Chiquillo Lab at UPR Río Piedras
We are interested in uncovering the link between climate change and the mechanisms that drive invasion success to the functioning of ecosystems. Our research integrates field studies and cutting-edge molecular genomic tools to understand a variety of ecological and evolutionary questions in marine and terrestrial environments to better inform management and restoration.
Research Questions:
Habitat distribution: do environmental changes and species interactions drive invasion success?
Novel microbes: what composition of novel microbes are associated with invasions?
Genomic architecture: what abiotic and biotic processes influence invasive species' genomic architecture?
Suitable habitat: how biological invasions alter suitable habitats for native species and alter ecosystem services?
Methods: Integrating Field and Molecular Techniques
Quantifying in the field
Mesocosms
Genetics/Genomics
eDNA/metabarcoding
Current and Upcoming Projects:
Investigating the adaptive strategies of an invasive seagrass within its local habitat, our goal is to comprehend the epigenetic mechanisms underlying gene activity (Ongoing Research).
Assessing the alpha and beta diversity of microbial communities inhabiting seagrasses when grown in both mixed and individual conditions (Ongoing Research).
Evaluating the resilience of native seagrasses through a transplant experiment with varying densities of the recipient habitat invasive seagrass (Upcoming).
Examining the role of herbivores in shaping invasion potential and their associations with the gut microbiome (Upcoming)
Examining the biological and genetic diversity of Sargassum species and their associated variants (Upcoming)