Our laboratory is interested in answering integrative questions concerning the evolution and ecology of coastal invertebrates by using an interdisciplinary approach that combines comparative genomics, molecular biology, population genetics, evolutionary ecology, and field studies. We utilize species in the phylum Cnidaria (sea anemones, corals, and jellyfishes) as models because of their ecological importance and phylogenetic position. Our focal species is the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, which has developed into a particularly informative cnidarian species due to availability of a sequenced genome, ease of culture in the laboratory, and distribution in estuarine habitats throughout North America.