Our research program

In our group, we frequently integrate molecular data from DNA and RNA sequences with complementary sources of information like (eco)morpho-physiological, geospatial, oceanography, ecological models, to unveil answer ecological and evolutionary question across environments and different levels of biological organization.

This is only possible because of the smart- and hard-work and study of a group of brilliant young and more experienced scientist whose curiosity is wide enough to capture such a diverse range of questions.

Adaptation, dispersal, and more!

Every organism is shaped by the environment via adaptation by natural selection and phenotypic plasticity (the property of an individual/genotype to present different traits in response to context variation). These processes allow organisms to change as they face novel environments, which may be generated by natural phenomena or human-driven activities. However, individuals need to be in that environment in the first place, which highlights the importance of dispersal! Understanding these biological processes will support better predictions of how resilient or vulnerable to environmental changes different organisms may be.

We study mangrove trees because they live in the thin line between land and sea, where they tolerate daily tidal inundations, salty soils and their seeds may cross oceans before establishing. Despite their toughness, mangrove forests are expected to be particularly affected by current climate changes. Our main objective is to understand what factors enabled these trees to occupy a wide range of environments. We use a multidisciplinary approach that aims to link ecophysiology, climatic niche, gene expression, GIS, oceanographic modelling, and genetic information to unveil how these organisms vary at different biological levels and how these variation may relate to past climate-related processes. We expect to generate reliable data to support real-world conservation efforts focused on these awesome plants and forests.

Population genetics and phylogeography as time machines

Each nucleic acid (mostly DNA) molecule that every organism presents in their cell carries traces of the history of their ancestors. This property allows one to use the genetic information stored in the DNA to write narratives that may include stories of great migrations in past dispersal routes, love (or reproductive) tales of different populations or even species, and the description of times of 'prosperity' in which populations grew and difficult periods when populations declined shrank in response, for instance to harsh environments. 

This approach within the field of phylogeography and population genetics provides a space-time perspective, revealing how ancient events shaped the distribution and diversity of organisms we observe today, from mangroves and rainforest trees, to ants and microbes.

In this research program, we focus on telling story of organisms from the Neotropical region, one of the species richest areas in the world. We have had studied several organisms, from amphipods, crabs from Oceanic islands, and ants to beautiful trees that are found not only in the coastlines (like mangrove trees) but also some distributed in the Atlantic forest and the Cerrados, the Brazilian savannas. To study them, we often use genetic information, morphological measurements, and other approaches like distribution models.

Searching for the hidden diversity with environmental DNA

As organisms live, if they are multicellular, they shed cells and usually tiny pieces our themselves in the environment. These cells contain our DNA, which may persist for quite a reasonable time. We can use molecular techniques to capture these genetic materials and study them. By doing so, we are able to create a list of  organisms that have passed through or that occupied a site or a region, without ever having to see or catch them. 

Our team is studying the diversity of mangrove fish communities using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to efficiently catalog species across different sites from São Paulo (in the Southeastern coast of Brazil) to the Equatorial coastline, from elusive predators to critical nursery-bound juveniles. Having a comprehensive biodiversity snapshots from different sites can allow us to track how communities may respond to rapid environmental change, providing the critical vision needed to guide effective conservation of these ecosystems.

We can also using similar approach to understand the communities of tiny unicellular organisms that inhabit the soil and the sediment. Some of them can have huge impacts on the current climate change as they produce disproportional amounts of methane, an important greenhouse gas. Some can interact with the trees and influence their physiology.