Joseph Richard Pawlik

Last updated
Joseph Richard Pawlik
PawlikHeadShot201205.jpg
Born
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Nationality American
Alma mater University of Minnesota
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego
Known forEcology of sponges on Caribbean reefs
Scientific career
Fields Zoology
Marine Biology
Chemical Ecology
Institutions University of North Carolina Wilmington
Doctoral advisor D. John Faulkner
Nicholas D. Holland

Joseph Richard Pawlik is a marine biologist. He is the Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology [1] in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He is best known for studies of sponges on Caribbean coral reefs that reveal ecological principles such as resource trade-offs, trophic cascades and indirect effects.

Contents

Early life and education

Pawlik was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Richard Joseph Pawlik and Shirley Joyce (Reed) Pawlik as the third of 4 children. He credits his early childhood interest in marine biology to watching public television broadcasts of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau . [2] He was raised in the City of St. Anthony Village, a suburb northeast of Minneapolis and graduated in 1978 from St. Anthony Village High School. [3] In 1982, he graduated with a BS degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities [4] after taking summer courses his sophomore and junior years at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, now BIOS.

Work

The vicious circle hypothesis for the lack of recovery of Caribbean coral reefs. The major component of the hypothesis is a feedback loop between sponges, which consume dissolved organic carbon and release plant nutrients, and seaweeds, which consume nutrients and release dissolved organic carbon. Viciouscirclehypothesis.jpg
The vicious circle hypothesis for the lack of recovery of Caribbean coral reefs. The major component of the hypothesis is a feedback loop between sponges, which consume dissolved organic carbon and release plant nutrients, and seaweeds, which consume nutrients and release dissolved organic carbon.

Pawlik did his graduate research on the chemical cues that cause the planktonic larvae of marine invertebrates to metamorphose into sessile adults, focusing on sandcastle worms, a group of annelid worms that build tubes of sand that can form reefs. [5] In collaboration with the natural products chemists in the laboratories of his mentors, D. John Faulkner and William Fenical, he began working on the chemical defenses of marine invertebrates, including limpets, [6] gorgonian corals, [7] and sea slugs. [8] [9] At UNCW, Pawlik began working on the chemical defenses of sponges on Caribbean reefs, [10] a project that was funded by the National Science Foundation for over 23 years. With his students and collaborators, Pawlik characterized the chemical defenses of over 100 species of sponges across the Caribbean, and discovered a resource trade-off between the production of defensive secondary metabolites versus growth or reproduction among sponge species. [11] Originally demonstrated with manipulative experiments, [12] the resource-trade off was subsequently validated in surveys across the Caribbean by targeting reefs that were intensively overfished versus those that had been protected from fishing. [13] On overfished Caribbean reefs, the absence of sponge predators resulted in the overgrowth of reef-building corals by fast growing, chemically undefended sponge species, [14] providing unambiguous evidence to support fishing restrictions to protect coral reefs.

Most recently, Pawlik and colleagues have integrated the chemical defense-based ecosystem model with evidence of increasing sponge abundance [15] and new data on carbon and nutrient cycling by sponges [16] [17] to propose the “vicious circle hypothesis” to explain the lack of resilience of Caribbean coral reefs relative to reefs in the Indo-Pacific. [18] Sponge chemical defense data have also been used to suggest that much larger populations of hawksbill turtles once kept sponge growth in check on Caribbean reefs before turtles and turtle eggs were overharvested after European discovery and exploitation since the 1500s. [19] This concept has been supported by analyses of sponge spicules from reef cores off Panama. [20]

Honors

Scientific debates

Pawlik behind a Caribbean giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, on which his research group has published extensively. PawlikUW2.jpg
Pawlik behind a Caribbean giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, on which his research group has published extensively.

Pawlik is a proponent of critical rationalism for the advancement of science; he discusses the concept in the courses he teaches [23] and has openly challenged the conclusions of other studies throughout his career.

