Dr. Carly Kenkel
@drcarl.bsky.social
PI of the Cnidarian Evolutionary Ecology Lab at the University of Southern California working on EcoEvo, plasticity, genomics, climate change, symbiosis, coral
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
After a searing ocean heat wave in 2023, two of the most historically important coral species in Florida are functionally extinct from the state’s reef, scientists have found.
Staghorn and Elkhorn Coral Are Functionally Extinct Off Florida, Researchers Say
Elkhorn and staghorn coral are now functionally extinct around the state, researchers say, meaning they no longer play any significant role in their ecosystem.
nyti.ms
October 23, 2025 at 9:05 PM
After a searing ocean heat wave in 2023, two of the most historically important coral species in Florida are functionally extinct from the state’s reef, scientists have found.
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Some additional coverage of our report on the major loss of acroporid corals in the Florida Keys by @cbsnews.com:
www.cbsnews.com/news/florida...
www.cbsnews.com/news/florida...
Marine heat wave caused key part of Florida's coral reef to become "functionally extinct," report says
A record 2023 heat wave all but eradicated two species of coral that historically served as the backbone of Florida's reefs, researchers said in a new report.
www.cbsnews.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Some additional coverage of our report on the major loss of acroporid corals in the Florida Keys by @cbsnews.com:
www.cbsnews.com/news/florida...
www.cbsnews.com/news/florida...
Results I'm sad to share but must be told - branching coral are now functionally extinct in Florida - to learn more check out the full study www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... and our personal summary theconversation.com/2-iconic-cor...
Heat-driven functional extinction of Caribbean Acropora corals from Florida’s Coral Reef
In 2023, a record-setting marine heat wave triggered the ninth mass coral bleaching event on Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR). We examined spatial patterns of heat exposure along the ~560-kilometer length o...
www.science.org
October 23, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Results I'm sad to share but must be told - branching coral are now functionally extinct in Florida - to learn more check out the full study www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... and our personal summary theconversation.com/2-iconic-cor...
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
🧪🌏 Why some coral genotypes die when planted to a reef, while others thrive? interesting leads from *constitutively expressed* immunity-related genes @drcarl.bsky.social www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...
Immune gene expression as a biomarker for predicting restoration success in the branching coral Acropora cervicornis
BackgroundAs coral reefs continue to decline across the globe there has been a rise in coral restoration efforts where a diversity of genets of different coral species are outplanted from nursery-grow...
www.researchsquare.com
October 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
🧪🌏 Why some coral genotypes die when planted to a reef, while others thrive? interesting leads from *constitutively expressed* immunity-related genes @drcarl.bsky.social www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Today’s #DailyCoralRead 📖🪸
🧬 Two new telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for Acropora digitifera and A. tenuis! 🧬
The study reveals highly disordered genomic regions with potentially neofunctionalized genes from lineage-specific expansions. 🧪
🔗 http://tiny.cc/z61q001
🧬 Two new telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for Acropora digitifera and A. tenuis! 🧬
The study reveals highly disordered genomic regions with potentially neofunctionalized genes from lineage-specific expansions. 🧪
🔗 http://tiny.cc/z61q001
Nearly T2T, phased genome assemblies of corals reveal haplotype diversity and the evolutionary process of gene expansion
Abstract. Gene family expansion illustrates a critical aspect of evolutionary adaptation. However, the mechanisms by which gene family expansions emerge an
tiny.cc
July 23, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Today’s #DailyCoralRead 📖🪸
🧬 Two new telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for Acropora digitifera and A. tenuis! 🧬
The study reveals highly disordered genomic regions with potentially neofunctionalized genes from lineage-specific expansions. 🧪
🔗 http://tiny.cc/z61q001
🧬 Two new telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for Acropora digitifera and A. tenuis! 🧬
The study reveals highly disordered genomic regions with potentially neofunctionalized genes from lineage-specific expansions. 🧪
🔗 http://tiny.cc/z61q001
🧪There are no words.
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 3:18 AM
🧪There are no words.
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...
Amid Fear of Retaliation, N.S.F. Workers Sign Letter of Dissent www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/s...
Amid Fear of Retaliation, N.S.F. Workers Sign Letter of Dissent
www.nytimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Amid Fear of Retaliation, N.S.F. Workers Sign Letter of Dissent www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/s...
