Mary Williams

 

Mary Williams is a PhD candidate in marine science at Florida International University and a member of the Crustomics Lab, where she studies coral reef ecosystems using environmental DNA (eDNA). Her research explores how reef sponges act as natural reservoirs of genetic material, capturing DNA from the surrounding environment and revealing biodiversity that may be missed by traditional survey methods.

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Mary’s work in the Florida Keys combines field-based sampling with molecular techniques to compare eDNA collected from seawater and sponge tissue, with the goal of better understanding how these approaches can be used to characterize reef communities. Her research highlights the potential for sponges to serve as effective biological samplers, offering new ways to study and monitor marine biodiversity. More broadly, she is interested in bridging ecological fieldwork with molecular tools to answer questions about how reef communities are structured and how we detect and measure biodiversity.

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Through her graduate research, Mary has led fieldwork efforts, trained students in both laboratory and ecological techniques, and collaborated with community partners including i.CARE, a citizen science coral restoration program in the Florida Keys. Her work focuses on using DNA to uncover the hidden layers of reef life and expand how scientists’ study and monitor marine biodiversity.

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