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Email: kreece@vims.edu
Office: Chesapeake Bay Hall, N112
Phone: (804) 684-7407

Kimberly S. Reece

  • Associate Professor of Marine Science
  • Class of 1964 Distinguished Associate Professor of Marine Science
  • B.S., University of Rochester
  • Ph.D., Cornell University

Research Interests

My research interests include the molecular genetic analysis of aquaculture species and disease organisms. Emphasis is on oyster genomics, molecular phylogenetics, population genetics and the development of molecular diagnostics for protozoan pathogens.

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Current Projects

  • Oyster and Clam Genetics. The goal of these projects is to develop and utilize molecular genetic markers for the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica and the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. The molecular markers are being used for population genetic analyses, genetic tracking of oyster restoration efforts with hatchery reared stocks and examination of the genetic interactions between hatchery stocks and wild populations.  These markers will provide molecular information to facilitate breeding programs allowing for rapid development of a wide variety of strains and breeds with the long term goal of genetically improved strains for aquaculture and fishery replenishment.
  • Analysis of genetic variation in strains of Perkinsus marinus. Molecular markers have been developed which allow identification of Perkinsus marinus strains and examination of the population genetic structure of this oyster parasite. This research has resulted in a demonstration of strain variation within the species and a difference in the distribution of strains geographically.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of protozoan parasites. This project examines the molecular phylogeny of haplosporidians, parasites of marine and freshwater invertebrates. Many species in the phylum Haplosporidia are pathogens of commercially important mollusks.
  • Development of molecular diagnostics for Pfiesteria-complex organisms. The objective is to develop molecular probes for the group of dinoflagellates known as Pfiesteria-complex organism. