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Close up of the small giant clam with visible mantle

Invertebrate Genomics, Molecular Laboratory Hamburg

Research interests

System: Coral reef ecosystems face growing threats from global climate change, with profound ecological and socio-economic consequences. While historically resilient, the current increasing intensity and frequency of environmental disturbances are overwhelming the adaptive capacities of many marine organisms. Understanding how species evolve with their environments and how human activities disrupt these relationships is essential for conservation. 

Goals: Investigate the evolutionary and molecular processes driving marine biodiversity. Develop an integrated understanding of these processes at both the genetic and phenotypic levels to predict adaptive capabilities and biotic responses to environmental change. Focus on how biodiversity arises, is maintained, and declines in marine invertebrates. Our work spans species, populations, and organisms, using fieldwork, experiments, and museum collections alongside advanced genomic analyses.

Main Research Themes

Species Evolution to Inform Species Management
A key question in systematics is whether widespread, morphologically uniform species reflect evolutionary stasis or hidden genetic diversity. Cryptic species, common in marine invertebrates, challenge conservation efforts. Using comparative phylogenomics coupled with morphological data, we aim to uncover diversification patterns, the emergence of new traits, and ecological specialization in marine bivalves.

Population Diversity to Predict Population Resilience
Population resilience to environmental changes relies on genetic diversity and connectivity. We investigate how natural and human disturbances, including habitat fragmentation, population displacement, and overfishing, affect the connectivity and diversity of commercially important bivalves populations, using modern molecular techniques.

Organismal Molecular Mechanisms of Resilience
A key goal in evolutionary biology is to understand how phenotypic plasticity and adaptation contribute to biodiversity. We focus on understanding the genetic mechanisms that drive acclimation to changing environments in bivalve and coral individual  organism by examining variations in gene expression and regulatory processes.

Our research group is dedicated to justice, equity, and inclusion, advocating for the fair treatment of all individuals, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. We actively promote anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-discriminatory practices in all aspects of our work. Sarah Lemer is committed to advancing the careers of women, people of color, and Indigenous peoples. We welcome students and postdocs who share these values and are passionate about invertebrate evolutionary genomics.

Related laboratory

Contact person

Dr. Sarah Lemer

  • Head of section
  • Scientific head of Molecular lab

Phone: +49 40 238317 631
E-Mail: s.lemer@leibniz-lib.de

Impressions

Red-albino pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera (Gambier Island, French Polynesia)
Close-up of penshell Pinna bicolor gills (Cebu, Philippines)
Small giant clams, Tridacna maxima (Guam, Micronesia)
Sampling on a mono-specific reef landscape of Porites rus in Guam (Micronesia)
Branching coral, Acropora surculosa in Guam (Micronesia)
Branching coral Acropora pulchra bleaching from extreme low tide exposure in Guam (Micronesia)
Student sampling a giant colony of massive Porites in Maug (Micronesia)
Red-albino pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera (Gambier Island, French Polynesia)
Close-up of penshell Pinna bicolor gills (Cebu, Philippines)
Small giant clams, Tridacna maxima (Guam, Micronesia)
Sampling on a mono-specific reef landscape of Porites rus in Guam (Micronesia)
Branching coral, Acropora surculosa in Guam (Micronesia)
Branching coral Acropora pulchra bleaching from extreme low tide exposure in Guam (Micronesia)
Student sampling a giant colony of massive Porites in Maug (Micronesia)

Projects

All projects

There are currently no projects available

Publications

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    2025

  • 2025/06

    Rios, D., Torrado, H., Lemer, S., Drury, C., Burdick, D., Raymundo, L., Combosch, D.J.

    Show more...

    Population Genomics for Coral Reef Restoration—A Case Study of Staghorn Corals in Micronesia

    Evolutionary Applications, 6, 18

  • 2025/05

    Letsch, H., Greve, C., Hundsdoerfer, A.K., Irisarri, I., Moore, J.M., Espeland, M., Wanke, S., Arifin, U., Blom, M.P.K., Corrales, C., Donath, A., Fritz, U., Köhler, G., Kück, P., Lemer, S., Mengual, X., Salas, N.M., Meusemann, K., Palandačić, A., Printzen, C., Sigwart, J.D., Silva-Brandão, K.L., Simões, M., Stange, M., Suh, A., Szucsich, N., Tilic, E., Töpfer, T., Böhne, A., Janke, A., Pauls, S.

