Various aquatic species are studied, with priority given to fish models. While we use the zebrafish as a common laboratory model, our main current interests concern two killer fish species: the mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus, and the turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri. The former has a unique mixed mating system that allows self-fertilization, while the latter has a very short lifespan (around 20 weeks).

Our approaches seek to understand how these organisms are affected by environmental stress and how they can acclimatize, adapt and evolve. The mangrove rivulus, with its very low genetic diversity, is a perfect model for studying the role of epigenetics in adaptation and evolution, while the turquoise killifish is ideal for deciphering the interaction between pollutants and aging. We have developed a process for analyzing DNA methylation, and are striving to establish a correlation between environmental cues, epigenetic mechanisms, molecular phenotype (at transcriptomic and proteomic levels) and organismal phenotype, mainly behavioral traits. We combine laboratory experiments (pollutant exposure, DNA methylation analysis, fish respirometry, fish behavior) with bioinformatics analyses and field experiments and sampling (in Florida and Belize). Together, we aim to study the immediate (mechanistic) and ultimate (evolutionary) consequences of environmental changes on organisms.

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