People

Moisés A. Bernal, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department of Biological Sciences

Auburn University

331 Funchess Hall

Auburn, Alabama 36849

Email: mab0205(at)auburn.edu

Google Scholar Profile / Twitter

Favorite song: Disco eterno

Portrait by: Kat Whitney

Current Graduate Students

Katherine Eaton, PhD Student

Broadly speaking, I am interested in better understanding the mechanisms by which organisms cope with extreme environmental stress. I am particularly interested in how climate change is affecting marine fishes at the genomic, transcriptomic, and physiological levels. In my graduate research, I aim to investigate the potential for adaptation and/or acclimation to heat stress in populations of marine fishes.

Contact: kme0038 (at) auburn.edu

Favorite song: Shotgun

Ally Swank, MSc Student

Ally is interested in understanding how coral reef fish respond to climate change. Specifically she will be evaluating the effects of heat stress and loss of habitat complexity in fish behavior and molecular responses of brain. Ally has a B.Sc. in Biology from Ball State University. Her undergraduate research focused on changes in fish behavior following exposure to chemical contaminants and micro-plastics.

Contact: ars0151 (at) auburn.edu

Favorite song: Banana Pancakes

Claire Tracy, PhD Student

Claire is interested in understand the acclimations and adaptations that result from inhabiting environments with different abiotic conditions. For this she is interested in understanding the molecular and physiological adaptations of lineages separated by the isthmus of Panama.

She is co-supervised by Dr. Jamie Oaks.

Contact: cbt0022 (at) auburn.edu

Favorite song: MMMBop

Logan Turner, PhD Student

Logan is interested in better understanding the effects plastics and climate change have on marine fishes both on the individual and ecological level. Logan has a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Florida State University and worked as a Marine Biologist, Underwater Archeologist, and Scientific Diver during his undergrad. His research has encompassed better understanding the spatial distribution of coral and algae cover in French Polynesia, monitoring sea turtle populations in the Galapagos Islands, and investigating the population dynamics of commercial and recreational fish species.

Contact: lft0005 (at) auburn.edu

Favorite song: Oversized

Undergraduate Students

Lyndsay Daigle (2021-Present): Understanding the stress responses to elevated temperature in Abudefduf saxatilis

Lynnsey Bodin (2021-Present): Evaluating critical maximum temperature on coastal marine fishes of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Victoria Chavez (2020-Present): Population connectivity of pinfish using mitochondrial markers.

Brandon Waldo (2020-Present): Interested in understanding population genetics of killifish exposed to different salinity regimes using mitochondrial markers.

Alumni

Adam Hallaj, BsC

Laboratory Technician (2020-2021)

Currently: Quality control associate at Biomeme

Favorite Song: Girl from the North Country

Katherine Moore (2020-2021): Undergraduate student, interested in understanding population genetics of killifish exposed to different salinity regimes.

Willie Reams (2020): Undergraduate student, assisted in the amplification and sequencing of mitochondrial markers in blennies of the Gulf of Mexico.

Bernal Lab 2020-2021