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Cheryl L Morrison, Ph.D.

Cheryl Morrison is a Research Geneticist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Fish Health Laboratory in Kearneysville, WV

Intro

Cheryl received a B.S. degree in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1991) and her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Florida State University (1997). Since joining the USGS in 2002, her research has involved the application of conservation genetics and genomics techniques to species at risk. Cheryl has worked on a variety of species from aquatic habitats such as freshwater rivers (Atlantic salmon, darters and mussels), and vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems on the U.S. continental slope (deep-sea corals, cold seeps and canyons). Such deep-sea ecosystems remain poorly characterized yet are vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Studies of genetic connectivity among populations of dominant, habitat-forming coral species inform marine spatial planning for effective stewardship of natural resources. 

Education

  • Ph.D. 1997, Florida State University
  • B.S., 1991, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Major: Marine Biology

Current Position

Dr. Morrison is a principal investigator for multiple studies that aim to describe biodiversity, assess taxonomic status, define units of conservation, and determine dispersal pathways of marine invertebrates and invasive species. A focus of Dr. Morrison’s research has been the description of biodiversity and connectivity in vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems on the U.S. continental slope. Such ecosystems remain poorly characterized, yet are vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Studies of genetic connectivity among populations of dominant, habitat-forming coral species may inform marine spatial planning for effective stewardship of natural resources.

Professional Experience:

  • 2006-2010: Geneticist, USGS Leetown Science Center  
  • 2002-2006: Biologist, USGS Leetown Science Center  
  • 2000-2001: Post-doctoral Research Associate, Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary 
  • 1999-2000: Post-doctoral Research Associate, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary 
  • 1997-1999: Post-doctoral Research Associate, Duke University 

Affiliations:

  • 2018-Present, Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. 

Awards

  • The U.S. Department of the Interior's Partnership Conservation Award, 2007 (Chemo III Study: Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico)
  • The National Oceanographic Partnership Program’s Excellence in Partnering for 2011 (Lophelia II Study: Exploration and Research of Northern Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Natural and

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 13
Colonies of the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa off the coast of South Carolina

Deepwater Atlantic Habitats II: Continued Atlantic Research and Exploration in Deepwater Ecosystems with Focus on Coral, Canyon, and Seep Communities. Part II: Genetic Connectivity and Oceanomic Studies

This study utilizes genetics and genomics techniques to characterize biodiversity and genetic connectivity among deep-sea coral habitats and cold seeps in and near submarine canyons and will use environmental DNA techniques to characterize plankton diversity and to identify key contributors to carbon export from surface waters that sustain sensitive benthic communities. The proposed genetics and...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Deepwater Atlantic Habitats II: Continued Atlantic Research and Exploration in Deepwater Ecosystems with Focus on Coral, Canyon, and Seep Communities. Part II: Genetic Connectivity and Oceanomic Studies

Deepwater Atlantic Habitats II: Continued Atlantic Research and Exploration in Deepwater Ecosystems with Focus on Coral, Canyon, and Seep Communities. Part II: Genetic Connectivity and Oceanomic Studies

This study utilizes genetics and genomics techniques to characterize biodiversity and genetic connectivity among deep-sea coral habitats and cold seeps in and near submarine canyons and will use environmental DNA techniques to characterize plankton diversity and to identify key contributors to carbon export from surface waters that sustain sensitive benthic communities. The proposed genetics and...
Learn More
No Result Found
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 49

Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning

The shell morphologies of the freshwater mussel species Pleurobema clava (federally endangered) and Pleurobema oviforme (species of concern) are similar, causing considerable taxonomic confusion between the two species over the last 100 years. While P. clava was historically widespread throughout the Ohio River basin and tributaries to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes, P. oviforme was...
Authors
Cheryl Morrison, Nathan A. Johnson, Jess W Jones, Michael S. Eackles, Aaron W. Aunins, Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Eric M. Hallerman, Timothy L. King
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Paleoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal composition through deep time Paleoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal composition through deep time

