Jennifer Hoey

NSF-OCE Postdoctoral Fellow

California Academy of Sciences

About me

I am an ecologist and evolutionary biologist working with Pim Bongaerts in the Reefscape Genomics Lab as a postdoctoral fellow at the California Academy of Sciences. My research focuses on how microevolutionary forces shape patterns of genetic diversity across space and through time, and how the processes inferred from past and current genomic patterns might influence evolutionary potential in a changing world. I use population genomics, natural history collections, computation and fisheries datasets to understand the past, present and future of aquatic populations so that this information can be used for conservation and science-based policy management. I am also passionate about science communication, and I am involved in multiple projects and programs to develop curriculum, present public outreach talks, and teach and train students about coral reefs and scientific methodologies.

As a postdoctoral fellow, I am examining hybridization and adaptation across reef depth in a Caribbean coral community.

I earned my PhD under the guidance of Malin Pinsky as part of the Graduate Program of Ecology & Evolution at Rutgers University. Prior to pursuing a PhD, I worked and volunteered for several San Francisco Bay Area non-profits to engage youth and community members in science education and stewardship. I also assisted with understanding eco-evo feedback interactions in Trinidadian guppies and the monitoring and restoration of coho salmon populations in northern California. I received my Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley.

Publications

Cramer, A.N.*, J.A. Hoey*, T.E. Dolan, R. Gatins, J.A. Toy, J.L. Chancellor, E.P. Palkovacs, J.C. Garza, and R.S. Beltran. 2023. A unifying framework for understanding ecological and evolutionary population connectivity. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1072825
* These authors contributed equally

Reid, K.*, J.A. Hoey*, B.I. Gahagan, B.P. Schondelmeier, D.J. Hasselman, A.A. Bowden, M.P. Armstrong, J.C. Garza, and E.P. Palkovacs. 2023. Spatial and temporal genetic stock composition of river herring bycatch in southern New England Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 80(2): 360–374. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0144
* These authors contributed equally

Hoey, J.A., K.W. Able, and M.L. Pinsky. 2022. Genetic decline and recovery of a demographically rebuilt fishery species. Molecular Ecology 31:5684-5698. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16697

Bonanno, A., M. Ennes, J.A. Hoey, E. Moberg, S.-M. Nelson, N. Pletcher, and R.L. Tanner. 2021. Empowering hope-based climate change communication techniques for the Gulf of Maine. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 9 (1): 00051. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2020.00051

Clark, R.D., M.L. Aardema, P. Andolfatto, P.H. Barber, A. Hattori, J.A. Hoey, H.R. Montes Jr., and M.L. Pinsky. 2021. Genomic signatures of spatially divergent selection at clownfish range margins. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288: 20210407. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0407

Hoey, J.A., F.J. Fodrie, Q.A. Walker, E.J. Hilton, G.T. Kellison, T.E. Targett, J.C. Taylor, K.W. Able, and M.L. Pinsky. 2020. Using multiple natural tags provides evidence for extensive larval dispersal across space and through time in summer flounder. Molecular Ecology 29:1421–1435. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15414

Hoey, J.A. and M.L. Pinsky. 2018. Genomic signatures of environmental selection despite near panmixia in summer flounder. Evolutionary Applications 11(9): 1732-1747. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12676

Hettinger, A., E. Sanford, T.M. Hill, A.D. Russell, K.N.S. Sato, J. Hoey, M. Forsch, H.N. Page, and B. Gaylord. 2012. Persistent carry-over effects of planktonic exposure to ocean acidification in the Olympia oyster. Ecology 93(12): 2758-2768. https://doi.org/10.1890/12-0567.1

Research

The genomic extent of hybridization and adaptation in Madracis spp. along a depth gradient

Madracis spp. are a group of corals in the Caribbean that hybridize with each other, but the degree to which this is evident across the genome and the phenotypic and fitness consequences of this hybridization are not well understood. I am using underwater surveys, population genomics, and imaging techniques to characterize the extent of hybridization across the genome, identify potentially adaptive loci associated with environmental characteristics in the reef, and determine if hybridization and introgression in Madracis confer a fitness advantage.

Science Outreach

California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a fantastic place to engage in public outreach and education, and I am always looking for opportunities to talk about research and science with all kinds of audiences!

I run a semester-long Project Group as part of the Careers in Science (CiS) program that aims to teach CiS interns about coral biology, evolution, and coding using the R programming software. Using corals as an example, CiS interns develop an understanding of biodiversity at multiple biological scales, from genetics to physical traits, and how scientists use these kinds of data to categorize and understand relationships among species. Students gain hands-on skills with Google Workspace tools, ImageJ, and R. Students then apply their new skills to ask how morphology differs between species in the Madracis coral genus. They use their new coding skills to visualize and to test for statistical differences in their data before sharing their findings with their CiS peers and their community.

I am also helping to develop curriculum for an after school program designed to teach middle school youth about corals and climate change as part of Science Action Club. I also table at public outreach events, such as NightLife, and give outreach talks, such as this one for NightSchool.

NNOCCI

I previously served on the Science Partnership Committee of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). Before this, I was a Science Fellow as part of the inaugural Northeast Study Circle in 2017. NNOCCI is a collaboration between informal educators, climate & ocean scientists and communication experts who work together to effectively frame and communicate ocean and climate change science. For useful tools, ideas and events related to communicating ocean and climate change science, check out the Climate Interpreter website.