PurSUiT: Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Apicomplexan Blood Parasites Infecting Coral Reef Fishes.

The oceans cover most of our planet and are home to an incredible variety of life. Scientists have worked hard to describe and understand the many species of marine life, especially large animals that are easier to see and study. However, small or hidden creatures, known as "cryptofauna", often get overlooked. Among these are parasites, which are one of the most common and important types of organisms on Earth, yet they are often left out of research because they are small and difficult to find. Our research will study parasites in coral reefs, which are some of the most diverse and threatened ecosystems in the world. Specifically, we are studying a group of tiny parasites called apicomplexans, which live in the blood of coral reef fishes. These parasites are related to others that infect land animals, like malaria. The goals of our project are to: 1) find out how many species of these parasites live in reef fish and where they are found; 2) use DNA tools to help identify and organize them; and 3) teach students how to study these small but important animals. Parasitic organisms are a key part of cryptofauna biodiversity. Parasitism is the most common animal lifestyle, and most common biological interaction, evolving multiple times and in nearly every animal taxon. Because of their effects on host population dynamics, parasites have additional direct and indirect influence on the biodiversity of ecological communities in general. The goal this project is to understand the biodiversity and ecology of apicomplexan blood parasites of coral reef fishes. Through systematic sampling of ocean regions characterized as evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered, this project will characterize diversity and biogeography of blood-borne apicomplexans in coral reef fishes. The research team will then use a combination of single-cell whole genome sequencing and DNA barcoding for as many species as possible to construct a molecular-based, family-level phylogeny. This will provide information on biogeography and genetic diversity of fish-parasitic apicomplexans, enable major advances in our understanding of their phylogenetic relationships, identify patterns of host exploitation, and link parasite life history stages, ultimately answering some fundamental questions regarding ecological function of parasitic apicomplexans. This project will also provide student training in taxonomy and systematics of marine fish apicomplexans. This project is co-funded by the Systematics & Biodiversity Science and Biological Oceanography programs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.