Three Biology Researchers Awarded $697,607 NSF Grant to Probe Seagrass Expansion and Coastal Resilience

Drs. April Blakeslee, Michael Brewer, and Rachel Gittman have received a National Science Foundation award of $697,607 for their project, Collaborative Research: Understanding the eco-evolutionary mechanisms underlying colonization potential in a tropical seagrass species. Running from January 2026 through December 2029, this project will investigate the northward expansion of the subtropical seagrass Halodule wrightii (shoal grass). The species is gradually replacing the temperate seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) in some regions, reshaping coastal ecosystems that provide vital habitat, fisheries support, and shoreline protection.

By combining traditional field ecology with molecular biology, the team will explore how ecological, physiological, and genetic traits may allow seagrasses to adapt to changing coastal environments. Using genomic methods, they will examine how certain genes are turned “on” or “off” under different environmental stress conditions (light and temperature), and how those responses may support survival in new habitats. Understanding these differential genetic mechanisms will provide new insights into the eco-evolutionary resilience of seagrasses, which serve as critical foundation species in coastal ecosystems. Fieldwork that extends from the northern Outer Banks to southern North Carolina, and down the Atlantic Coast of Florida, will be conducted in collaboration with NC State University and the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program (APNEP).

This applied, team-science approach will not only inform conservation and restoration strategies but also provide training opportunities for ECU students. The researchers plan to recruit a PhD student in the coming semesters and will integrate project methods into undergraduate courses, including new CURE (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience) classes. Interested students are encouraged to reach out to the members of this research team for more information.