Assistant Professor of Biology
Biological, Chemical, and Environmental Sciences
Education
Ph.D., Zoology: Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa (2015)
M.Sc., Biology: Hofstra University, Long Island, New York (2011)
B.S., Biology: St. John’s University, Queens, New York (2009)
About
Main Interests
I am a marine biologist with a strong focus on invasive invertebrates and the parasites which infect them. In particular, I am interested in understanding how human activities such as dam construction, aquaculture, shipping, etc. can influence the dispersal and subsequent evolution of aquatic invasive species. My lab uses a combination of tools to address this issue including DNA barcoding, population genetics, physiological experiments and biophysical modelling. In terms educational innovation, I have developed several pedagogical tools to create a more student-centric environment in the classroom which not only engages and challenges students but is also inclusive and utilizes real-world applications.
Other Interests
When I am not in the lab or the classroom, I am an avid martial artist and actively practice a variety of disciplines including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (my primary focus), Judo, Muay Thai and Iaido (a specialized form of Japanese swordsmanship that involves the drawing and sheathing of the katana). I have an eclectic taste in music and enjoy anything from Scandinavian death metal to late 90s-early 2000s hip hop to jazz. I also enjoy traveling, with Prague being my favorite destination.
I was born in Trinidad &Tobago and grew up in New York City which I consider home.
Publications
37. Davinack A.A. *Varetto, I., Grosser, C., and Russo, E. (2025) First report of Proctoeces maculatus (Digenea: Fellodistomidae) infecting the ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa: detection of a unique haplotype in New England, USA. Acta Parasitologica 70: 91.
36. Davinack A.A. (2025) Caution against using genetic diversity alone to determine native ranges of aquatic species: the persistence of an old problem. Aquatic Invasions 20: 175 – 179.
35. *Titus, M., *Varetto, I., *Grosser C., *Russo E., and Davinack A.A. (2025) First molecular characterization of Proctoeces maculatus (Looss, 1901) (Digenea: Fellodistomidae) infecting blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the northeastern USA. Journal of Helminthology 99: e23.
34. Davinack A.A., Carlton J.T., and Pederson J. (2024) Annotated checklist and community composition of introduced, cryptogenic, and native polychaetes in floating dock communities of New England, USA. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 140: e103
33. Abeyrathna W.A.N.U., and Davinack A.A. (2024). Genetic diversity and connectivity of the invasive gastropod, Callinina georgiana (Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae) across a fragmented riverscape: a mitonuclear perspective. Freshwater Biology 69: 1232- 1244.
32. Davinack A.A., *Strong M., Brennessel B. (2024) Worms on the Cape: An integrative survey of polydorid infestation in wild and cultivated oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Massachusetts, USA. Aquaculture 581: 740366.
31. Abeyrathna W.A.N.U., Davinack A.A. (2023) A pilot study examining the lethality of niclosamide monohydrate on the invasive mystery snails. Callinina georgiana and Cipangopaludina japonica. Management of Biological Invasions 14: 659 – 670.
30. Davinack A.A. (2023) Can ChatGPT be leveraged for taxonomic investigations? Potential and limitations of a new technology. Zootaxa 5270: 347 – 350.
29. Abeyrathna W.A.N.U., *Barreto A., Sanders S.H., Davinack A.A. (2023). First genetically confirmed report of the Japanese mystery snail, Heterogen japonica (Martens, 1861) from California more than a century after its first introduction. BioInvasions Records 12: 501 – 511.
28. Sindičić M., Davinack A.A., Bujanić M., Bugarski D., Mirčeta J., Ferroglio E., Konjević D. (2023). A new insight into genetic structure of Danube and Italian foci of fascioloidosis. Veterinary Parasitology 314: 109854.
27. Davinack A.A., Hill L. (2022) Infestation of wild bay scallops on Nantucket Island by the shell boring polychaete, Polydora neocaeca. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 151: 123 – 128.
26. David A.A., *Krick M. (2019) DNA barcoding of polychaetes collected during the 2018 Rapid Assessment Survey of floating dock communities from New England. Marine Biology Research 15: 317 – 324.
