This National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences Program (CFDA 47.074) Project Grant award of $918,053, with a period of performance from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2027, supports collaborative research to document and characterize the phylogeny, systematics, and adaptation of marine epizoic diatoms associated with endangered marine megafauna.
The key products and services to be delivered under this award include:
Describing up to 50 new species of epizoic diatoms through taxonomic documentation and formal species descriptions
Placing the epizoic diatoms within a broader phylogenetic framework of diatoms to understand their evolutionary origins and patterns of host switching
Using multi-omics approaches to reveal functional adaptations of epizoic diatoms to their host environments and symbiotic relationships with bacteria
Examining the evolutionary transition to obligate heterotrophy in one lineage of epizoic diatoms
Engaging in public outreach to communicate the research on these microbial communities associated with charismatic marine species
The award involves subawards to Florida International University and the University of Texas at Austin to support collection, isolation, and characterization of epizoic diatom samples and strains.