I am broadly interested in the systematics, evolution, and biogeography of seaweeds and other aquatic flora. My interest in algae stems from their diversity and their roles in habitat formation and primary production in aquatic ecosystems. Algal systematics interests me because molecular data sets that are now obtainable have the power to answer long-standing questions about the identity, evolutionary history, and relationships among these organisms. Since many algae have relatively simple morphology, it is often difficult to make definitive identifications using morphological data alone. Similarly, the very complex morphology and many cases of parallel evolution of similar form in different clades among macroalgae makes identification challenging, particularly in cases where reproductive details are a critical feature of traditional identification. I view biogeography as an important intersection between taxonomy and ecology. Having a firm understanding of taxonomy is absolutely vital in order to ask any meaningful ecological questions, but applying taxonomic study at an ecological level makes it more applicable and facilitates questions of biodiversity, conservation, and management.
Sherwood, A.R. and A.L. Carlile (accepted) Schimmelmannia (Acrosymphytales, Rhodophyta) - the first report of the genus in Hawaii. Pacific Science.
Carlile, A.L., C.J. O’Kelly and A.R. Sherwood. (2011) The green algal genus Cloniophora represents a new lineage in the Ulvales: proposal of Cloniophoraceae fam. nov. Journal of Phycology 47: 1379 - 1387
Carlile, A.L., T.O. Cho, and J.R. Waaland. 2010. The conspecificity of Ceramium pacificum and Ceramium washingtoniense (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 49(4): 336 – 344.
Yang, E.C., G.Y. Cho, K. Kogame A.L. Carlile, and S.M. Boo. 2008. RuBisCO cistron sequence variation and phylogeography of Ceramium kondoi (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta). Botanica Marina 51(5): 370 – 377.
Amy Carlile, associate professor of biology and environmental science, along with the University of New Haven’s Citizen Opportunities for Accessing Science Training on the Sound (COASTS) project, collected trash from the Long Wharf waterfront to be used in an art project with the artist sTo Len that will be exhibited in the Seton Gallery.
Amy Carlile, associate professor and chair of biology and environmental science, talks about a program for community members to learn about Long Island Sound called COASTS - Citizen Opportunities for Accessing Science Training on the Sound.
Amy Carlile, chair and associate professor of biology and environmental science and her colleagues at the University of New Haven are hosting an event this summer for 20 community members that will train them on the ecology, water quality, animals, plants, and algae of Long Island Sound.