Identifying how past environmental conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal traits provides a framework for predicting their persistence and that of their non-calcifying relatives under impending global warming and ocean acidification. Here we show that ocean geochemistry, particularly aragonite–calcite seas, drives patterns of morphological evolution in anthozoans...
Authors
Andrea M. Quattrini, Eliana Rodriguez-Burgueno, B. C. Faircloth, P. Cowman, M. R. Brugler, G. Farfan, M. E. Hellberg, M. V. Kitahara, Cheryl Morrison, D. A. Paz-Garcia, J. D. Reimer, C. S. McFadden
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Phenotypic plasticity or a reproductive dead end? Primnoa pacifica (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea) in the southeastern Alaska region Phenotypic plasticity or a reproductive dead end? Primnoa pacifica (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea) in the southeastern Alaska region

Red tree corals (Primnoa pacifica) are abundant in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, from the glacial fjords of Southeast Alaska where they emerge to as shallow as 6 m, to the continental shelf edge and seamounts where they are more commonly found at depths greater than 150 – 500 m. This keystone species forms large thickets, creating habitat for many associated species, including economically...
Authors
Rhian G. Waller, Robert P. Stone, Lauren Rice, Julia Johnstone, Ashley M. Rossin, Elise Hartill, Keri Feehan, Cheryl Morrison
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Windows to the deep 2018: Exploration of the southeast US Continental margin Windows to the deep 2018: Exploration of the southeast US Continental margin

Windows to the Deep 2018: Exploration of the Southeast US Continental Margin was a 36-day expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to acquire data on priority exploration areas identified by the ocean management and scientific communities. This expedition involved high-resolution multibeam sonar mapping and ROV dives, ranging from 340 m to 3,400 m depth, across the southeast US...
Authors
Leslie R Sautter, Cheryl L. Morrison, Kasey Cantwell, Derek Sowers, Elizabeth Lobecker
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin

Mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are among the most widespread colonizers of hydrothermal vent and cold seep environments, sustained by endosymbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria. Presumed species of Bathymodiolus are abundant at newly discovered cold seeps on the Mid-Atlantic continental slope, however morphological taxonomy is challenging, and their phylogenetic affinities remain...
Authors
Dolly Coykendall, Robert S. Cornman, Nancy G. Prouty, Sandra Brooke, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Cheryl L. Morrison
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

The complete maternal mitochondrial genome sequences of two imperiled North American freshwater mussels: Alasmidonta heterodon and Alasmidonta varicosa (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae) The complete maternal mitochondrial genome sequences of two imperiled North American freshwater mussels: Alasmidonta heterodon and Alasmidonta varicosa (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae)

The freshwater mussels Alasmidonta heterodon and A. varicosa historically inhabited rivers along the North American Atlantic coast from the Carolinas, U.S.A., to New Brunswick, CA. However, many populations have been extirpated, and A. heterodon is now federally listed in the U.S.A. as endangered, and both A. heterodon and A. varicosa are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. To...
Authors
Aaron W. Aunins, Cheryl L. Morrison, Heather Galbraith, Michael S. Eackles, W. Bane Schill, Tim L. King
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Duffy, J.E., Morrison, C.L., and Rios, R., 2000, Multiple origins of eusociality among sponge-dwelling shrimps (Synalpheus): Evolution v. 54, no 2, p. 503-516.
Morrison, C.L., Harvey, A.W., Lavery, S., Tieu, K., Huang, Y., and Cunningham, C.W., 2002, Mitochondrial gene rearrangements confirm parallel evolution of the crab-like form: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B v. 269, no. 1489, p. 345-350. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1886
Duffy, J.E., Morrison. C.L., and Macdonald, K., 2002, Colony defense, division of labor, and productivity in the eusocial shrimp Synalpheus regalis: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology v. 51, p. 488-495. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-002-0455-5
Morrison, C.L., Duffy, J.E., and Rios, R., 2004, Phylogenetic hypothesis suggests rapid radiation of Caribbean sponge-dwelling snapping shrimps (Synalpheus): Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, v. 30, p. 563-581. DOI: 10.1016/s1055-7903(03)00252-5
Carlsson, J., Morrison, C.L., and Reece, K.S., 2006, A wild population and aquaculture strain of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) compared using microsatellite markers: Journal of Heredity, v. 97, no. 6, p. 595-598. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esl034
Hare, M.P., Allen, S.K., Bloomer, P., Camara, M.D., Carnegie, R.B., Murfree, J., Luckenbach, M., Meritt, D., Morrison, C.L., Paynter, K., Reece, K.S., and Rose, C., 2006, A genetic test for recruitment enhancement after supplementation with a disease tolerant oyster strain (Crassostrea virginica) in Chesapeake Bay: Conservation Genetics, v. 7, no. 5, p. 717-734. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-005-9108-3