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Without a research arm to support its regulatory arm, Americans will get sicker, and preventable deaths will go up.
The EPA was started by (Republican!) President Richard Nixon in 1970. Some of its first regulations were to ban DDT and leaded gasoline, as well as the Clean Air and Water Acts.
The EPA was started by (Republican!) President Richard Nixon in 1970. Some of its first regulations were to ban DDT and leaded gasoline, as well as the Clean Air and Water Acts.
July 19, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Without a research arm to support its regulatory arm, Americans will get sicker, and preventable deaths will go up.
The EPA was started by (Republican!) President Richard Nixon in 1970. Some of its first regulations were to ban DDT and leaded gasoline, as well as the Clean Air and Water Acts.
The EPA was started by (Republican!) President Richard Nixon in 1970. Some of its first regulations were to ban DDT and leaded gasoline, as well as the Clean Air and Water Acts.
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
I authored a blog post for @uscwrigley.usc.edu about the work I've been doing along with fellow lab members at the CEE Lab (led by @drcarl.bsky.social) to identify intervention priorities for coral restoration in the Caribbean under the impacts of climate change!
dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/2025...
dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/2025...
Envisioning a future for Caribbean coral reefs: lessons in resilience and collaboration - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability
Creating a more sustainable and environmentally just future for our planet and all who live on it
dornsife.usc.edu
July 17, 2025 at 12:40 AM
I authored a blog post for @uscwrigley.usc.edu about the work I've been doing along with fellow lab members at the CEE Lab (led by @drcarl.bsky.social) to identify intervention priorities for coral restoration in the Caribbean under the impacts of climate change!
dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/2025...
dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/2025...
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
You may have seen a lot of headlines since yesterday about budget negotiations, the threat to Medicaid & new restrictions that block transgender care.
It's hard to track it all. Really grateful for the @unbreaking.org team that did incredible work to push updates to our pages today - unbreaking.org
It's hard to track it all. Really grateful for the @unbreaking.org team that did incredible work to push updates to our pages today - unbreaking.org
Unbreaking
How the administration is breaking the government, and what that means for all of us.
unbreaking.org
May 23, 2025 at 3:59 PM
You may have seen a lot of headlines since yesterday about budget negotiations, the threat to Medicaid & new restrictions that block transgender care.
It's hard to track it all. Really grateful for the @unbreaking.org team that did incredible work to push updates to our pages today - unbreaking.org
It's hard to track it all. Really grateful for the @unbreaking.org team that did incredible work to push updates to our pages today - unbreaking.org
Its that time again - the list of Ecology/Evolution/Marine Bio Labs recruiting grad students for Fall 2026 is live!
PIs enter your position info here: forms.gle/2XTHBP6CZGEn...
Prospective students (and PIs not recruiting) share the composite list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Please share! 🧪
PIs enter your position info here: forms.gle/2XTHBP6CZGEn...
Prospective students (and PIs not recruiting) share the composite list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Please share! 🧪
Ecology/Evolution/Marine Biology labs recruiting for Fall 2026
Please complete this form if you are a PI recruiting graduate students for a Fall 2026 start. If you are NOT recruiting, feel free to share the response sheet with prospective students looking for lab...
forms.gle
May 15, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Its that time again - the list of Ecology/Evolution/Marine Bio Labs recruiting grad students for Fall 2026 is live!
PIs enter your position info here: forms.gle/2XTHBP6CZGEn...
Prospective students (and PIs not recruiting) share the composite list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Please share! 🧪
PIs enter your position info here: forms.gle/2XTHBP6CZGEn...
Prospective students (and PIs not recruiting) share the composite list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Please share! 🧪
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Really wish people would stop talking about the problem with Science under Trump as “budget cuts”.
No. Budgets are set deliberatively by elected members of congress. Budgets haven’t been cut.
What’s happening are *purges* and *censorship*.
No. Budgets are set deliberatively by elected members of congress. Budgets haven’t been cut.
What’s happening are *purges* and *censorship*.
March 8, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Really wish people would stop talking about the problem with Science under Trump as “budget cuts”.
No. Budgets are set deliberatively by elected members of congress. Budgets haven’t been cut.
What’s happening are *purges* and *censorship*.