As a graduate student he contested the claim that neurotransmitters were related to the natural inducers of marine invertebrate larval settlement, arguing that the results of still-water, laboratory experiments with bioactive compounds were artifacts and not ecologically relevant. [24] [25]

Along with collaborators, he has challenged the idea that sponges of the genus Aplysina protect themselves with “activated” chemical defenses. [26] [27]

Among marine invertebrates, such as nudibranch molluscs, he has found little evidence for optimized chemical defense strategies, warning coloration, or mimicry. [28]

More recently, Pawlik and colleagues have challenged the claim that sponge communities on Caribbean reefs are primarily controlled by bottom-up factors (food availability), instead asserting that community structure is primarily a product of top-down control (due to predation). [29] [30]

Related to food availability, he has also contested the "sponge increase hypothesis" (SIH) which contends that sponge abundance increases with depth through the mesophotic zone on tropical reefs. [31] [32] Pawlik and colleagues used photographs from ROV surveys of 3 Caribbean reefs to show the opposite trend in sponge abundance. [33] Proponents of the SIH responded by dismissing all benthic abundance data derived from photographs on the grounds that they were affected by optical distortion, but this criticism was strongly refuted. [34]

Pawlik and colleagues have found no evidence for an important component of the "sponge-loop hypothesis;" specifically, that large, emergent sponges on coral reefs produce large quantities of detritus that becomes food for particle-feeding invertebrates. [35] [36] They have also found no evidence that sponges with low microbial biomass consume dissolved organic material (DOM) from seawater. [35] [37]

Videography

Pawlik has been an amateur underwater photographer since the 1980s, but recently turned to video to capture the current state of coral reef environments and to provide outreach related to his scientific publications. His videos are posted on YouTube at the channel “Pawlik Lab." Two short videos, “Sponges of the Caribbean" [38] and “The maid did it!" [39] were finalists in the Ocean 180 video challenge, [40] a science video outreach competition sponsored by the National Science Foundation, in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

In a 2020 video, "Requiem for a Caribbean Reef", [41] he captured the state of the coral reef off the West coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands after a 6 month period of bleaching and disease that had killed most of the living corals on the fore-reef between 5 and 30 m depth.

His YouTube channel also hosts archival underwater cinematography of coral reefs off the coasts of Cuba [42] and the Florida Keys [43] [44] from the 1970s and 1980s before the widespread loss of coral cover.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sponge</span> Animals of the phylum Porifera

Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera, are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomacanthidae</span> Family of fishes

Marine angelfish are perciform fish of the family Pomacanthidae. They are found on shallow reefs in the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and mostly western Pacific Oceans. The family contains seven genera and about 86 species. They should not be confused with the freshwater angelfish, tropical cichlids of the Amazon Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nudibranch</span> Order of gastropods

Nudibranchs belong to the order Nudibranchia, a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs that shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to match, such as "clown", "marigold", "splendid", "dancer", "dragon", and "sea rabbit". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parrotfish</span> Family of fishes

Parrotfish are a group of fish species traditionally regarded as a family (Scaridae), but now often treated as a subfamily (Scarinae) or tribe (Scarini) of the wrasses (Labridae). With roughly 95 species, this group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, rocky coasts, and seagrass beds, and can play a significant role in bioerosion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aposematism</span> Honest signalling of an animals powerful defences

Aposematism is the advertising by an animal, whether terrestrial or marine, to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defenses which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or smell, sharp spines, or aggressive nature. These advertising signals may take the form of conspicuous coloration, sounds, odours, or other perceivable characteristics. Aposematic signals are beneficial for both predator and prey, since both avoid potential harm.

Marine larval ecology is the study of the factors influencing dispersing larvae, which many marine invertebrates and fishes have. Marine animals with a larva typically release many larvae into the water column, where the larvae develop before metamorphosing into adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spongivore</span> Organism that feeds primarily on sea sponges

A spongivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating animals of the phylum Porifera, commonly called sea sponges, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their diet, spongivore animals like the hawksbill turtle have developed sharp, narrow bird-like beak that allows them to reach within crevices on the reef to obtain sponges.

<i>Agelas clathrodes</i> Species of sponge

Agelas clathrodes, also known as the orange elephant ear sponge, is a species of sea sponge. It lives on reefs in the Caribbean, usually more than 10 metres (33 ft) below the surface of the ocean. It takes various forms, and its color is reddish orange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant barrel sponge</span> Species of sponge

The giant barrel sponge is the largest species of sponge found growing on Caribbean coral reefs. It is common at depths greater than 10 metres (33 ft) down to 120 metres (390 ft) and can reach a diameter of 1.8 metres. It is typically brownish-red to brownish-gray in color, with a hard or stony texture.

<i>Amphimedon compressa</i> Species of sponge

Amphimedon compressa, the erect rope sponge, red tree sponge, red tubular sponge, or red sponge is a demosponge found in southern Florida, the Caribbean Sea, and the Bahamas. It can be deep red, orange, brown, or black.

