Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

M. Renee Bellinger

Specialty: Genomics, including conservation genomics, genome biology, population genetics, and transcriptomics.

Research Interests: ecology and conservation of animals and plants; holobionts and endosymbiosis; migration; sensory mechanisms, especially magnetoreception.

Personal interests: rockwork, gardening, family.

M. Renee Bellinger is a Research Geneticist at the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center based in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Her research focuses on applying genetic tools to understand population dynamics of native and invasive species, the impact of population bottlenecks on genetic diversity and fitness, and the relationship between genome-wide diversity, adaptation, and resilience to climate change. 

Professional Experience

  • Academic Appointments

  • 2020- Affiliate Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawai‘i

  • 2019-21 Affiliate Faculty, Oregon State University, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Corvallis, Oregon 

  • 2016-20 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawai‘i

  • Employment History

  • 2021- Research Geneticist, USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai‘i

  • 2020-21 Research Specialist, Hawaii Cooperative Study Unit, University of Hawaii at Hilo

  • 2015-20 Bioinformatics / genomics Post-doctoral fellow, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 

  • 2015-18 Lecturer, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

  • 2014 Visiting Scientist, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France (May)

  • 2003-2011 Research Assistant/Project Coordinator, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon

  • 2001-2003 Geneticist, USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon

  • 1997-1999 Biological Field Assistant, USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. Fisheries Science; Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon (2014)

  • M.S. Biology University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2001) 

  • B.S. Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California (1997) 

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Genetics Association

Honors and Awards

  • Stevan Phelps Memorial Award, Genetics Section - American Fisheries Society, best genetics paper, "Use of Genetic Stock Identification Data for Comparison..." (Satterthwaite et al. 2015)

  • College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Departmental Student Award, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University. (2012)

  • Thomas G. Scott Outstanding Ph.D. student in Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University. (2011)

  • The James and Mildred Oldfield/E.R. Jackman Team Award, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University. Award to Project CROOS, Collaborative Research on Oregon Ocean Salmon. (2009)

  • Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Contribution to the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division. (2004)

Science and Products

link
A small brown snake with tongue out looks into camera, slithers along a leaf

Developing and evaluating a point-of-use environmental DNA test for rapid field detection of highly invasive brown treesnakes

New terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques are sensitive tools for early detection of the highly invasive brown treesnakes (BTS). In a new collaborative research effort involving four USGS science centers, scientists have initiated the development of an innovative point-of-use (POU) assay for BTS. POU assays are tests that can be run in the field with minimal equipment and no...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
link

Developing and evaluating a point-of-use environmental DNA test for rapid field detection of highly invasive brown treesnakes

New terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques are sensitive tools for early detection of the highly invasive brown treesnakes (BTS). In a new collaborative research effort involving four USGS science centers, scientists have initiated the development of an innovative point-of-use (POU) assay for BTS. POU assays are tests that can be run in the field with minimal equipment and no...
Learn More
link
Experimental insect containers surrounded by air filter samplers for eDNA analysis in a shipping container

Proof of concept airborne eDNA testing to detect invasive species in shipping containers

Shipping containers that are transported by water vessels traveling between islands and the mainland or other islands can act as a vector for invasive species that are accidentally transported with the cargo. If the vessel carries a lot of cargo, or cargo has areas for different species to hide, inspections can be difficult, time consuming, and expensive, or in the case of non-agricultural...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Pacific Northwest Environmental DNA Laboratory
link

Proof of concept airborne eDNA testing to detect invasive species in shipping containers

Shipping containers that are transported by water vessels traveling between islands and the mainland or other islands can act as a vector for invasive species that are accidentally transported with the cargo. If the vessel carries a lot of cargo, or cargo has areas for different species to hide, inspections can be difficult, time consuming, and expensive, or in the case of non-agricultural...
Learn More
link
A researcher gathering mosquito larvae from Delta pool

eDNA to Inform Invasive Mosquito Distribution

We are using environmental DNA samples to assess habitat occupancy of the invasive southern house mosquito in Kīpahulu Valley, Maui. An understanding of mosquito distribution is critical to developing and implementing tools to prevent the transmission of avian malaria, a primary threat to Hawaiian forest birds.
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
link

eDNA to Inform Invasive Mosquito Distribution

We are using environmental DNA samples to assess habitat occupancy of the invasive southern house mosquito in Kīpahulu Valley, Maui. An understanding of mosquito distribution is critical to developing and implementing tools to prevent the transmission of avian malaria, a primary threat to Hawaiian forest birds.
Learn More
link
Image: An Endangered Honeycreeper, the `Akeke`e (Kauai Akepa), in Hawaii