25. Davinack A.A. (2022) Towards a more inclusive and diverse invasion biology workforce. BioInvasions Records 11: 307 – 311.
24. David A.A. (2021) Climate change and shell-boring polychaetes (Annelida: Spionidae): current state of knowledge and the need for more experimental research. Biological Bulletin 241: 4 – 15 [invited review]
23. *O’Leary E., *Jojo D., David A.A. (2021) Another mystery snail in the Adirondacks: DNA barcoding reveals the first record of Sinotaia cf. quadrata (Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae) from North America. American Malacological Bulletin 38: 1 – 5.
22. David A.A., Williams J.D., Simon C.A. (2021) A new cryptogenic Dipolydora species (Annelida: Spionidae) in South Africa. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 101: 271 – 278.
21. Pederson, J., Carlton, J.T., Bastidas, C., David, A., Grady, S., Green-Gavrielidis, L., Hobbs, N-V., Kennedy, C., Knack, J., McCuller, M., O’Brien, B., Osborne, K., Pankey, S., Trott, T. (2021). 2019 Rapid Assessment Survey of marine bioinvasions of southern New England and New York, USA, with an overview of new records and range expansions. BioInvasions Records 10: 227 – 237.
20. David A.A. (2021) Introducing Python programming into Undergraduate Biology. The American Biology Teacher 83: 33 – 41.
19. *Parker A., David A.A. (2021) Genetic characterization of the giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna (Platyhelminthes: Fascioloidae) from the Adirondack region of northern New York. Acta Parasitologica 66: 259 – 263.
18. David A.A. (2020) Oyster reef restoration and biological invasions: an overlooked or a non-issue? Frontiers in Marine Science 7: 544691
17. David A.A., *Pettit L., *Edmund M. (2020) Resilience of a highly invasive freshwater gastropod, Viviparus georgianus (Mollusca: Viviparidae) to CO2-induced acidification. Journal of Molluscan Studies 86: 259 – 262.
16. David A.A., *Cahill J. (2020) Tri-oceanic connectivity of the supposedly cosmopolitan polychaete, Harmothoe imbricata (Annelida: Polynoidae): insights from the COI marker. Marine Biology Research 16: 256 – 264.
15. David A.A., *Cote S. (2019) Genetic evidence confirms the presence of the Japanese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina japonica (von Martens, 1861) (Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae) in northern New York. BioInvasions Records 8: 793 – 803.
14. David A.A., Janáč, M. (2018). Twenty-year anniversary of the ICAIS: progress and challenges towards a better understanding of aquatic invasions. Aquatic Invasions 13: 433-437.
13. David A.A. (2018). Reconsidering panmixia: the erosion of phylogeographic barriers due to anthropogenic transport and the incorporation of biophysical models as a solution. Frontiers in Marine Science 5, 280.
12. *Pickett T., David A.A. (2018) Global connectivity patterns of the notoriously invasive mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk using archived CO1 sequence data. BMC Research Notes 11: 231.
11. David A.A. (2018) Using project-based learning to teach phylogenetic reconstruction for advanced undergraduate biology students: Molluscan evolution as a case study. American Biology Teacher 80: 278-284.
10. David A.A., Loveday B.R. (2018). The role of cryptic dispersal in shaping connectivity patterns of marine populations in a changing world. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 98: 647 – 655.
9. David A.A., *Gardner K. (2017) Repurposing of archived CO1 sequence data reveals unusually high genetic structure between North American and European zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). Mitochondrial DNA Part B 2: 853 – 855.
8. David A.A., Lewis A., *Yhann A., *Zhou H., *Verra S. (2017) DNA barcoding of the banded mystery snail, Viviparus georgianus (Gastropoda: Viviparidae) in the Adirondacks with quantification of trematode prevalence in the species. American Malacological Bulletin 35: 175 – 180.
7. David A.A. (2017) A student-centered approach for teaching undergraduate Parasitology. Trends in Parasitology 33: 420 – 423. [invited article]
6. David A.A., Matthee C.A., Loveday B.R., Simon C.A. (2016). Predicting the dispersal potential of an invasive polychaete pest along a complex coastal biome. Integrative and Comparative Biology 56: 600 – 610.