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 13
Colonies of the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa off the coast of South Carolina

Deepwater Atlantic Habitats II: Continued Atlantic Research and Exploration in Deepwater Ecosystems with Focus on Coral, Canyon, and Seep Communities. Part II: Genetic Connectivity and Oceanomic Studies

This study utilizes genetics and genomics techniques to characterize biodiversity and genetic connectivity among deep-sea coral habitats and cold seeps in and near submarine canyons and will use environmental DNA techniques to characterize plankton diversity and to identify key contributors to carbon export from surface waters that sustain sensitive benthic communities. The proposed genetics and...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Deepwater Atlantic Habitats II: Continued Atlantic Research and Exploration in Deepwater Ecosystems with Focus on Coral, Canyon, and Seep Communities. Part II: Genetic Connectivity and Oceanomic Studies

Deepwater Atlantic Habitats II: Continued Atlantic Research and Exploration in Deepwater Ecosystems with Focus on Coral, Canyon, and Seep Communities. Part II: Genetic Connectivity and Oceanomic Studies

This study utilizes genetics and genomics techniques to characterize biodiversity and genetic connectivity among deep-sea coral habitats and cold seeps in and near submarine canyons and will use environmental DNA techniques to characterize plankton diversity and to identify key contributors to carbon export from surface waters that sustain sensitive benthic communities. The proposed genetics and...
Learn More
No Result Found
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 49

Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning

The shell morphologies of the freshwater mussel species Pleurobema clava (federally endangered) and Pleurobema oviforme (species of concern) are similar, causing considerable taxonomic confusion between the two species over the last 100 years. While P. clava was historically widespread throughout the Ohio River basin and tributaries to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes, P. oviforme was...
Authors
Cheryl Morrison, Nathan A. Johnson, Jess W Jones, Michael S. Eackles, Aaron W. Aunins, Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Eric M. Hallerman, Timothy L. King
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Paleoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal composition through deep time Paleoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal composition through deep time

Identifying how past environmental conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal traits provides a framework for predicting their persistence and that of their non-calcifying relatives under impending global warming and ocean acidification. Here we show that ocean geochemistry, particularly aragonite–calcite seas, drives patterns of morphological evolution in anthozoans...
Authors
Andrea M. Quattrini, Eliana Rodriguez-Burgueno, B. C. Faircloth, P. Cowman, M. R. Brugler, G. Farfan, M. E. Hellberg, M. V. Kitahara, Cheryl Morrison, D. A. Paz-Garcia, J. D. Reimer, C. S. McFadden
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Phenotypic plasticity or a reproductive dead end? Primnoa pacifica (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea) in the southeastern Alaska region Phenotypic plasticity or a reproductive dead end? Primnoa pacifica (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea) in the southeastern Alaska region

