About

Donal Thomas Manahan

Professor of Biological Sciences

Contact Information
E-mail: manahan@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-5793
Office: AHF 210

LINKS
Research Lab Activities - Home page
 

Biographical Sketch
Dr. Donal T. Manahan is a professor of biological sciences at The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. His area of research is environmental physiology and adaptation of marine animals, specifically marine invertebrates and their developmental biology in different environments (temperate, polar, tropical and deep-sea). His research experiences in the field include being the Chief Scientist for over 20 scientific expeditions in the Antarctic and in the Pacific Ocean (hydrothermal vents).

Born in Ireland, he obtained his undergraduate science degree in zoology from Trinity College Dublin (The University of Dublin). His Ph.D. is from The University of Wales (Bangor, UK), where he studied the environmental physiology of marine animals. From 1980 to 1983, he was a postdoctoral fellow at The University of California, Irvine, where he worked in the field of physiology and developmental biology. He also studied developmental and molecular biology of marine organisms at The California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California).

While on the faculty at USC, he has held various administrative positions, including: Director of Environmental Biology; Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences; and Dean of Research of the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He is currently the Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on USC's University Park Campus and Director of USC's marine laboratory on Catalina Island (Wrigley Marine Science Center).

Nationally, he has served as Chair of the US National Academies Polar Research Board and on the National Science Foundation Decadal Group-Planning Committee for Ocean Sciences (2000). He has also served on NSF Federal Advisory Committees to the Director (NSF's Office of Polar Programs).

In 2000, "Manahan Peak" in Antarctica was named in honor of his contributions to research and education on the continent. In 2001, he was appointed as a lifetime "National Associate" of the US National Academies in recognition of his service to the nation in matters of science.

 

Education
B.S. Zoology, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland
Ph.D. Physiology & Marine Biology, University of Wales, United Kingdom
 

Postdoctoral Training
Lecturer and Postdoctoral Research Fellow (physiology and developmental biology), University of California, Irvine, 1980-1983  
 

Description of Research

Summary Statement of Research Interests
The majority of marine animals have a larval stage of development that is intermediate between the egg and the adult stages.  In spite of the obvious importance of larvae in the life cycles of most marine animals, little is understood about the biology of these complex life history stages when compared to what is known about comparable adult forms.

My specific area of research is the environmental physiology of development of marine invertebrates, especially the larval stages.  Understanding growth and development of any animal in its environment - be it terrestrial or aquatic - is a complex process.  For species of marine animals, the problem of understanding the biology of larval stages is further complicated by the vast scales and different environments of the world's oceans over which life-history strategies are known to vary.

The approaches being undertaken in my laboratory to study "how larvae work" include the following:

  • Environmental adaptations of larvae, studied using different levels of biological analysis (e.g., ecology, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology);
  • Comparative studies of species with different life-history strategies that develop in very different oceanic environments [e.g., the cold, polar oceans of Antarctica; warmer, temperate oceans (California); and deep-sea environments, such as hydrothermal vents];
  • Studies of genetically-determined variability in physiological performance ("Nature vs. Nurture"), with the application of quantitative genetics to make phenotypic contrasts to define the physiological bases of biological variation. This research includes genomic analysis of variations in complex physiological traits (i.e., the identification of genes that regulate complex traits such as growth, feeding, metabolism etc.).

Combined, the results of such studies enhance understanding of growth and development of animal stages and dispersal potential in the ocean, with respect to population connectivity and ecological recruitment. There are also some 'applied' aspects to some of this research. These include studies of larval forms of marine species on the Federal (USA) Endangered Species List (e.g., California White Abalone) in an effort to optimize culturing conditions for possible restoration projects. Our studies of cellular growth and development have revealed highly energy-efficient biochemical processes in "extreme polar environments" that involve rates of gene transcription and translation. These novel processes might have biotechnological implications. Additionally, we are searching for ways to improve the production of food from the ocean for human consumption through the application of "hybrid vigor" to enhance growth rates of marine animals through aquaculture (cf. The "Green Revolution" in agriculture). Our current genomic analysis to identify "fast growth genes" has obvious practical implications for aquatic food production.

 

Research Keywords
Animal environmental physiology; Biological adaptations to temperature and food; Biology of temperate, polar, tropical, and deep-sea species; Antarctic marine biol.; Hydrothermal vent biology; Developmental biology; Evolutionary biology; Marine invertebrate life history; Larval ecology; Aquaculture.
 

Research Specialties
Animal environmental physiology; Biological adaptations to temperature and food; Marine biology of temperate, polar, tropical, and deep-sea species; Antarctic marine biology; Hydrothermal vent biology; Developmental biology; Evolutionary biology; Marine invertebrate life history; Larval ecology; Aquaculture.
 

Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions
McMurdo Research Station, Antarctica, Field Team Leader (PI on NSF grants),http://antarctica.usc.edu
USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, Director of research projects at the USC Marine Laboratory on Catalina Island,http://wrigley.usc.edu/
 

Conferences and Other Presentations

Conference Presentations
"Genomic analysis of genotype-dependent responses of marine larvae to temperature change (Curole and Manahan)", Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 01/2009-  
"Extended starvation resistance and subsequent growth recovery in sea urchin larvae: Implications for lifespan in the plankton (Yu and Manahan)", Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 01/2008-  
"Genotype-dependent temperature physiology of larvae: Implications for range expansion (Curole, Berger & Manahan)", Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 01/2008-  
"An overview of biological research at the poles (D.T. Manahan)", International Polar Year: Smithsonian Institution, Talk/Oral Presentation, , http://www.si.edu/ipy/speakers/manahan_ab.htm, 05/2007-  
"Physiological determinants of larval life span in the plankton (D.T. Manahan)", Ocean Science Research Conference, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 02/2007-  
"Amino acid transporter gene expression during sea urchin development (Meyer and Manahan)", Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 01/2007-  
"Ecophysiology of Antarctic sea urchin larvae (Pace and Manahan)", 7th International Larval Biology Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 08/2006-  
"Genetic and environmental determinants of growth rates in bivalve larvae (Meyer and Manahan)", 7th International Larval Biology Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 08/2006-  
"Larval dispersal potential: Physiological and genetic determinants of life span (D.T. Manahan)", 7th International Larval Biology Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 08/2006-  
"Maternal provisioning and genetic determination of metabolic-based starvation resistance (Yu and Manahan)", 7th International Larval Biology Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 08/2006-  
"Nutritional state of larvae in the ocean: an in situ study of sea urchin larvae (Manahan and Ginsburg)", 7th International Larval Biology Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, , 08/2006-  
 

Other Presentations
"International Polar Year: The Federal Role", US Congressional Testimony (D.T. Manahan), US Congress, Committee on Science (Subcommittee on Research)., Washington DC, 09/2006-  
 

Other Research
Video of lecture by Donal T. Manahan on "History of Polar Exploration and Science" (on NSF's International Polar Year web site): http://www.us-ipy.gov/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticleDetails.aspx?ItemID=426 Lecture date, 2006-  
 

Publications

Journal Article
Ginsburg, D. W., Manahan, D. T. (2009). Developmental physiology of Antarctic asteroids with different life-history modes. Marine Biology. Vol. 156, pp. 2391-2402 [DOI 10.1007/s00227-009-1268-0].
Meyer, E., Manahan, D. T. (2009). Nutrient uptake by marine invertebrates: Cloning and functional analysis of amino acid transporter genes in developing sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). The Biological Bulletin. Vol. 217, pp. 6–24.
Pace, D. A., Maxson, R., Manahan, D. T. (2009). Ribosomal analysis of rapid rates of protein synthesis in the Antarctic sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri. The Biological Bulletin. Vol. In press
Pace, D. A., Manahan, D. T. (2007). Efficiencies and costs of larval growth in different food environments (Asteroidea: Asterina miniata). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Vol. 353, pp. 89-106.
Moore, M., Manahan, D. T. (2007). Variation among females in egg lipid content and developmental success of echinoderms from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Polar Biology. Vol. 30, pp. 1245-1252..
Meyer, E., Green, A. J., Moore, M., Manahan, D. T. (2007). Food availability and physiological state of sea urchin larvae (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). Marine Biology. Vol. 152, pp. 179-191.
Pace, D. A., Manahan, D. T. (2007). Cost of protein synthesis and energy allocation during development of Antarctic sea urchin embryos and larvae. The Biological Bulletin. Vol. 212, pp. 115-129.
Hedgecock, D., Lin, J., DeCola, S., Haudenschild, C. D., Meyer, E., Manahan, D. T., Bowen, B. (2007). Transcriptomic analysis of growth heterosis in larval Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. Vol. 104, pp. 2312-2318.
Pace, D. A., Manahan, D. T. (2006). Fixed metabolic costs for highly variable rates of protein synthesis in sea urchin embryos and larvae. Journal of Experimental Biology. Vol. 209, pp. 158-170..
Pace, D. A., Marsh, A. G., Leong, P. K., Green, A. J., Hedgecock, D., Manahan, D. T. (2006). Physiological bases of genetically determined variation in growth of marine invertebrate larvae: A study of growth heterosis in the bivalve Crassostrea gigas. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Vol. 335, pp. 188-209.
Moran, A. L., Manahan, D. T. (2004). Physiological recovery from prolonged starvation in larvae of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Vol. 306, pp. 17-36.
Moran, A. L., Manahan, D. T. (2003). Energy metabolism during larval development of green and white abalone, Haliotis fulgens and H. sorenseni. Biological Bulletin. Vol. 204, pp. 270-277.
Marsh, A. G., Mullineaux, L. S., Young, C. M., Manahan, D. T. (2001). Larval dispersal potential of the tubeworm Riftia pachyptila at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Nature. Vol. 411, pp. 77-80.
Marsh, A. G., Maxson, R., Manahan, D. T. (2001). High macromolecular synthesis with low metabolic cost in Antarctic sea urchin embryos. Science. Vol. 291, pp. 1950-1952..
Marsh, A. G., Leong, P. K., Manahan, D. T. (2000). Gene expression and enzyme activities of the sodium pump during sea urchin development: Implications for indices of physiological state. Biological Bulletin. Vol. 199, pp. 100-107.
 

Honors and Awards
Appointed a lifetime "National Associate" of the United States’ National Academies, 2001-  
A 6000-foot mountain in Antarctica named "Manahan Peak" for contributions to Antarctic research, education, and service to the science community., 2000-  
 
 
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