In terms of research, my long-term objective is to support the development of sustainable aquaculture, fisheries management, and conservation biology. To accomplish this I take an interdisciplinary approach to test hypotheses in reproductive biology and physiology of aquatic species, with the ultimate goal of understanding and controlling processes that impact gamete quality and offspring performance. Within this regard our work revolves around three main research themes:
- Applied reproductive physiology: understand and control gametogenesis, gamete physiology, fertilization, and embryonic development for species of commercial importance, and identify factors regulating these processes.
- Gamete cryopreservation: develop cutting-edge techniques to cryopreserve genetic resources (i.e. create a “germplasm repository”) for conservation breeding efforts that may be needed in the future for commercially important or endangered species.
- Sexual selection and the evolution of gamete interactions: quantify the relative importance of reproductive traits, sperm competition, and gamete interactions in shaping fertilization dynamics and the evolution of sexual characteristics.
