Jaymes D. Awbrey is a PhD student in Dr. Scott C. France’s lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. His research interests are in the evolution and diversification of marine invertebrates, particularly in octocorals and marine gastropods (sea slugs and snails). A primary focus of his research is to understand species diversity and the process of speciation. His interest in marine organisms began with his Advance Placement Biology course at Farmington High School in Farmington, MN, when he rediscovered his love for animals and was astounded by the diversity of organisms found in water. His interest continued to grow during his undergraduate studies, and he decided to make a career exploring the diversity of marine organisms while studying sea butterfly (Pteropoda) species distribution patterns aboard the SSV Robert C. Seamans. His first step towards this goal was his Master’s degree, where he assessed species diversity in Sacoglossan sea slugs, also known as “solar powered sea slugs,” using both genetic and morphological data. He is currently attending the University of Louisiana, Lafayette for his doctorate in Biology. For his dissertation project he intends to assess the diversity and evolution of Acanthogorgiidae, a group of octocorals, using genetic and morphological data.
Jaymes earned his B.A. in Biology at Carleton College (Northfield, Minnesota, U.S.A.), his M.S. in Biology at California State University, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.). During his undergraduate studies, he went on a research cruise through the Sea Education Association (Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts, U.S.A.). Over his collegiate career, he has collected sea butterflies in the Pacific, sea slugs in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and dove off of Palos Verdes and Catalina Island in California. He is excited to join the R/V Falkor on the cruise to the Emperor Seamounts.
