Marine Laboratory
Island Evolution Lab
Marine Laboratory
Island Evolution Lab
The Island Evolution Lab at the UOG Marine Lab is a group of researchers and students
interested in basic and applied evolutionary question in island settings. We are using
genetic and genomic approaches (RAD-Seq, RNA-Seq and Genome sequencing) in combination with field work, observations, collections, museums, specimens and experimental manipulations to address original questions in population
genetics, phylogenetics, phylogeography, molecular ecology and genomics.
The Island Evolution Lab is partially funded by the NSF EPSCoR Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium and NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.
We are always looking for graduate and undergraduate students who are interested and passionate about evolution, genomics and population genetics!
Please contact us islandevolutionlab@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter @Island_Evo_Lab (e.g. here ->
And on Instagram @islandevolutionlab (e.g. below)
Our instagram feed:
A special feature about our lab on Guam's local TV station Kuam TV in April 2019 (also on youtube)
Office Location: 
Karim D. Primov
Tumon, GU
Advisor: Dr. David Combosch
Research: Population Genomics of Porites lutea
Current position: Graduate Research Assistant and MS Candidate
Dareon Rios
Tumon, GU
Advisor: Dr. David Combosch
Research: Population Genomics of Acropora corals
Current position: Graduate Research Assistant and MS Candidate
Jessica Fernandez
Yigo, GU
Advisor: Dr. David Combosch
Research: Porites barcoding and phylogenetics
Current position: Undergraduate Intern; Junior at University of Guam Biology Program
Kireon Rios
Chalan Pago, GU
Advisor: Dr. David Combosch
Research: Porites barcoding and phylogenetics
Current position: Undergraduate Intern; Freshman at University of Guam Biology Program
CONGRATULATIONS Kireon for receiving the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) stipend for his research on Porites barcoding and phylogenetics.
LAB ALUMNI:
Leya Wang
Tumon, GU
Advisor: Dr. David Combosch
Research: Coral reproduction
Bio: High School Intern (2018-2019); Senior at St. Johns High School, Tumon, Guam
Andrea Fuentes
University Park, IL
Advisor: Dr. David Combosch
Research: Porites Coral Phylogenetics
Bio: Visiting Undergraduate Student (2018) and back then Senior at Governors State University, IL
Main Team Collaborations:
- Gonzalo Giribet (Harvard University, Cambridge)
- Ana Riesgo (Museum of Natural History, London)
- Rüdiger Bieler (Field Museum, Chicago)
- Miquel Arnedo (University of Barcelona)
- Sarah Lemer (University of Guam)
- Neil Landman (American Museum of Natural History, NY)
- Bernardo Lemos (Harvard University, Boston)
- Rich Aronson (Florida Institute of Technology)
- Lauren Toth (US Geological Survey)
- Martin Schwentner (University of Hamburg)
- Crawford Drury (University of Hawaii)
- Zac Forsman (University of Hawaii)
- Dan Barshis (Old Dominion University, Norfolk)
Coral Population Genomics
We are exploring the genetic connectivity, diversity and structure of multiple coral species around Guam and throughout Micronesia using an in-house RAD-Seq approach.
This is a major focus of our lab and both Dareon and Karim MS thesis are focussing on coral population genomics for their thesis research (see team).
Coral Phylogenomics & Phylogenetics
The main phylogenetic relationships among corals have been highly controversial for years. Recently genome-sclae datasets have started to clarify many of these important relationships. We are currently assembling on one of the largest genomic dataset to study the deep relationships in the coral tree of life.
Coral Bleaching Resistance
We are using experiments to induce coral bleaching in aquaria experiment to characterize the molecular processes that allow corals to survive and adapt to stressful environmental conditions. Most of these projects are conducted in collaboration with the Lemer Lab.
Nautilus Phylogeography
The Nautilus is one of the most iconic marine invertebrates and an important model system for evolutionary biologist and paleontologists, among others. We are using genomic tools to analyze the evolution and phylogeography of Nautilus across the species distribution range.
Coral Reproduction
Coral reproduction is of major interest, not only to improve our understanding of the basic biology of reef corals but also for their management and restoration. We are studying the reproductive characteristics of several coral species, using aquarium experiments and genetic tools.
David's Google Scholar Profile
Please contact us for pdf copies or download from researchgate or sci-hub.
Leiva C., S. Taboada, N.J. Kenny, D. Combosch, G. Giribet, T. Jombart, A. Riesgo (2019) Population substructure and signals of divergent adaptive selection despite admixture in the sponge Dendrilla antarctica from shallow waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula. Molecular Ecology 28(13): 3151-3170, DOI: 10.1111/mec.15135
Laumer C., R. Fernández, S. Lemer, D. Combosch, K. Kocot, A. Riesgo, S. Andrade, W. Sterrer, M. Sørensen, G. Giribet (2019) Revisiting metazoan phylogeny with genomic sampling of all phyla. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 286(1906): 20190831, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0831
Schwentner M., G. Giribet, D. Combosch & B. Timms (in press) Genetic differentiation in mountain-dwelling clam shrimp Paralimnadia (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Spinicaudata) in eastern Australia. Invertebrate Systematics. tbd
Combosch* D.J., S. Lemer*, P.D. Ward, N.H. Landman & G. Giribet 2017 Genomic signatures of evolution in Nautilus–an endangered living fossil. Molecular Ecology 26(21): 5923–5938 *Shared first author
Schwentner M., D.J. Combosch, J.P. Nelson & G. Giribet 2017 A Phylogenomic Solution to the Origin of Insects by Resolving Crustacean-Hexapod Relationships. Current Biology 27(12): 1818-1824
Combosch D.J., T.M. Collins, E.A. Glover, D.L. Graf, E.M. Harper, J.M. Healy, G.Y. Kawauchi, S. Lemer, E. McIntyre, E.E. Strong, J.D. Taylor, J.D. Zardus, P.M. Mikkelsen, G. Giribet & R. Bieler 2017 A family-level Tree of Life for bivalves based on a Sanger-sequencing approach. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 107: 191–208
Combosch D.J. & G. Giribet 2016 Clarifying phylogenetic relationships and the evolutionary history of the bivalve order Arcida (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Pteriomorphia). Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 94: 298-312
Combosch D.J. & S.V. Vollmer 2015 Trans-Pacific RAD-Seq population genomics confirms introgressive hybridization in Eastern Pacific Pocillopora corals. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 88: 154-162
Combosch D.J. & S.V. Vollmer 2013 Mixed asexual and sexual reproduction in the Indo-Pacific reef coral Pocillopora damicornis. Ecology & Evolution 3(10): 3379-3387
Toth L.T., R.B. Aronson, S.V. Vollmer, J.W. Hobbs, D. Urrego, H. Cheng, I. Enochs, D.J. Combosch, R. van Woesik & I. Macintyre 2012 ENSO drove 2500-Year Collapse of Eastern Pacific Coral Reefs. Science 337(6090): 81-84
Combosch D.J. & S. Vollmer 2011 Population Genetics of an Ecosystem-Defining Reef Coral Pocillopora damicornis in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. PLoS ONE 6(8): e21200
Combosch D.J., H. Guzmán, H. Schuhmacher & S. Vollmer 2008 Interspecific Hybridization and Restricted Gene Flow in Tropical Eastern Pacific Pocillopora. Molecular Ecology 17: 1304-1312
Teaching:
- Evolutionary Biology (BI/EV525)
- Population Genetics Seminar (BI/EV691)
- Evolution in Changing Seas Guam
Outreach examples:
