Sapelo Research Application Form

Research Application ID: GCE-151-2026 (submitted: 02/12/2026, status: approved)

Provide a brief title for web display

Does environmental filtering influence genomic and phenotypic diversity in Geukensia demissa?

Investigator Information

On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR

Principal Investigator:	John P. Wares
Home Institution:	University of Georgia
Award Information:	GCE-LTER sub-award in years 1 and 2, NSF, $89K
Mailing Address:	Department of Genetics	Phone Number:	(706) 542-7720
	University of Georgia	E-mail Address:	jpwares@uga.edu
	Athens, Georgia 30606
Co-investigators:

Briefly describe the project goals and methodology

We will sample ribbed mussels from mid- and low-marsh regions across the GCE domain at sites that present consistently high salinity and consistently low salinity. These mussels will be assessed using whole genome resequencing methods to identify potentially deterministic regions of the genome that are associated with distinct environments. Such information will contextualize subsequent studies of growth, mortality, nutrient cycling, and other variation in ecology or phenotype of mussels across the GCE domain.

Where will the project be located?

primarily GCE sites 1, 4, 3, 6, 10 but likely additional GCE sites and other paired sites on regional estuaries

How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?

I will provide a spreadsheet containing GPS coordinates for my study sites

What are the expected start and end dates of the project?

Start Date: 06/01/2026 End Date: 09/01/2028

How many people will access the site and at what frequency?

3 people will access each site once this summer

Keywords that describe your project

Organisms: Geukensia

Habitat type: marsh

Study theme: population ecology, invertebrate ecology

What equipment will be deployed in the field?

Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?

Geukensia demissa, 25-30 per sampled site. GDNR Scientific Collecting Permit applied for in December 2025.