Red tree corals (Primnoa pacifica) are abundant in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, from the glacial fjords of Southeast Alaska where they emerge to as shallow as 6 m, to the continental shelf edge and seamounts where they are more commonly found at depths greater than 150 – 500 m. This keystone species forms large thickets, creating habitat for many associated species, including economically...
Authors
Rhian G. Waller, Robert P. Stone, Lauren Rice, Julia Johnstone, Ashley M. Rossin, Elise Hartill, Keri Feehan, Cheryl Morrison
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Windows to the deep 2018: Exploration of the southeast US Continental margin Windows to the deep 2018: Exploration of the southeast US Continental margin

Windows to the Deep 2018: Exploration of the Southeast US Continental Margin was a 36-day expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to acquire data on priority exploration areas identified by the ocean management and scientific communities. This expedition involved high-resolution multibeam sonar mapping and ROV dives, ranging from 340 m to 3,400 m depth, across the southeast US...
Authors
Leslie R Sautter, Cheryl L. Morrison, Kasey Cantwell, Derek Sowers, Elizabeth Lobecker
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin

Mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are among the most widespread colonizers of hydrothermal vent and cold seep environments, sustained by endosymbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria. Presumed species of Bathymodiolus are abundant at newly discovered cold seeps on the Mid-Atlantic continental slope, however morphological taxonomy is challenging, and their phylogenetic affinities remain...
Authors
Dolly Coykendall, Robert S. Cornman, Nancy G. Prouty, Sandra Brooke, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Cheryl L. Morrison
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

The complete maternal mitochondrial genome sequences of two imperiled North American freshwater mussels: Alasmidonta heterodon and Alasmidonta varicosa (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae) The complete maternal mitochondrial genome sequences of two imperiled North American freshwater mussels: Alasmidonta heterodon and Alasmidonta varicosa (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae)

The freshwater mussels Alasmidonta heterodon and A. varicosa historically inhabited rivers along the North American Atlantic coast from the Carolinas, U.S.A., to New Brunswick, CA. However, many populations have been extirpated, and A. heterodon is now federally listed in the U.S.A. as endangered, and both A. heterodon and A. varicosa are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. To...
Authors
Aaron W. Aunins, Cheryl L. Morrison, Heather Galbraith, Michael S. Eackles, W. Bane Schill, Tim L. King
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Duffy, J.E., Morrison, C.L., and Rios, R., 2000, Multiple origins of eusociality among sponge-dwelling shrimps (Synalpheus): Evolution v. 54, no 2, p. 503-516.
Morrison, C.L., Harvey, A.W., Lavery, S., Tieu, K., Huang, Y., and Cunningham, C.W., 2002, Mitochondrial gene rearrangements confirm parallel evolution of the crab-like form: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B v. 269, no. 1489, p. 345-350. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1886
Duffy, J.E., Morrison. C.L., and Macdonald, K., 2002, Colony defense, division of labor, and productivity in the eusocial shrimp Synalpheus regalis: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology v. 51, p. 488-495. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-002-0455-5
Morrison, C.L., Duffy, J.E., and Rios, R., 2004, Phylogenetic hypothesis suggests rapid radiation of Caribbean sponge-dwelling snapping shrimps (Synalpheus): Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, v. 30, p. 563-581. DOI: 10.1016/s1055-7903(03)00252-5
Carlsson, J., Morrison, C.L., and Reece, K.S., 2006, A wild population and aquaculture strain of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) compared using microsatellite markers: Journal of Heredity, v. 97, no. 6, p. 595-598. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esl034
Hare, M.P., Allen, S.K., Bloomer, P., Camara, M.D., Carnegie, R.B., Murfree, J., Luckenbach, M., Meritt, D., Morrison, C.L., Paynter, K., Reece, K.S., and Rose, C., 2006, A genetic test for recruitment enhancement after supplementation with a disease tolerant oyster strain (Crassostrea virginica) in Chesapeake Bay: Conservation Genetics, v. 7, no. 5, p. 717-734. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-005-9108-3

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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