Identifying Genetic Diversity of Wolbachia Bacteria for Mosquito Control

We are sequencing the DNA of Wolbachia bacteria found in mosquito populations in Hawai’i and those used for mosquito control. We are also developing sample processing techniques to increase the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring mosquito control efforts to help long-term survival and restoration of Hawaiian forest bird populations.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
link

Identifying Genetic Diversity of Wolbachia Bacteria for Mosquito Control

We are sequencing the DNA of Wolbachia bacteria found in mosquito populations in Hawai’i and those used for mosquito control. We are also developing sample processing techniques to increase the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring mosquito control efforts to help long-term survival and restoration of Hawaiian forest bird populations.
Learn More

Hawaiian hoary bat population genetics 1988 to 2020

Genetic diversity levels, effective population size estimates, and population structure of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus, also known as Aeorestes semotus) were examined across the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i using eighteen nuclear microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial gene from 339 individuals collected between 1988 and 2020. The study extracted...
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Reduction of genetic diversity in ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow; Corvus hawaiiensis) between the late 1800s and the late 1900s

Genetic and genomic data are increasingly used to aid conservation management of endangered species by providing insights into evolutionary histories, factors associated with extinction risks, and potential for future adaptation. For the ‘Alalā, or Hawaiian crow (Corvus hawaiiensis), genetic concerns include negative correlations between inbreeding and hatching success. However, it is...
Authors
Geneviève Blanchet, Mona Renee Bellinger, Anna M. Kearns, Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Bryce M. Masuda, Michael G. Campana, Christian Rutz, Robert C. Fleischer, Jolene T. Sutton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Genomes & islands & evolution: Oh my!

A central question in evolutionary biology is how lineages quickly diversify to occupy different ecological niches, along with determining genomic factors that facilitate evolutionary change. Isolated, oceanic archipelagos are famous for adaptive radiations characterized by endemic, species-rich clades with substantial ecological variation, yet genome resources key to determining eco-evo...
Authors
Mona Renee Bellinger
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

The transmission patterns of the endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae adaptive radiation

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian...
Authors
Renée L. Corpuz, Mona Renee Bellinger, Anne Veillet, Karl N. Magnacca, Donald K. Price
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Genetic diversity, structure, and effective population size of an endangered, endemic hoary bat, ʻōpeʻapeʻa, across the Hawaiian Islands

Island bat species are disproportionately at risk of extinction, and Hawaiʻi’s only native terrestrial land mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus) locally known as ʻōpeʻapeʻa, is no exception. To effectively manage this bat species with an archipelago-wide distribution, it is important to determine the population size on each island and connectivity between islands. We used 18...
Authors
Corinna Pinzari, Mona Renee Bellinger, Donald K. Price, Frank Bonaccorso
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

The conservation genetics juggling act: Integrating genetics and ecology, science and policy

The field of conservation genetics, when properly implemented, is a constant juggling act integrating molecular genetics, ecology, and demography with applied aspects concerning managing declining species or implementing conservation laws and policies. This young field has grown substantially since the 1980’s following development of the polymerase chain reaction and now into the...
Authors
Susan M. Haig, Mark P. Miller, Renee Bellinger, Hope M. Draheim, Dacey Mercer, Thomas D. Mullins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Effects of historical climate change, habitat connectivity, and vicariance on genetic structure and diversity across the range of the Red Tree Vole (Phenacomys longicaudus) in the Pacific Northwest United States

Phylogeographical analyses conducted in the Pacific Northwestern United States have often revealed concordant patterns of genetic diversity among taxa. These studies demonstrate distinct North/South genetic discontinuities that have been attributed to Pleistocene glaciation. We examined phylogeographical patterns of red tree voles (Phenacomys longicaudus) in western Oregon by analysing...
Authors
Mark P. Miller, R.M. Bellinger, E.D. Forsman, Susan M. Haig
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Taxonomic relationships among Phenacomys voles as inferred by cytochrome b

