PhD Student; Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, University of Vienna

Since November 2021

 

I am a PhD candidate in my first year at the Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, University of Vienna based at the Natural History Museum in collaboration with Adameyko lab (Center of Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna) and Haus des Meeres, the public aquarium of Vienna. My PhD project relies on the investigation of the distribution patterns and expression profile of fluorescent proteins in mesophotic corals. Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are a group of an abundant and diverse class of proteins in reef-building corals, where they strongly determine the colour diversity of reef environments. A well-supported hypothesis is that FPs can modulate light use by the coral’s photoautotrophic endosymbionts, either by shading them from excessive irradiance in shallow-water or by re-emitting light at photosynthetically-active wavelengths in deep-water environments. Although well described for shallow waters, coral fluorescence remains largely understudied in mesophotic corals due to difficulties related to reaching these ecosystems with standard SCUBA diving techniques. Based on this, the aim of   my study is to better understand coral FPs in deep-water environments under natural and stressed conditions. To investigate FPs in the coral tissue, I will use confocal laser microscopy, which enables to define the distribution of FPs on a fine-scale and quantify gene expression by RT-qPCR. I will also explore the symbionts parameters, such as symbiont density and pigment concentration, and correlate with FP distribution patterns. With this project, I expect to contribute to management approaches aimed at mitigating the coral reef crisis.

giulia.marchioro@nhm-wien.ac.at