Maine Staff Member
Jared Homola
Email: jared.homola@maine.edu
Education
- Other University of Maine 2017
Biography
I joined the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in the fall of 2013. Before coming to Maine, I earned my M.Sc. at Grand Valley State University and B.Sc. at Michigan State University. In my previous positions, I typically used molecular tools to study disease ecology as well as ancient and contemporary dispersal for various fish species around the Great Lakes basin. In my free time, I enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, and anything else to get outdoors.
Research Interest
I am broadly interested in how anthropogenic influences such as climate change and urbanization affect the likelihood of species persistence. I commonly approach these questions using genetic tools and from an evolutionary perspective. My dissertation research has several components. First, I am using an analysis of gene expression (i.e., transcriptomics) to assess the influence of climate change associated stressors on the presence of epizootic shell disease in American lobster. This objective will contribute to a collaborative project aimed at improving the adaptation capacity of Maine’s iconic lobster industry to potential abrupt climate change scenarios. My second dissertation component quantifies the influence of urbanization on gene flow among populations of vernal pool amphibians in Maine. This work contributes to a larger project that seeks to model the ecologic and economic aspects of urbanization on vernal pool ecosystems. The third portion of my dissertation research will use agent-based modeling to assess the likelihood of population persistence through genetic adaptation (i.e., evolutionary rescue) to ecosystem change.
| Research Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Homola, J.J., C.S. loftin, K.M. Cammen, C.C. Helbing, I. Birol, T.F. Schultz, and M.T. Kinnison. 2019. Replicated landscape genomics identifies evidence of local adaptation to urbanization in wood frogs. Journal of Heredity 110:707-719. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esz041 | October 2019 |
| Homola, J.J., C.S. Loftin, and M.T. Kinnison. 2019. Landscape genetics reveals unique and shared effects of urbanization for two sympatric pool-breeding amphibians. Ecology and Evolution. 9:11799-11823. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5685 | October 2019 |
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| J.J. Homola, M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2016. Comparative population structure of vernal pool amphibians across a changing landscape. Poster. Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit's Annual Coordinating Committee Meeting, Orono, ME. 23 March. | March 2016 |
| Homola, J.J., S.L. Belknap, K.R. Tanaka, C.S. Loftin, and M.T. Kinnison. 2017. Differential gene expression associated with epizootic shell disease infection in wild-caught American lobster. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Tampa, FL. 20-24 August. | August 2017 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2018. Landscape genetics reveals differing effects of urbanization for two sympatric pool-breeding amphibian species. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Freshwater Science, 20-24 May, Detroit, MI. | May 2018 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2017. Comparative population structure of two pool breeding amphibian species in an urbanizing landscape. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of Evolution, Portland, OR, 23-27 June. | June 2017 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2017. Comparative landscape genetics of two vernal pool amphibians in an urbanizing landscape. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 5-8 June. | June 2017 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2016. Comparative population structure of vernal pool amphibians across a changing landscape. Presentation at the Northeast Natural History Conference, Springfield, MA. | April 2016 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2016. Comparative population structure of vernal pool amphibians across a changing landscape. Presentation at the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit's Annual Coordinating Committee Meeting, Orono, ME. 23 March. | March 2016 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2016. Comparative population structure of vernal pool amphibians across a changing landscape. Oral presentation at the University of Maine Graduate and Undergraduate Research Symposium, Bangor, ME. 27 April 27. | April 2016 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2015. Ecoevolutionary responses of spatially structured species experiencing climatic changes. Harold W. Borns Symposium, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 9-10 April. | April 2015 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2015. Comparative population structure of vernal pool amphibians in a developing landscape. 71st Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference, 19-21 April, Newport, RI. | April 2015 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinnison, and C.S. Loftin. 2015. Adapting to transforming environments: consequences of climate change and urbanization on vernal pool amphibians. Maine Association of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting, Brunswick, ME, 24 March. | March 2015 |
| Homola, J.J., M.T. Kinneson, C.S. Loftin, A.J.K. Calhoun, K.P.Bell, K.Capps, M.L. Hunter, D.M. Bauer, and E.J. Nelson. 2014. Of pools and people: application of vernal pool amphibian landscape genetics in a socio-environmental coupled-systems model. Poster presentation at the 70th Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference, April 13-15, Portland, ME. | April 2014 |
| Homola, J.J., K.M. Cammen, C.S. Loftin, C.C. Helbing, I.Birol, T.F. Schultz, and M.T. Kinnison. 2018. Replicated landscape genomic study design identifies evidence of local adaptation to urbanization in a pool-breeding amphibian species. Presentation at the 103rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, 5-10 August, New Orleans, LA. | August 2018 |
| Homola, J. J., T.M. Waring, C.S. Loftin, and M.T. Kinnison. 2019. Effects of landscape spatial and temporal autocorrelation on likelihood of population recovery following environmental change. Presentation at the 2019 Evolution meeting, 21-25 June, Providence, RI. | June 2019 |
| Technical Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Yen, T.Y., K.T. Scribner, J.A. Crossman, P.S. Forsythe, E.A. Baker, J. Kanefsky, J.J. Homola, and C. Davis. 2011. Relative larval loss among females during dispersal of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). Environmental Biology of Fishes 91:459-469. | August 2011 |
| Homola, J.J., K.T. Scribner, R.F. Elliott, M.C. Donofrio, J. Kanefsky, K.M. Smith, and J.N. McNair. 2012. Genetic assessment of natural inter-population straying rates for spawning populations of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens across the Lake Michigan basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141:1374-1388. | August 2012 |
| Homola, J.J., K.T. Scribner, E.A. Baker, and N.A. Auer. 2010. Genetic assessment of straying rates of wild and hatchery reared lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in Lake Superior tributaries. Journal of Great Lakes Research 36:798-802. | December 2010 |
| Homola, J.J., J. Kanefsky, K.T. Scribner, T.G. Kalish, and M.A. Tonello. 2012. Genetic identification of two putative world record Michigan salmonids resolves stakeholder and manager questions. Journal of Great Lakes Research 38:176-179. | March 2012 |
| Homola, J.J., C.R. Ruetz III, S.L. Kohler, and R.A. Thum. 2014. Weak effects of a microsporidian parasite on a benthic fish in Michigan streams. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71:915-926. | June 2014 |