1. Linking physiology and demography in the easern mosquitofish Gambussia holbrooki.
The demographic performance of organisms is dependent upon their capacity to obtain energy and allocate it to maintain fundamental functions such as growth, reproduction, and physiological processes. The energetic resources, however, are finite, and a trade-off in energy allocation exists among vital functions. Following the energetic trade-offs dynamics that all organisms deal with, it is believed that allocating energy towards physiological maintenance is bound to influence the growth rate (λ) of the population to which the individuals belong because less energy is devoted to somatic growth and reproduction. The overarching goal of the research is to determine whether the organisms’ physiological response to environmental stress regulates individuals and population performance. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation (#1720727).