Research Focus

The Coleman Lab investigates the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape the diversity, distribution, and persistence of marine fishes across space, depth, and time. Our research integrates molecular ecology, genomics, field ecology, and advanced scientific diving to understand how marine populations are connected, how species diversify, and how biodiversity is structured in dynamic ocean environments.

A central focus of our work is understanding the mechanisms that generate and maintain marine biodiversity. We investigate patterns of dispersal and connectivity, reconstruct evolutionary and biogeographic histories, and examine how ecological interactions (e.g., hybridization) shape species boundaries and evolutionary trajectories. By integrating contemporary ecological patterns with historical processes, we seek to better understand how marine populations and communities are formed, maintained, and altered through time.

Much of our research focuses on coral reef ecosystems, spanning shallow tropical reefs to understudied mesophotic coral ecosystems (“twilight reefs”). Through the integration of ecological surveys, genomic approaches, and advanced technologies, including the use of close-circuit rebreathers, we investigate biodiversity across environmental and geographic gradients to understand how marine organisms respond to changing ecological and evolutionary pressures.

While our work is grounded in fundamental questions in marine ecology and evolution, these insights also provide an important foundation for understanding resilience, biodiversity change, and the processes that influence marine ecosystems in an increasingly dynamic ocean

The links to the left provide additional detail on the major research themes and focal areas of the Coleman Lab

Photo: Processing samples during the a Red Sea Biodiversity Cruise. Each vial has a unique ID code and contains a tissue sample of each specimen we collect.  A saturated salt solution is used to preserve the tissue and DNA until we can begin conducting genetic analyses. Photo credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor