrier Reef System is influenced by host species and thermal variability. Microbial Ecology, 1-13. pdf
Moreno CM, Lin Y, Davies SW, Monbureau E, Cassar N, and A Marchetti. 2018. Examination of gene repertoires and physiological responses to iron and light limitation in Southern Ocean diatoms. Polar Biology. pdf
2017
Rippe JP, Matz MV, Green EA, Medina M, Khawaja NZ, Pongwarin T, Pinzon C JH, Castillo KD, and SW Davies. 2017. Population structure and connectivity of the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, throughout the wider Caribbean region. Ecology and Evolution, 7: 9234-9246. pdf
2017. Coral larvae for restoration and research: a large-scale method for rearing Acropora millepora larvae, inducing settlement, and establishing symbiosis. PeerJ, 5:e3732. pdf
Davies SW, Strader ME, Kool JT, Kenkel CD and MV Matz. Modeled differences of coral life-history traits influence the refugium potential of a remote Caribbean reef. Coral Reefs, 36: 913. pdf
2016
Davies SW, Marchetti A, Ries, JB and KD Castillo. 2016. Thermal and pCO2 stress elicit divergent transcriptomic responses in a resilient coral. Frontiers in Marine Science. FMARS-03-00112. pdf
Baumann JH, Townsend JE, Courtney TA, Aichelman HE, Davies SW, et al. 2016. Temperature Regimes Impact Coral Assemblages along Environmental Gradients on Lagoonal Reefs in Belize. PLoS ONE, 11(9): e0162098. pdf
Aichelman HE, Townsend JE, Courtney TA, Baumann JH, Davies SW and KD Castillo. 2016. Heterotrophy mitigates the response of the temperate coral Oculina arbuscula to temperature stress. Ecology and Evolution, 6: 6758–6769. doi:10.1002/ece3.2399. pdf
Advani NK, Kenkel CD, Davies SW, Parmesan C, Singer MC, and MV Matz. 2016. Variation in heat shock protein expression at the latitudinal range limits of a widely-distributed species, the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). Physiological Entomology, 41: 241–248. pdf
2016. Population genetic structure between Yap and Palau for the coral Acropora hyacinthus. PeerJ, 4:e2330. pdf
2015
Dixon G, Davies SW, Aglyamova GA, Meyer E, Bay LK and MV Matz. 2015. Genomic determinants of coral heat tolerance across latitudes. Science, 348:6242 1460-1462. pdf
Davies SW, Scarpino SV, Pongwarin T, Scott J and MV Matz. 2015. Estimating trait heritability in highly fecund species. G3 Genes Genomes Genetics, g3.115.020701. pdf
On the cover!
Davies SW, Treml E, Kenkel CD and MV Matz. 2015. Exploring the role of Micronesian islands in the maintenance of coral genetic diversity in the Pacific Ocean. Molecular Ecology, 24: 70-82. pdf
Strader ME, Davies SW and MV Matz. 2015. Differential responses of coral larvae to the colour of ambient light guide them to suitable settlement microhabitat. Royal Society Open Science, 2:150358. pdf
2014
Davies SW, Meyer E, Guermond S and MV Matz. 2014. A cross-ocean comparison of settlement cue specificity in reef-building corals. PeerJ, 2:e333. pdf
Green E, Davies SW, Matz MV and M Medina. 2014. Quantifying cryptic Symbiodinium diversity within Orbicella faveolata and Orbicella franksi at the Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico. PeerJ, 2: e386. pdf
Quigley KM, Davies SW, Kenkel CD, Willis BL, Matz MV and LK Bay. 2014. Deep-sequencing method for quantifying background abundances of Symbiodinium types: exploring the rare Symbiodiniumbiosphere in reef-building corals. PLoS ONE, 9(4): e94927. pdf
2013 and earlier
Davies SW, Matz MV and PD Vize. 2013. Ecological complexity of coral recruitment processes: Effect of herbivores on coral recruitment and growth depends upon substrate properties and coral species. PLoS ONE, 8(9): e72830. pdf
Davies SW, Rahman M, Meyer E, Green EA, Buschizzo M, Medina M and MV Matz. 2013. Novel polymorphic microsatellite loci for the endangered Caribbean star coral, Montastrea faveolata. Marine Biodiversity, 43(2): 167-172. pdf
Kenkel C, Goodbody-Gringley G, Caillaud D, Davies SW, Bartels E and MV Matz. 2013. Evidence for a host role in thermotolerance divergence between populations of the mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) from different reef environments. Molecular Ecology, 22(16): 4335-48. pdf
Meyer E, Davies SW, Wang S, Willis BL, Abrego D, Juenger T and MV Matz. 2009. Genetic variation in responses to settlement cue and elevated temperature in a reef-building coral Acropora millepora. Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS), 392: 81-92. pdf
Davies SW and PD Vize. 2008. Effects of herbivore grazing on juvenile coral growth in the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, 23: 1220-1222. pdf
Vize PD, Hilton JD, Brady AK and SW Davies. 2008. Light sensing and the coordination of coral broadcast spawning behavior. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, 11:385-388. pdf
Davies SW, Griffiths A and TE Reimchen. 2006. Pacific Hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii, Spotted Ratfish, Hydrolagus colliei, and scavenger activity on tethered carrion in subtidal benthic communities off Western Vancouver Island. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 120(3): 363–366.2 pdf