Andrew (Drew) Villeneuve
MS Student, Environmental Conservation
Website and Social Media: villesci.weebly.com, @villeneuvesci, researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Villeneuve
Advisor: Brian Cheng
Intraspecific variation in thermal trait performance of a predatory marine snail
Through my research, I seek to better understand how populations of a single species may react differently to climate change. A common assumption of ecological niche models is trait homogeneity across a species, while in fact populations may inhabit diverse environments and be locally adapted to those conditions. The implication of this locally adapted reality is that some populations will be more resilient to climate change than others. I use the predatory marine snail Urosalpinx cinerea to ask these questions about intraspecific variation, specifically quantifying thermal tolerance and growth rates. This snail species is native to the Atlantic coast of the US and is an invasive species on the Pacific coast. In addition, it is a common marine predator on wild and cultured Eastern (Crassostrea virginica) and Pacific (C. gigas) oysters. My results will therefore not only inform coastal managers of projected U. cinerea sensitivity to climate change, but contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding how we predict organisms will react to climate change.
Awards
- John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship 2021 Finalist, sponsored by Woods Hole Sea Grant
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) Honorable Mention
Support
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- American Malacological Society
- PADI Foundation
Education
B.A. Biology, Bowdoin College