Hofmann Laboratory

Research in Gretchen Hofmann's Lab group focuses on the ecological physiology of marine organisms, in particular kelp, invertebrates and  perciform fishes. Although the research projects in the lab are quite diverse, we are collectively interested in understanding the role of  temperature and oceanographic features in setting species' distribution patterns in the marine environment.

Several projects in the lab employ genomics-enabled techniques to examine physiological performance and condition of marine organisms in natural populations. These approaches are allowing us to obtain physiological signatures of health and performance of organisms in the field. These studies are particularly important to us as we study marine animals within the context of global climate change where increases in surface seawater temperatures and ocean  acidification combine to create an environment with multiple changing  and potentially interacting physiological stresses.