Sara Lewis

Last updated
Sara Margery Lewis
Alma materHarvard College (AB in Biology), Duke University (Ph.D. in Zoology)
Scientific career
FieldsBiology, coral reef ecology, insect reproductive behavior
Institutions Tufts University

Sara Margery Lewis is an American biologist, professor, author, and firefly expert. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Lewis is a professor emerita of biology at Tufts University, co-chair of the Firefly Specialist Group at the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and author of the 2016 book, Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies. [4] [5] [1]

Education

Lewis graduated from Harvard College with an AB in Biology in 1976. [6] After Harvard, she studied at Duke University where she earned a Ph.D. in Zoology in 1984. Based at a Smithsonian Institution marine station off the coast of Belize, Lewis' graduate work focused on the subject of coral reef ecology, examining the mechanisms behind which herbivorous fish grazing mediates competitive interactions between seaweeds and reef-building corals. [7] [8] [9]

Academic career

In 1985, Lewis returned to Harvard where she spent the next five years as a postdoctoral fellow in organismic and evolutionary biology. [10] Her postdoctoral research analyzed the subject of sexual selection in fireflies and flour beetles. [11]

In 1991, Lewis joined the faculty at the Tufts University Department of Biology. [6] Lewis has taught classes in biostatistics, ecology, and science communication as well as classes more closely related to her research including Edible Insects and Evaluating Firefly Extinction Risk Seminar. [9] [12]

Scientific research

Lewis' research work has focused on coral reef ecology, the evolution of reproductive behavior in insects, and fireflies. [13] [14] Lewis has published research on these topics including demonstrating that both cryptic female choice and male sperm competition contribute to postcopulatory sexual selection in Tribolium flour beetles; [15] showing that Photinus firefly females choose mates based on male flash characteristics; [16] revealing the presence, [17] coevolution, [18] and composition [19] of firefly nuptial gifts; and describing how hermit crabs queue up to form vacancy chains that distribute resource benefits to multiple crabs. [20] [21]

Firefly conservation

Lewis is a founding member of Fireflyers International, a group dedicated to the conservation of fireflies and their habitats. [6] Since 2018, Lewis has worked with the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as co-chair of the Firefly Specialist Group, a team of international experts who identified the key threats faced by fireflies, which include habitat degradation, light pollution, pesticides, and climate change. [22] [23] [24] [25]

Works

Books

Selected articles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral</span> Marine invertebrates of the class Anthozoa

Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefly</span> Family of beetles

The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production of light, mainly during twilight, to attract mates. Light production in the Lampyridae is thought to have originated as an honest warning signal that the larvae were distasteful; this was co-opted in evolution as a mating signal in the adults. In a further development, female fireflies of the genus Photuris mimic the flash pattern of Photinus species to trap their males as prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral reef</span> Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons

A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.

An ecological or environmental crises occurs when changes to the environment of a species or population destabilizes its continued survival. Some of the important causes include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecosystem diversity</span> Diversity and variations in ecosystems

Ecosystem diversity deals with the variations in ecosystems within a geographical location and its overall impact on human existence and the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecosystem engineer</span> Ecological niche

An ecosystem engineer is any species that creates, significantly modifies, maintains or destroys a habitat. These organisms can have a large impact on species richness and landscape-level heterogeneity of an area. As a result, ecosystem engineers are important for maintaining the health and stability of the environment they are living in. Since all organisms impact the environment they live in one way or another, it has been proposed that the term "ecosystem engineers" be used only for keystone species whose behavior very strongly affects other organisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artificial reef</span> Human-made underwater structure that functions as a reef

An artificial reef (AR) is a human-created freshwater or marine benthic structure. Typically built in areas with a generally featureless bottom to promote marine life, it may be intended to control erosion, protect coastal areas, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, support reef restoration, improve aquaculture, or enhance scuba diving and surfing. Early artificial reefs were built by the Persians and the Romans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extinction risk from climate change</span> Risk of plant or animal species becoming extinct due to climate change

There are several plausible pathways that could lead to an increased extinction risk from climate change. This is because every plant and animal species has evolved to exist within a certain ecological niche, and as climate change represents the long-term alteration of temperature and average weather patterns, it can push climatic conditions outside of the species' niche, which will ultimately render it extinct. Normally, species faced with changing conditions can either adapt in place through microevolution or move to another habitat with suitable conditions. However, the speed of recent climate change is so unprecedented, that even under "mid-range" scenarios of future warming, only 5% of current ectotherm locations are within 50 km of a place which could serve as an equally suitable habitat at the end of this century.