    Show more...

    Type genomics: a Framework for integrating Genomic Data into Biodiversity and Taxonomic research

    Systematic Biology

  • 2025/03

    Anthony, C.J., Lemer, S., Raymundo, L.J., Rouzé, H.

    Show more...

    Restoration innovation: Fusing microbial memories to engineer coral resilience

    One earth, 3, 8

  • 2025/02

    Pollard, K., Leiva, C., Rouzé, H., Lemer, S.

    Show more...

    Genomic Insights From Natural History Collections Reveal Cryptic Speciation in Coral Guard Crabs (Family: Trapeziidae)

    Ecology and Evolution, 2, 15

  • 2025/01

    Li, R., Leiva, C., Lemer, S., Kirkendale, L., Li, J.

    Show more...

    Photosymbiosis shaped animal genome architecture and gene evolution as revealed in giant clams

    Communications Biology, 1, 8

  • 2025/01

    Giles, E.C., González, V.L., Carimán, P., Leiva, C., Suescún, A.V., Lemer, S., Guillemin, M.L., Ortiz‐Barrientos, D., Saenz‐Agudelo, P.

    Show more...

    Comparative Genomics Points to Ecological Drivers of Genomic Divergence Among Intertidal Limpets

    Molecular Ecology resources

  • 2025/01

    Torrado, H., Rios, D., Primov, K., Burdick, D.R., Bentlage, B., Lemer, S., Combosch, D.

    Show more...

    Evolutionary Genomics of Two Co-occurring Congeneric Fore Reef Coral Species on Guam (Mariana Islands)

    Genome Biology and Evolution, 1, 17

    • 2024

  • 2024/12

    Primov, K.D., Burdick, D.R., Lemer, S., Forsman, Z.H., Combosch, D.J.

    Show more...

    Genomic data reveals habitat partitioning in massive Porites on Guam, Micronesia

    Scientific reports, 1, 14

  • 2024/12

    Johnson, M.J., Lemer, S., Hirose, M., Decker, S.H., Schwaha, T.

    Show more...

    Ecology of endolithic bryozoans: colony development, growth rates and interactions of species in the genus Immergentia

    Zoological Letters, 1, 10

  • 2024/08

    Giles, E., Gonzalez, V., Carimán, P., Leiva, C., Suescún, A.V., Lemer, S., Guillemin, M., Ortiz-Barrientos, D., Saenz-Agudelo, P.

    Show more...

    Comparative genomics points to ecological drivers of genomic divergence among intertidal limpets

    Molecular Ecology resources

  • 2024/07

    Li, R., Li, J., Lemer, S., Lopez, J.V., Oatley, G., Sinclair, E., Clayton-Lucey, I.A., Aunin, E., Gettle, N., Santos, C., Paulini, M., Niu, H., McKenna, V., O’Brien, R., Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory Team, ., Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations, ., Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics Team, ., EBI Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics Data Portal Team, ., Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics Project Leadership, .

    Show more...

    The genome sequence of the heart cockle, Fragum sueziense (Issel, 1869)

    Wellcome Open Research, 9

  • 2024/06

    Decker, S.H., Lemer, S., Decker, S., Hirose, M., Johnson, M.J., Schwaha, T.

    Show more...

    Boring life: early colony formation and growth in the endolithic bryozoan genus Penetrantia Silén, 1946

    Zoological Letters, 1, 10

  • 2024/04

    Decker, S.H., Saadi, A.J., Baranyi, C., Hirose, M., Lemer, S., Sombke, A., Aguilera, F., Vieira, L.M., Smith, A.M., Waeschenbach, A., Schwaha, T.

    Show more...

    Boring systematics: A genome skimmed phylogeny of ctenostome bryozoans and their endolithic family Penetrantiidae with the description of one new species

    Ecology and Evolution, 4, 14

  • 2024/03

    Li, R., Li, J., Lemer, S., Lopez, J.V., Oatley, G., Clayton-Lucey, I.A., Sinclair, E., Aunin, E., Gettle, N., Santos, C., Paulini, M., Niu, H., McKenna, V., O’Brien, R., Portal, E.A.S.G.D.