Taxonomic relationships among red tree voles (Phenacomys longicaudus longicaudus, P. l. silvicola), the Sonoma tree vole (P. pomo), the white-footed vole (P. albipes), and the heather vole (P. intermedius) were examined using 664 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Results indicate specific differences among red tree voles, Sonoma tree voles, white-footed voles, and...
Authors
M.R. Bellinger, Susan M. Haig, E.D. Forsman, T.D. Mullins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

**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.

Scientists bite back at invasive mosquitoes, work for Hawaiian Honeycreeper conservation

Scientists bite back at invasive mosquitoes, work for Hawaiian Honeycreeper conservation

Biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey are racing the clock to pull four species of native Hawaiian Honeycreeper forest birds back from the brink...

Read Article

Science and Products

link
A small brown snake with tongue out looks into camera, slithers along a leaf

Developing and evaluating a point-of-use environmental DNA test for rapid field detection of highly invasive brown treesnakes

New terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques are sensitive tools for early detection of the highly invasive brown treesnakes (BTS). In a new collaborative research effort involving four USGS science centers, scientists have initiated the development of an innovative point-of-use (POU) assay for BTS. POU assays are tests that can be run in the field with minimal equipment and no...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
link

Developing and evaluating a point-of-use environmental DNA test for rapid field detection of highly invasive brown treesnakes

New terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques are sensitive tools for early detection of the highly invasive brown treesnakes (BTS). In a new collaborative research effort involving four USGS science centers, scientists have initiated the development of an innovative point-of-use (POU) assay for BTS. POU assays are tests that can be run in the field with minimal equipment and no...
Learn More
link
Experimental insect containers surrounded by air filter samplers for eDNA analysis in a shipping container

Proof of concept airborne eDNA testing to detect invasive species in shipping containers

Shipping containers that are transported by water vessels traveling between islands and the mainland or other islands can act as a vector for invasive species that are accidentally transported with the cargo. If the vessel carries a lot of cargo, or cargo has areas for different species to hide, inspections can be difficult, time consuming, and expensive, or in the case of non-agricultural...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Pacific Northwest Environmental DNA Laboratory
link

Proof of concept airborne eDNA testing to detect invasive species in shipping containers

Shipping containers that are transported by water vessels traveling between islands and the mainland or other islands can act as a vector for invasive species that are accidentally transported with the cargo. If the vessel carries a lot of cargo, or cargo has areas for different species to hide, inspections can be difficult, time consuming, and expensive, or in the case of non-agricultural...
Learn More
link
A researcher gathering mosquito larvae from Delta pool

eDNA to Inform Invasive Mosquito Distribution

We are using environmental DNA samples to assess habitat occupancy of the invasive southern house mosquito in Kīpahulu Valley, Maui. An understanding of mosquito distribution is critical to developing and implementing tools to prevent the transmission of avian malaria, a primary threat to Hawaiian forest birds.
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
link

eDNA to Inform Invasive Mosquito Distribution

We are using environmental DNA samples to assess habitat occupancy of the invasive southern house mosquito in Kīpahulu Valley, Maui. An understanding of mosquito distribution is critical to developing and implementing tools to prevent the transmission of avian malaria, a primary threat to Hawaiian forest birds.
Learn More
link
Image: An Endangered Honeycreeper, the `Akeke`e (Kauai Akepa), in Hawaii

Identifying Genetic Diversity of Wolbachia Bacteria for Mosquito Control

We are sequencing the DNA of Wolbachia bacteria found in mosquito populations in Hawai’i and those used for mosquito control. We are also developing sample processing techniques to increase the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring mosquito control efforts to help long-term survival and restoration of Hawaiian forest bird populations.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
link

Identifying Genetic Diversity of Wolbachia Bacteria for Mosquito Control

We are sequencing the DNA of Wolbachia bacteria found in mosquito populations in Hawai’i and those used for mosquito control. We are also developing sample processing techniques to increase the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring mosquito control efforts to help long-term survival and restoration of Hawaiian forest bird populations.
Learn More