<i>Panulirus argus</i> Species of crustacean

Panulirus argus, the Caribbean spiny lobster, is a species of spiny lobster that lives on reefs and in mangrove swamps in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Lampyris noctiluca</i> Species of beetle

Lampyris noctiluca, the common glow-worm of Europe, is the type species of beetle in the genus Lampyris and the family Lampyridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoplight parrotfish</span> Species of fish

The stoplight parrotfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae, inhabiting coral reefs in Florida, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and as far south as Brazil. It mainly feeds on algae by scraping and excavating it with its teeth. Like most of its relatives, it is able to change sex.

<i>Photinus pyralis</i> Species of beetle

Photinus pyralis, known by the common names common eastern firefly and big dipper firefly, is the most common species of firefly in North America. P. pyralis is a flying and light-producing beetle with a light organ on the ventral side of its abdomen. This organism is sometimes incorrectly classified as Photuris pyralis, which likely results from mistaking the similar-sounding genus Photuris.

The resilience of coral reefs is the biological ability of coral reefs to recover from natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as storms and bleaching episodes. Resilience refers to the ability of biological or social systems to overcome pressures and stresses by maintaining key functions through resisting or adapting to change. Reef resistance measures how well coral reefs tolerate changes in ocean chemistry, sea level, and sea surface temperature. Reef resistance and resilience are important factors in coral reef recovery from the effects of ocean acidification. Natural reef resilience can be used as a recovery model for coral reefs and an opportunity for management in marine protected areas (MPAs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refuge (ecology)</span> Place where an organism is protected from predation

A refuge is a concept in ecology, in which an organism obtains protection from predation by hiding in an area where it is inaccessible or cannot easily be found. Due to population dynamics, when refuges are available, populations of both predators and prey are significantly higher, and significantly more species can be supported in an area.

<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 characterised by the presence of both light-dependent coral and algae, and organisms that can be found in water with low light penetration. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyster reef</span> Rock-like reefs, composed of dense aggregations of oysters

The term oyster reef refers to dense aggregations of oysters that form large colonial communities. Because oyster larvae need to settle on hard substrates, new oyster reefs may form on stone or other hard marine debris. Eventually the oyster reef will propagate by spat settling on the shells of older or nonliving oysters. The dense aggregations of oysters are often referred to as an oyster reef, oyster bed, oyster bank, oyster bottom, or oyster bar interchangeably. These terms are not well defined and often regionally restricted.

<i>Ellychnia corrusca</i> Species of beetle

Ellychnia corrusca, or winter firefly, is a species of firefly in the genus Ellychnia. It is a lantern-less diurnal beetle common in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The adults spend winter on a colony tree, favoring Quercus (oak), Carya (hickory), and Liriodendron tulipifera.

<i>Lucidota atra</i> Species of beetle

Lucidota atra, the black firefly or woodland lucy, is a diurnal species of firefly — a member of the Lampyridae family of beetles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecosystem collapse</span> Ecological communities abruptly losing biodiversity, often irreversibly

An ecosystem, short for ecological system, is defined as a collection of interacting organisms within a biophysical environment. Ecosystems are never static, and are continually subject to stabilizing and destabilizing processes alike. Stabilizing processes allow ecosystems to adequately respond to destabilizing changes, or pertubations, in ecological conditions, or to recover from degradation induced by them: yet, if destabilizing processes become strong enough or fast enough to cross a critical threshold within that ecosystem, often described as an ecological 'tipping point', then an ecosystem collapse occurs.

<i>Tubastraea micranthus</i> Species of coral

Tubastraea micranthus, commonly known as the black sun coral, is a coral from the Tubastraea genus, which comprises the sun corals. They have a dark green color and they grow and branch out in bush/tree like colonies. The habitat of T. micranthus ranges from the Red Sea to Madagascar, and into the Pacific as far as Fiji. It has been observed in waters as shallow as 4m to a depth of 138m in the new habitat. It is notable though, that in its native habitats Tubastraea micranthus has only been found at depths up to 50 meters and any discovered at lower depths are in invasive environments. Furthermore, there have been obscure sightings of Tubastraea micranthus in Korea.

