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Joshua S. Reece

Research Interests:

My research uses molecular genetic and ecological data to better understand how species are related and how populations of species are distributed through space. Whenever possible, I incorporate my findings into conservation and management strategies. I am particularly interested in wide-ranging marine species such as marine turtles and moray eels. My dissertation work investigates how 150 different species of moray eels in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have speciated from a common ancestor and how populations of these coral reef fish are connected by migration.

 

Moray eels (Muraenidae) are common coral reef fish found throughout the world's oceans. My research investigates phylogenetic patterns in this speciose group. I am also investigating phylogeographic patterns in moray eels because they have some of the longest pelagic larval durations among coral reef fishes, and pelagic larval durations are known to affect the spatial scale of migration and gene flow among populations.

 

Contact Information:

Joshua S. Reece
Ph.D. Candidate
Campus Box 1137
Department of Biology
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri 63130
314-935-5302 (office) 314-620-9366 (cell)

Education:

  • B.S. University of Central Florida, May 2002
  • M.S. Biology University of Central Florida May, 2005
  • Ph.D. Candidate Washington University St. Louis, expected graduation May 2010

Publications:

Reece J, Al-ansari A, Al Kiyumi A, Alkindi A, Mahmoud I, Parkinson CL. (in review) The loggerhead turtles of Oman: A multilocus examination of interoceanic gene flow, effective population size and coalescence times with Atlantic rookeries. Journal of Heredity

Fauth JE, Reece J, Downs C, Ehrhart LM (in review) Cellular diagnostics and health of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas): identifying environmental cofactors of fibropapillomatosis. Journal of Marine Research

Brock, KA, Reece, J, Ehrhart LM (2009) Effects of a shore protection project on loggerhead and green turtle nesting activity and reproduction. Restoration Ecology, 17(2), 297-307.

Reece J, Ehrhart LM, Parkinson CL (2006) Mixed stock analysis of juvenile loggerheads in Indian River Lagoon, Florida: Implications for conservation planning. Conservation Genetics, 7, 345-352.

Reece J, Castoe TA, Parkinson CL (2005) Historical perspectives on population genetics and conservation of three marine turtle species. Conservation Genetics, 6, 235-251.

 

Background:

I started my academic career with a Bachelors Degree in Biology at the University of Central Florida. I completed my Master's degree at that same institution under Dr. L. M. Ehrhart and Dr. C. L. Parkinson. I am currently a doctoral student at Washington University working under Dr. Allan Larson. I consider myself a broadly trained vertebrate ecologist/molecular geneticist with an emphasis on conservation of natural populations. I have worked with Florida grasshoppper sparrows, Indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, several species of marine turtles, numerous moray eel species and the Sherman's fox squirrel.

Acknowledgments:

I would like to thank the National Science Foundation, the PADI Foundation, and the National Geographic Society for funding my research.