5. David A.A., Williams, J.D. (2016) The influence of hypo-osmotic stress on the regenerative capacity of the invasive polychaete, Marenzelleria viridis (Annelida: Spionidae) from its native range. Marine Ecology 37: 821-830
4. David A.A., Simon C.A. (2014) The effect of temperature on larval development of two non-indigenous poecilogonous polychaetes (Annelida: Spionidae) with implications for life history, establishment and range expansion. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 461: 20-30.
3. David A.A., Matthee C.A., Simon C.A. (2014) Poecilogony in Polydora hoplura (Polycheata: Spionidae) from commercially important molluscs in South Africa. Marine Biology 161: 887-898.
2. David A.A., Williams J.D. (2012). Morphology and natural history of the cryptogenic sponge associate, Polydora colonia (Polychaeta: Spionidae). Journal of Natural History 46: 1509-1528.
1. David A.A., Williams J.D. (2012). Asexual reproduction and anterior regeneration under high and low temperatures in the sponge associate Polydora colonia (Polychaeta: Spionidae). Invertebrate Reproduction and Development 56: 315-324.
Teaching Interests
Courses
- BIO 114: Introduction to Biology
- BIO 200: Research Experience (DNA Barcoding)
- BIO 241: Biological Data Analysis
- BIO 298: Principles of Parasitology
- BIO 398: Invertebrate Zoology
- BIO 211: Genetics
- BIO 317: Molecular Ecology & Evolution (Lecture and Lab) (OER Textbook for course)
- BIO 401: Senior Seminar
Current student projects
Current Research Students
- Rylie Seaberg – Connectivity analysis of the dog heartworm, Toxocara canis using archived sequence data [BIO 500 Honors Thesis]
Past Research Students
- Emma Russo – Genetic characterization of the trematode parasite Proctoeces maculatus from New England blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). [BIO 399: Independent Study]
- Ava Sheedy – Parasite load of Polydora worms in the eastern oyster from an anthropogenically disturbed estuary in Cape Cod. [BIO 500 Honors Thesis]
- Hannah Brunelle (’23) – Assessing impacts of multiple parasites on Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) across age classes and rivers in the Chesapeake Bay. (BIO 500 Honors Thesis)
- Ophelia McGrail (’23) – Unraveling a potential cryptic species complex of Polydora colonia and Polydora spongicola through morphology and DNA barcoding. (BIO 500 Honors Thesis)
- Katie Vidic (’23) – DNA barcoding of parasitic worms extracted from the invasive Japanese mystery snail Heterogen japonica (BIO 399 Independent Study)
- Margaret Strong (’23) – Population genetics of shell-boring worms associated with the oyster, Crassostrea virginica from Wellfleet Harbor, Cape Cod. (BIO 399 Independent Study)
- Eric Galindo (’23) – Genetic diversity of Dirofilaria immitis variants from globally segregated populations (BIO 399 Independent Study)
- Maia Ondrasenek (’23) – Genetic connectivity of Dirofilaria immitis variants from globally segregated populations
- Ashley Barreto (’26) – DNA barcoding of the Japanese mystery snail (Heterogen japonica) from California.
- Mikayla Titus (’24) – Prevalence and DNA barcoding of trematode parasites associated with the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis from Point Judith, Rhode Island [BIO 499: Capstone Project].
- Ava Sheedy – DNA barcoding of Hydroides dianthus from New England marinas [BIO 399: Independent Study].
- Rachel Hickey – DNA barcoding of terebellid worms from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States [BIO 399: Independent Study]
- Viviana Schroeder – Genetic characterization of the southern pine beetle from Nantucket Island. [BIO 399: Independent Study]
- Trisha Harithsa: Phylogeographic position of Mytilus edulis based on historical samples collected from the Baltic Sea (Poland). [BIO 399: Independent Study]
Research Grants
- 2024. Wellfleet Oyster Alliance Community Grant: “Exploring temporal changes in parasite load and composition within oysters collected from a tidally restricted area of the Herring River” ($4950).
