ALLYSON DEMERLIS
  • Home
  • Publications
  • Press
  • Research
    • University of Miami
    • Mote Marine Laboratory
  • CV
  • Resources
    • Grad School
    • Coding
    • Jobs
  • Photography
    • Corals Close-Up
    • Coral Fluorescence
    • Bonaire
    • The Florida Keys
    • Miami
  • Talks
  • Contact
  • Online Lab Notebook
Research in coral resilience and restoration
My dissertation research focused on identifying molecular pathways involved in thermal stress-hardening of Caribbean corals currently propagated for coral restoration efforts here in Florida. The goal of my research was to better understand the underlying mechanisms of thermal priming so that assisted acclimatization may be used as a restoration technique in the future.

I conducted my research under supervision of Dr. Ian Enochs (NOAA) and Dr. Nikki Traylor-Knowles (UM).
Picture

Recording of my PhD dissertation defense
May 7, 2024

Mechanisms for enhancing thermotolerance of Caribbean corals

Picture
Fragments of Acropora cervicornis captured for image analysis of coral tissue coloration during the 32ÂșC heat-stress assay (2019).
My three dissertation chapters utilized in-situ and ex-situ experiments to study mechanisms for enhancing coral thermotolerance through thermal priming, otherwise known as stress-hardening. We demonstrated in Coral Reefs that pre-exposure to pulses of high temperature stress led to increased endurance in heat-stress before bleaching for Acropora cervicornis (the critically endangered staghorn coral).

What are the genetic mechanisms driving thermal priming, can this be applied to other species, and does this enhanced thermotolerance last in the long-term?
Learn More

Documenting coral reefs through environmental change

I've been lucky enough to travel to some great scuba diving sites and document the health of coral reefs through disease and bleaching events.

​ The diversity of fish and coral species illustrate how just important these ecosystems are for underwater life, and why it's essential for us to conserve them.
View More
Picture
A thicket of Acropora cervicornis outplanted by Coral Restoration Foundation in the upper Florida Keys (2018).

Discover the beauty of these colonial organisms close-up

Picture
Orbicella faveolata sexual recruit under blue light fluorescence from Mote Marine Laboratory (2019).
Corals are colonial organisms with a rich life history and exciting diversity.

​I have tried to capture their structural complexity and species variability through microscopic imaging.
View More
Picture
Acropora cervicornis sexual recruit (<1 yr old) from Mote Marine Laboratory (2019).

Applying to grad school?

Picture
As someone who recently went through the graduate school application process, I wanted to share the resources that I found to be helpful.
Learn MORE
Contact Me!
Last updated: June 15, 2025
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Publications
  • Press
  • Research
    • University of Miami
    • Mote Marine Laboratory
  • CV
  • Resources
    • Grad School
    • Coding
    • Jobs
  • Photography
    • Corals Close-Up
    • Coral Fluorescence
    • Bonaire
    • The Florida Keys
    • Miami
  • Talks
  • Contact
  • Online Lab Notebook