Dominique McCowanLouisville, KYAdjunct Professor making my own way, with empathy
I study mass extinction events on reefs - coral or other, and I study the disturbance ecology of coral reefs and the phase shifting and habitat transitioning of geomorphology features of reefs. I study both the Phoenix effect and Lazarus Effects on reefs and have been considered a crypto-evolutionary biologist: I consider hidden genetics, linked traits, other non-Mendelian pathways of adapting for climate change.
The Phoenix effect: corals with complex, porous skeletons and the right mix of reproductive strategy can retain tissues in their skeletons and return to the outer surface to compete again once conditions return to ambient.
The Lazarus Effect: taxa with missing fossilization; generally noted as extinct during events until rediscovered or out of dormancy.
