Cassidy D'Aloia

Education

• PhD., Biology, Boston University (2015)
• BA., Biology, Middlebury College (2010)

Research

My research explores the ecology, evolution, and conservation of marine species, with a particular focus on how early life stages shape population connectivity and structure. I’m especially interested in larval dispersal—how some individuals stay close to home while others travel long distances—and I use genetic tools like parentage analysis and sibship reconstruction to uncover these patterns, primarily in coral reef fishes and understudied invertebrates such as sponges and echinoderms. I also study how kin are distributed within populations and what that means for processes like kin competition and inbreeding, combining genomic data with mathematical modeling to understand how kin groups can form despite dispersive life histories. Another line of work investigates the ecological interactions between cryptobenthic fishes and their sponge hosts, looking at the trade-offs these fishes face and the dynamics of group living in these complex habitats. Finally, I’m involved in conservation genomics projects that aim to integrate genetic data into marine conservation planning—whether it’s defining conservation units in Atlantic Canada or understanding connectivity in harvested finfish populations in Belize.

Current Lab Members

• Galento Galvez, PhD Student
• Taylor Naaykens, PhD Candidate
• Lydia White, PhD Candidate (co-supervised)
• Krystyn Forbes, MSc Student

Become a Lab Member

We currently have opportunities available for both undergraduate and graduate researchers. To learn more and find out how you can apply to be a part of the D'Aloia Lab, visit the 'Join Us' page on our website. 

Recent Publications

For a complete list of publications, visit Dr. D'Aloia's Google Scholar page.

• Babaei, S., Varkey, D. A., Adamack, A. T., LeBlanc, N. M., Puncher, G. N., Parent, G. J., Wang, Y., Rowe, S., D’Aloia, C. C., & Pavey, S. A. (2025). Genome-wide SNPs reveal novel genetic relationships among Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada (subdivision 3Ps), Northern cod stock complex, and Gulf of St Lawrence. PLoS ONE, 20, e0317768. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317768 (Co-senior authors)
• D’Aloia, C. C., Bogdanowicz, S. M., Andrés, J. A., & Buston, P. M. (2022). Population assignment tests uncover rare long-distance marine larval dispersal events. Ecology, 103, e03559. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3559
• D’Aloia, C. C., Andrés, J. A., Bogdanowicz, S. M.*, McCune, A. R., Harrison, R. G., & Buston, P. M. (2020). Unraveling hierarchical genetic structure in a marine metapopulation: A comparison of three high-throughput genotyping approaches. Molecular Ecology, 29, 2189–2203. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15483 (Co-first authorship)
• Fahim, H., Naaykens, T., & D’Aloia, C. C. (2024). Habitat quality effects on the abundance of a coral-dwelling fish across spatial scales. Ecology and Evolution, 14, e70322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70322
• Francis, R. K., Catalano, K., Majoris, J. M., Rueger, T., D’Aloia, C. C., Bogdanowicz, S. M., & Buston, P. M. (2022). Characteristics of breeding habitat, genetic mating system, and determinants of male mating success in the sponge-dwelling goby Elacatinus lori. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76, 157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-022-03242-3
• Harvey, E., Marleau, J., Gounand, I., Leroux, S., Firkowski, C. R., Altermatt, F., Blanchet, F. G., Cazelles, C., Chu, C., D’Aloia, C. C., Gravel, D., Guichard, F., McCann, K., Ruppert, J. L. W., Ward, C., & Fortin, M.-J. (2023). A general meta‐ecosystem model to predict ecosystem functions at landscape extents. Ecography, e06790. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06790
• Kubelka, J., Sturch, W. H., Baker, K., & D’Aloia, C. C. (in press). Assessing size at sexual maturity and fine-scale population structure in a direct developing whelk (Buccinum undatum) in Southern Newfoundland, Canada. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
• Naaykens, T., & D’Aloia, C. C. (2022). Isolation-by-distance and genetic parentage analysis provide similar larval dispersal estimates. Molecular Ecology, 31, 3072–3082. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16456
• Naaykens, T., Fahim, H., & D’Aloia, C. C. (2024). Sponge species identity and morphology shape occupancy patterns of a Caribbean sponge-dwelling goby (Elacatinus horsti). Environmental Biology of Fishes, 107, 799–812. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-024-01494-1
• Scavo Lord, K., Lesneski, K. C., Buston, P. M., Davies, S. W., D’Aloia, C. C., & Finnerty, J. R. (2023). Rampant asexual reproduction and limited dispersal in a mangrove population of the coral Porites divaricata. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290, 20231070. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1070
• Sturch, W. H., & D’Aloia, C. C. (2023). Genetic population structure of the waved whelk (Buccinum undatum) in the western North Atlantic. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 80, 261–272. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0062
• Xuereb, A., D’Aloia, C. C., Andrello, M., Bernatchez, L., & Fortin, M.-J. (2021). Incorporating putatively neutral and adaptive genomic data into marine conservation planning. Conservation Biology, 35, 909–920. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13651
• Andrello, M., D’Aloia, C. C., Dalongeville, A., Escalante-Sanchez, M.-A., Guerrero, J., Perrier, C., Torres-Florez, J.-P., Xuereb, A., & Manel, S. (2022). Evolving spatial conservation prioritization with intraspecific genetic data. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 37, 553–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2022.02.003
• Andrello, M., Manel, S., Vilcot, M., Xuereb, A., & D’Aloia, C. C. (2023). Benefits of genetic data for spatial conservation planning in coastal habitats. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures, 1, e28. https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2023.25