<i>Callyspongia aculeata</i> Species of sponge

Callyspongia (Cladochalina) aculeata, commonly known as the branching vase sponge is a species of sea sponge in the family Callyspongiidae. Poriferans are typically characterized by ostia, pores that filter out plankton, with an osculum as the opening which water leaves through, and choanocytes trap food particles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesophotic coral reef</span>

A mesophotic coral reef or mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCE), originally from the Latin word meso (meaning middle) and photic (meaning light), is characterized by the presence of both light-dependent coral and algae, and organisms that can be found in water with low light penetration. Mesophotic coral ecosystems occur at depths beyond those typically associated with coral reefs as the mesophotic ranges from brightly lit to some areas where light does not reach. Mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCEs) is a new, widely-adopted term used to refer to mesophotic coral reefs, as opposed to other similar terms like "deep coral reef communities" and "twilight zone", since those terms sometimes are confused due to their unclear, interchangeable nature. Many species of fish and corals are endemic to the MCEs making these ecosystems a crucial component in maintaining global diversity. Recently, there has been increased focus on the MCEs as these reefs are a crucial part of the coral reef systems serving as a potential refuge area for shallow coral reef taxa such as coral and sponges. Advances in recent technologies such as remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have enabled humans to conduct further research on these ecosystems and monitor these marine environments.

<i>Astrangia poculata</i> Species of coral

Astrangia poculata, the northern star coral or northern cup coral, is a species of non-reefbuilding stony coral in the family Rhizangiidae. It is native to shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is also found on the western coast of Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists this coral as being of "least concern". Astrangia poculata is an emerging model organism for corals because it harbors a facultative photosymbiosis, is a calcifying coral, and has a large geographic range. Research on this emerging model system is showcased annually by the Astrangia Research Working Group, collaboratively hosted by Roger Williams University, Boston University, and Southern Connecticut State University

Valerie J. Paul is the Director of the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, in Fort Pierce, FL since 2002 and the Head Scientist of the Chemical Ecology Program. She is interested in marine chemical ecology, and specializes in researching the ecology and chemistry of Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, blooms. She has been a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 1996, and was the chairperson of the Marine Natural Products Gordon Research Conference in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose V. Lopez</span> American-Filipino molecular biologist

Jose V. Lopez is an American-Filipino Molecular Biologist. He has been a faculty member and Professor of Biology at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Dania Beach, Florida, since 2007. Lopez has contributed as a co-founder of the Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance (GIGA), a community of scientists. He has also participated in the "Porifera—Tree of Life," "Earth Microbiome," and Earth BioGenome projects.

Julia Kubanek is a Professor in the Schools of Biological Sciences and of Chemistry & Biochemistry in the College of Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is also the Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research for Georgia Tech. She is also Co-Director of the Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center and member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, the International Society of Chemical Ecology, the International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae and the American Association of Underwater Science

Gert Wörheide is a German marine biologist who works mainly on marine invertebrates. He earned his doctorate in geobiology from Georg-August-Universität, following this with a post-doctorate at Queensland Museum (1998-2002), where he worked with John Hooper on sponges, a collaboration which continues.

Dysidea etheria, commonly known as the ethereal sponge or heavenly sponge, is a species of lobate sponge within the class Demospongiae. This marine sponge is known for its light blue color and can be found in the Caribbean as well as off the coasts of Florida and Georgia. Like all other poriferans, D. etheria is capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. The use of spicule collection as well as chemical defenses allows D. etheria to protect itself against predators such as the zebra doris and the orange knobby star. D. etheria is also known as a host species of the invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis. Lastly, various molecular biology studies have utilized D. etheria to both study foreign particle transport in sponges and to isolate novel molecules.

<i>Pseudoceratina</i> Genus of sponges

Pseudoceratina is a genus of sponge within the family Pseudoceratinidae. They are characterized by possession of a dendritic fiber skeleton lacking laminar bark but containing pith. They have been found in a variety of habitats including the Great Barrier reef, the Red Sea, and Jamaica. Sponges of this genus have a microbiome known to produce a variety of chemicals that are used in pharmaceutical and anti-fouling activities. Notably, a species in this genus produces a chemical that is effective in inhibiting the migration of metastatic breast cancer cells.

<i>Aplysina cauliformis</i> Species of sponge

Aplysina cauliformis, also known as the row pore rope sponge or rope sponge, is a species of sea sponge in the family Aplysinidae. It is commonly found in shallow reefs across the tropical Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. This sponge typically exhibits a brownish-pink or purple coloration and branches as parts of its morphology. It was first described by H.J. Carter in 1882 under the name Luffaria cauliformis.

References

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