The Cnidarian Tree of Life Project

Assistant Professor Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Octocoral and Black Coral Phylogeny

My role in the CnidToL is the DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of antipatharians (black corals) and deep-sea dwelling octocorals. Our lab is specifically interested in the origin and evolution of deep-sea fauna. Black corals are most abundant in deeper waters and can be found down to 8500 meters depth. Octocorals (soft corals, sea fans and sea pens) are common in both shallow and deep ocean waters, but some families have their maximum diversity in the deep sea, for example Isididae (bamboo corals), Chrysogorgiidae, and Primnoidae. We will use the results of our molecular analyses to guide us in the evaluation of morphological characters used for classification and species delineation.