References

  1. 1 2 "Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies | Natural History Magazine". www.naturalhistorymag.com. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  2. ↑ "Sara Lewis". Science Friday. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  3. ↑ Hunt, Katie (2020-02-03). "Fireflies are facing extinction due to habitat loss, pesticides and artificial light". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. ↑ "Silent Sparks". Silent Sparks. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  5. ↑ "Firefly tourism takes flight, sparking wonder and concern". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  6. 1 2 3 "Sara Lewis | Department of Biology". as.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  7. ↑ Fong, Caitlin R.; Smith, Tyler B.; Muthukrishnan, Ranjan; Fong, Peggy (2023). "A persistent green macroalgal mat shifts ecological functioning and composition of associated species on an Eastern Tropical Pacific coral reef". Marine Environmental Research. 188: 105952. doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105952.
  8. ↑ Vermeij, Geerat J. (2016). "Plant defences on land and in water: why are they so different?". Annals of Botany. 117 (7): 1099–1109. doi:10.1093/aob/mcw061. ISSN   0305-7364. PMC   4904178 . PMID   27091505.
  9. 1 2 "Tufts Biologist Sara Lewis Sheds Light on the Mysteries of Fireflies | Tufts Now". now.tufts.edu. 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  10. ↑ Zimmer, Carl. "Researcher casts new light on firefly love". SF Gate.
  11. ↑ Lewis, Sara. "The Mysteries of Firefly Sex: A Scientist's Notes from the Field [Book Excerpt]". Scientific American. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  12. ↑ Finucane, Martin. "Tufts researchers say fireflies are in danger on three fronts". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  13. ↑ Rotjan, Rd; Lewis, Sm (2008-09-11). "Impact of coral predators on tropical reefs". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 367: 73–91. doi: 10.3354/meps07531 . ISSN   0171-8630.
  14. ↑ Lewis, Sara M.; Cratsley, Christopher K. (2008-01-01). "Flash Signal Evolution, Mate Choice, and Predation in Fireflies". Annual Review of Entomology. 53 (1): 293–321. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.53.103106.093346. ISSN   0066-4170.
  15. ↑ Moiron, Maria; Winkler, Lennart; Martin, Oliver Yves; Janicke, Tim (2022-03-21). "Sexual selection moderates heat stress response in males and females". doi:10.1101/2022.03.20.485015 . Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  16. ↑ Yang, Lu; Borne, Flora; Aardema, Matthew L.; Zhen, Ying; Peng, Julie; Wu, Mariana; Visconti, Regina; Betz, Anja; Roland, Bartholomew P. (2023). "The Path to 'Femmes Fatales': The Evolution of Toxin Resistance in Predatory Fireflies". doi:10.2139/ssrn.4464167 . Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  17. ↑ Zurita-García, Martín L.; Domínguez-León, Daniel Edwin; Vega-Badillo, Viridiana; González-Ramírez, Mireya; Gutiérrez-Carranza, Ishwari Giovanni; Rodríguez-Mirón, Geovanni M.; López-Pérez, Sara; Cifuentes-Ruiz, Paulina; Aquino-Romero, Miriam; Zaragoza-Caballero, Santiago (2022-06-07). "Life cycle and description of the immature stages of a terrestrial firefly endemic to Mexico: Photinus extensus Gorham (Coleoptera, Lampyridae)". ZooKeys (1104): 29–54. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1104.80624 . ISSN   1313-2970.
  18. ↑ Zweerus, Naomi L.; van Wijk, Michiel; Smallegange, Isabel M.; Groot, Astrid T. (2022). "Mating status affects female choice when females are signalers". Ecology and Evolution. 12 (4). doi: 10.1002/ece3.8864 . ISSN   2045-7758.
  19. ↑ McKinley, Cheyenne N.; Lower, Sarah E. (2020-06-07). "Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Gene Families Associated with Predatory Behavior in Photuris femme fatale Fireflies". Genes. 11 (6): 627. doi: 10.3390/genes11060627 . ISSN   2073-4425. PMC   7348864 . PMID   32517321.
  20. ↑ Steele, Elliott P.; Laidre, Mark E. (2023-04-04). "Group orientation and social order versus disorder: Perspective of outsiders toward experimental chains of social hermit crabs". Ethology. 129 (7): 344–355. doi:10.1111/eth.13372. ISSN   0179-1613.
  21. ↑ Eschner, Kat (2020-02-03). "Humans are putting fireflies at risk of extinction". Popular Science. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  22. ↑ Greenwood, Veronique; Hickey, Billy (2022-08-11). "When Fireflies Await a Night That Never Comes". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  23. ↑ "Conserving the Jewels of the Night | Xerces Society". xerces.org. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  24. ↑ "Fireflies under threat from habitat loss, pesticides and light pollution". the Guardian. 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  25. ↑ Guarino, Ben (2020-02-04). "World's fireflies threatened by habitat loss and light pollution, experts warn". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-06-27.
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