Hawaiian hoary bat population genetics 1988 to 2020

Genetic diversity levels, effective population size estimates, and population structure of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus, also known as Aeorestes semotus) were examined across the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i using eighteen nuclear microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial gene from 339 individuals collected between 1988 and 2020. The study extracted...
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Reduction of genetic diversity in ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow; Corvus hawaiiensis) between the late 1800s and the late 1900s

Genetic and genomic data are increasingly used to aid conservation management of endangered species by providing insights into evolutionary histories, factors associated with extinction risks, and potential for future adaptation. For the ‘Alalā, or Hawaiian crow (Corvus hawaiiensis), genetic concerns include negative correlations between inbreeding and hatching success. However, it is...
Authors
Geneviève Blanchet, Mona Renee Bellinger, Anna M. Kearns, Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Bryce M. Masuda, Michael G. Campana, Christian Rutz, Robert C. Fleischer, Jolene T. Sutton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Genomes & islands & evolution: Oh my!

A central question in evolutionary biology is how lineages quickly diversify to occupy different ecological niches, along with determining genomic factors that facilitate evolutionary change. Isolated, oceanic archipelagos are famous for adaptive radiations characterized by endemic, species-rich clades with substantial ecological variation, yet genome resources key to determining eco-evo...
Authors
Mona Renee Bellinger
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

The transmission patterns of the endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae adaptive radiation

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian...
Authors
Renée L. Corpuz, Mona Renee Bellinger, Anne Veillet, Karl N. Magnacca, Donald K. Price
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Genetic diversity, structure, and effective population size of an endangered, endemic hoary bat, ʻōpeʻapeʻa, across the Hawaiian Islands

Island bat species are disproportionately at risk of extinction, and Hawaiʻi’s only native terrestrial land mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus) locally known as ʻōpeʻapeʻa, is no exception. To effectively manage this bat species with an archipelago-wide distribution, it is important to determine the population size on each island and connectivity between islands. We used 18...
Authors
Corinna Pinzari, Mona Renee Bellinger, Donald K. Price, Frank Bonaccorso
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

The conservation genetics juggling act: Integrating genetics and ecology, science and policy

The field of conservation genetics, when properly implemented, is a constant juggling act integrating molecular genetics, ecology, and demography with applied aspects concerning managing declining species or implementing conservation laws and policies. This young field has grown substantially since the 1980’s following development of the polymerase chain reaction and now into the...
Authors
Susan M. Haig, Mark P. Miller, Renee Bellinger, Hope M. Draheim, Dacey Mercer, Thomas D. Mullins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Effects of historical climate change, habitat connectivity, and vicariance on genetic structure and diversity across the range of the Red Tree Vole (Phenacomys longicaudus) in the Pacific Northwest United States

Phylogeographical analyses conducted in the Pacific Northwestern United States have often revealed concordant patterns of genetic diversity among taxa. These studies demonstrate distinct North/South genetic discontinuities that have been attributed to Pleistocene glaciation. We examined phylogeographical patterns of red tree voles (Phenacomys longicaudus) in western Oregon by analysing...
Authors
Mark P. Miller, R.M. Bellinger, E.D. Forsman, Susan M. Haig
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Taxonomic relationships among Phenacomys voles as inferred by cytochrome b

Taxonomic relationships among red tree voles (Phenacomys longicaudus longicaudus, P. l. silvicola), the Sonoma tree vole (P. pomo), the white-footed vole (P. albipes), and the heather vole (P. intermedius) were examined using 664 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Results indicate specific differences among red tree voles, Sonoma tree voles, white-footed voles, and...
Authors
M.R. Bellinger, Susan M. Haig, E.D. Forsman, T.D. Mullins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

**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.

Scientists bite back at invasive mosquitoes, work for Hawaiian Honeycreeper conservation

Scientists bite back at invasive mosquitoes, work for Hawaiian Honeycreeper conservation

Biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey are racing the clock to pull four species of native Hawaiian Honeycreeper forest birds back from the brink...

Read Article

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

Was this page helpful?