- 2023. Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative General Biodiversity Grant: “DNA barcoding of marine invertebrates collected from marinas and docks on Nantucket Island” ($3498.00)
- 2023. Donald Palladino Fellowship – Friends of the Herring River: “Investigating mud blister disease in oysters from Wellfleet Harbor using DNA barcoding”
- 2022. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Program Development Grant: “Genetic connectivity of the shell boring polychaete, Polydora neocaeca along the New England coast” ($5000.00)
Research Interests
The Davinack Lab is currently engaged in two ongoing research programs:
1. TRACE: Translocation and Range Alterations in Coastal Ecosystems (formerly BARCODE)
TRACE investigates the hidden impacts of human-mediated dispersal on parasite populations and host species in aquaculture and wild ecosystems. The goal is to disentangle natural versus anthropogenic connectivity using genetic and genomic tools. One current focus is on Polydora websteri, a shell-boring polychaete worm whose infestations damage oyster and scallop populations in New England and also threaten shellfish population across Australia and South Africa. Using traditional field methods, pathology assessment, larval ecology, and population genetics, we have mapped out seasonal reproductive dynamics of the worm and identified invasion corridors that inform biosecurity practices. Our work helps local fisheries and aquaculture operators adapt management strategies in response to shifting parasite pressure – applying conservation science in real world settings. Our research has shown that Polydora infestations peak seasonally and are linked to estuarine conditions and anthropogenic structures. By collaborating with shellfish farmers, we have translated our findings into actionable mitigation strategies. Currently collaborations with researchers at the University of Massachusetts – Boston and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, we are now expanding TRACE to examine the genomic evolution of parasitism and boring behavior in polychaetes through whole genome sequencing and transcriptomics, which may lead to new
Earlier iterations of TRACE focused on freshwater systems, particularly in the Adirondack Park—the largest protected freshwater region in the contiguous United States. There, I led a study on the invasive banded mystery snail (Callinina georgiana) to investigate how human activities like recreational boating facilitated genetic connectivity across hydrologically isolated lakes. Despite the presence of dams and disconnected water bodies, my Ph.D. student and I found a single well-mixed metapopulation spanning multiple watersheds. This work demonstrated how overlooked mechanisms of anthropogenic transport can undermine physical conservation barriers, with implications for biosecurity and management of invasive species in freshwater ecosystems.
2. CODEX: Cryptic Organism Discovery and Exploration
CODEX centers on the discovery and molecular delineating of invertebrate biodiversity using barcoding, metabarcoding, and eDNA. CODEX seeks to build comprehensive species inventories to inform conservation efforts, especially in regions where taxonomic resolution remains poor. Our ongoing research has uncovered previously unrecognized parasite lineages, cryptic snail species and invasive taxa that were missed by traditional surveys.
A recent study from my lab revealed that the trematode Proctoeces maculatus infects not only blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) but also ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa), with genetic data suggesting a novel host shift. This finding has implications for marsh conservation, as ribbed mussels are key foundation species. Another project, in collaboration with the London Natural History Museum, uses ancient DNA techniques to resolve the identity of the reef-building invasive worm Ficopomatus enigmaticus, a globally distributed species complex that is believed to contain three distinct mitochondrial lineages in Australia (it’s supposed native origin). Our aim is to clarify its taxonomy and origin by sequencing the syntype of the specimen – critical for targeted invasive species management.
My lab emphasizes community-integrated science, training undergraduates to participate in applied conservation research. We are now piloting eDNA-based diagnostics for parasite detection on oyster shells – an innovation that could replace destructive sampling and enhance conservation monitoring.
Looking ahead, we intend to:
- Expand environmental DNA methods for early detection of invasive and parasitic species in coastal systems.
- Collaborate with local and indigenous communities to co-design biodiversity monitoring programs that respect traditional ecological knowledge.
- Link functional trait evolution in parasites to host vulnerability across different climate and disturbance gradients, strengthening ecosystem-based conservation frameworks.
