Christopher Freeman
Visiting Assistant Professor

Education
Ph.D. - University of Alabama at Birmingham
M.S. - Georgia Southern University
B.A. - Connecticut College
Research Interests
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Coral reef ecology
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Symbiosis
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Sponge ecology
Courses Taught
BIOL 111: Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIOL 221: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation Biology
BIOL 221D: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation Biology Discussion
BIOL 341: General Ecology
BIOL 406: Conservation Biology
Affiliations
Honors Faculty FellowPublications
2021. Mohanty, I., S.G. Moore, J.S. Biggs, C.J. Freeman, D.A. Gaul, N. Garg, and V. Agarwal. Stereochemical assignment and absolute abundance of nonproteinogenic amino acid homoarginine in marine sponges. ACS Omega 6: 33200-33205. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c05685
2021. Galimany, E., J. Lunt, C.J. Freeman, I. Segura-Garcia, M. Mossop, A. Domingos, J. Houk, and V.J. Paul. Bivalve feeding on the brown tide Aureoumbra lagunensis in a shallow coastal environment. Frontiers in Marine Science 8.714816. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.714816
2020. Freeman, C.J., C.G. Easson, K.M. Matterson, R.W. Thacker, D.M. Baker, and V.J. Paul. Ecological diversification in Caribbean sponges: a new perspective on an ancient association. ISME J
2019. Cantrell, T.P., C.J. Freeman, V.J. Paul, V. Agarwal, and N. Garg. Mass spectrometry-based integration and expansion of the chemical diversity harbored within a marine sponge. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 2019.
2019. Paul, V.J., C.J. Freeman, and V. Agarwal. Chemical ecology of marine sponges: New opportunities through “-Omics”. Integrative and Comparative Biology https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icz014
2018. Janiak, D.J., R.W. Osman, C.J. Freeman, and V.J. Paul. Artificial structures versus mangrove prop roots: a general comparison of epifaunal communities within the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA. Marine Ecology Progress Series 607: 85-98
2018. Freeman, C.J., D. Janiak, R. Osman, M. Mossop, and V.J. Paul. Spatial and temporal shifts in the diet of the barnacle Amphibalanus eburneus within a subtropical estuary. Peer J 6:e5485; DOI 10.7717/peerj.5485
2018. Ohdera, A.H., M.J. Abrams, C.L. Ames, D.M. Baker, L.P. Suescún-Bolívar, A.G. Collins, C.J. Freeman, E. Gamero-Mora, T.L. Goulet, D.K. Hofmann, A. Jaimes-Becerra, P.F. Long, A.C. Marques, L.A. Miller, L.D. Mydlarz, A.C. Morandini, C.R. Newkirk, S.P. Putri, J.E. Samson, S.N. Stampar, B. Steinworth, M. Templeman, P.E. Thomé, M. Vlok, C.M. Woodley, J.C.Y. Wong, M.Q. Martindale, W.K. Fitt, and M. Medina. Upside-Down but headed in the right direction: Review of the highly versatile Cassiopea xamachana system. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6:35
2018. Baker, D.M., C.J. Freeman, C.Y. Wong, M.L. Fogel, and N. Knowlton. Climate change promotes parasitism in a coral symbiosis. ISME J
2017. Freeman, C.J., E.W. Stoner, C.G. Easson, K.O. Matterson, and D.M. Baker. Variation in δ13C and δ15N values suggests a coupling of host and symbiont metabolism in the Symbiodinium-Cassiopea mutualism. Marine Ecology Progress Series 571: 245-251
2017. Galimany, E., J. Lunt, C.J. Freeman, S. Reed, I. Segura-Garcia, and V.J. Paul. Feeding behavior of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) in shallow estuaries: implications for bivalve restoration. Marine Ecology Progress Series 567: 125-137
2017. Fiore, C.L., C.J. Freeman, and E.B. Kujawinski. Sponge exhalent seawater contains a unique chemical profile of dissolved organic matter. Peer J 5:e2870 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2870
2017. Galimany, E., C.J. Freeman, J. Lunt, A. Domingos, L. Walters, and P. Sack. Feeding competition between the native oyster Crassostrea virginica and the invasive mussel Mytella charruana. Marine Ecology Progress Series 564: 57-66
2016. Freeman, C.J. and C.G. Easson. Sponge distribution and the presence of photosymbionts in Moorea, French Polynesia. Peer J 4:e1816 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1816
2016. Freeman, C.J., E.W. Stoner, C.G. Easson, K.O. Matterson, and D.M. Baker. Symbiont Carbon and Nitrogen assimilation in the Cassiopea-Symbiodinium mutualism. Marine Ecology Progress Series 544: 281-286
2015. Easson, C.G., K.O. Matterson, C.J. Freeman, S.K. Archer, and R.W. Thacker. Variation in species diversity and functional traits of sponge communities near human populations in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Peer J 3:e1385 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1385
2015. Baker, D.M., C.J. Freeman, N. Knowlton, R.W. Thacker, K. Kim, and M. Fogel. Productivity links morphology, symbiont specificity, and bleaching in the evolution of octocoral symbioses. ISME J 9: 2620-2629
2015. Freeman, C.J., C.G. Easson, and D.M. Baker. Niche structure of marine sponges from temperate hard-bottom habitats within Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 96: 559-565
2015. Freeman, C.J., D.M. Baker, C.G. Easson, and R.W. Thacker. Shifts in sponge-microbe mutualisms across an experimental irradiance gradient. Marine Ecology Progress Series 526: 41-53