No. Budgets are set deliberatively by elected members of congress. Budgets haven’t been cut.
What’s happening are *purges* and *censorship*.
I didn’t realize how much I needed this #StandUpForScience rally - thank you #LA organizers!! 🧪
March 8, 2025 at 3:14 AM
I didn’t realize how much I needed this #StandUpForScience rally - thank you #LA organizers!! 🧪
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
February 4, 2025 at 1:26 AM
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Happy to share our new paper "Cryptic coral diversity is associated with symbioses, physiology, and response to thermal challenge". Check it out and share with your friends!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cryptic coral diversity is associated with symbioses, physiology, and response to thermal challenge
Cryptic coral hosts differ in phenotypes relevant to climate change.
www.science.org
January 16, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Happy to share our new paper "Cryptic coral diversity is associated with symbioses, physiology, and response to thermal challenge". Check it out and share with your friends!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Check out my first chapter 📖🧬.
I’m very grateful to have worked with such a brilliant and supportive team 😊
I’m very grateful to have worked with such a brilliant and supportive team 😊
Grateful for some good news after this last week - first dissertation chapter for @ecoevodanny.bsky.social is out now in Ecology & Evolution! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... 🧪
January 14, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Check out my first chapter 📖🧬.
I’m very grateful to have worked with such a brilliant and supportive team 😊
I’m very grateful to have worked with such a brilliant and supportive team 😊
Grateful for some good news after this last week - first dissertation chapter for @ecoevodanny.bsky.social is out now in Ecology & Evolution! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... 🧪
January 13, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Grateful for some good news after this last week - first dissertation chapter for @ecoevodanny.bsky.social is out now in Ecology & Evolution! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... 🧪
Wrigley summer fellowship app is live!! Both NSF REU and Zinsmeyer - we've got 2 slots earmarked for our lab - apply to work with us! dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/educ...
Summer Research Internships - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability
Creating a more sustainable and environmentally just future for our planet and all who live on it
dornsife.usc.edu
January 6, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Wrigley summer fellowship app is live!! Both NSF REU and Zinsmeyer - we've got 2 slots earmarked for our lab - apply to work with us! dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/educ...
I'm looking for a postdoc! The successful applicant will lead neuro- and comparative genomic analyses to characterize neurobiology-related genetic variation in wild coral populations. Learn more and apply here - I will be reviewing apps beginning Oct 18: usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-ange...
Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate at USC
Learn more about applying for Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate at USC
usccareers.usc.edu
October 2, 2024 at 11:48 PM
I'm looking for a postdoc! The successful applicant will lead neuro- and comparative genomic analyses to characterize neurobiology-related genetic variation in wild coral populations. Learn more and apply here - I will be reviewing apps beginning Oct 18: usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-ange...
Calling all #reeffutures conference attendees - consider donating your brainpower to our workshop!
September 18, 2024 at 6:54 PM
Calling all #reeffutures conference attendees - consider donating your brainpower to our workshop!
I'm recruiting a fully funded PhD student for a Fall 2025 start - see details below and learn more about my lab here: dornsife.usc.edu/carlslab/
September 10, 2024 at 10:56 PM
I'm recruiting a fully funded PhD student for a Fall 2025 start - see details below and learn more about my lab here: dornsife.usc.edu/carlslab/
It's finally official - excited to begin working with this team! Stay tuned for PhD and Postdoc positions in my lab as part of this project!!
today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...
today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...
UC San Diego Receives $10 Million for Center on Neurobiology in Changing Environments
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group has selected UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography to receive a four-year, $10 million grant to establish the Allen Discovery Center for Neurobiology in ...
today.ucsd.edu
September 10, 2024 at 10:28 PM
It's finally official - excited to begin working with this team! Stay tuned for PhD and Postdoc positions in my lab as part of this project!!
today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...
today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...
Reposted by Dr. Carly Kenkel
Caribbean reefs are in trouble. But we have a real opportunity to prevent their extinction if we can rise to the challenge.
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/o...
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/o...
Opinion | To Save Coral Reefs, Let’s Freeze Them
We have to buy time while we wait for the world to slow, and hopefully, one day reverse climate change.
www.nytimes.com
August 15, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Caribbean reefs are in trouble. But we have a real opportunity to prevent their extinction if we can rise to the challenge.
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/o...
www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/o...