    Show more...

    The genome sequence of a heart cockle, Fragum whitleyi Iredale, 1929

    Wellcome Open Research, 130, 9

  • 2024/03

    Li, R., Li, J., Lemer, S., Lopez, J.V., Oatley, G., Clayton-Lucey, I.A., Sinclair, E., Aunin, E., Gettle, N., Santos, C., Paulini, M., Niu, H., McKenna, V., O’Brien, R., Life, W.S.I.T.o., Team, L., Life, W.S.I.T.o., Team, C.I., Portal, E.A.S.G.D.

    Show more...

    The genome sequence of a heart cockle, Fragum fragum (Linnaeus, 1758)

    Wellcome Open Research, 129, 9

  • 2024/00

    Li, R., Leiva, C., Lemer, S., Kirkendale, L., Li, J.

    Show more...

    Photosymbiosis Shaped Animal Genome Architecture and Gene Evolution as Revealed in Giant Clams

    bioRxiv

    • 2023

  • 2023/12

    Decker, S.H., Hirose, M., Lemer, S., Kuklinski, P., Spencer, H.G., Smith, A.M., Schwaha, T.

    Show more...

    Boring bryozoans: an investigation into the endolithic bryozoan family Penetrantiidae

    Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 4, 23

  • 2023/07

    Leiva, C., Pérez-Portela, R., Lemer, S.

    Show more...

    Genomic signatures suggesting adaptation to ocean acidification in a coral holobiont from volcanic CO2 seeps

    Communications Biology, 1, 6

  • 2023/00

    Barord, G.J., Combosch, D.J., Giribet, G., Landman, N., Lemer, S., Veloso, J., Ward, P.D.

    Show more...

    Three new species of Nautilus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) from the Coral Sea and South Pacific

    ZooKeys, 1143

    • 2022

  • 2022/05

    Phua, Y.H., Husnik, F., Lemer, S., Wakeman, K.C.

    Show more...

    Phylogeny of Amphidinium (Dinophyceae) from Guam and Okinawa, with descriptions of A. pagoense sp. nov. and A. uduigamense sp. nov.

    Phycologia, 3, 61

  • 2022/04

    Galanto, N., Sartor, C., Moscato, V., Lizama, M., Lemer, S.

    Show more...

    Effects of elevated temperature on reproduction and larval settlement in Leptastrea purpurea

    Coral Reefs, 2, 41

    • 2021

  • 2021/11

    Phua, Y.H., Roy, M.C., Lemer, S., Husnik, F., Wakeman, K.C.

    Show more...

    Diversity and toxicity of Pacific strains of the benthic dinoflagellate Coolia (Dinophyceae), with a look at the Coolia canariensis species complex

    Harmful Algae, 109

  • 2021/10

    Houk, P., Lemer, S., Hernandez‐Ortiz, D., Cuetos‐Bueno, J.

    Show more...

    Evolutionary management of coral‐reef fisheries using phylogenies to predict density dependence

    Ecological applications, 7, 31

  • 2021/09

    Fabian, V., Houk, P., Lemer, S.

    Show more...

    Phylogeny of Micronesian emperor fishes and evolution of trophic types

    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 162

  • 2021/06

    Moles, J., Cunha, T.J., Lemer, S., Combosch, D.J., Giribet, G.

    Show more...

    Tightening the girdle: phylotranscriptomics of Polyplacophora

    Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2, 87

Employees

All employees

  • Melissa Aksoy

    zmb ztm Morphology laboratory Hamburg Invertebrate Genomics, Molecular Laboratory Hamburg

    Phone: +49 40 238317-560
    E-mail: m.aksoy@leibniz-lib.de

  • Katharina Gebauer

    zmb Invertebrate Genomics, Molecular Laboratory Hamburg

    Phone: +49 40 238317-642
    E-mail: k.gebauer@leibniz-lib.de

  • Jennifer Lauschke

    zmb Invertebrate Genomics, Molecular Laboratory Hamburg

    Phone: +49 40 238317-706
    E-mail: j.lauschke@leibniz-lib.de

  • Dr. Sarah Lemer

    zmb Invertebrate Genomics, Molecular Laboratory Hamburg Scientist

    Phone: +49 40 238317 631
    E-mail: s.lemer@leibniz-lib.de

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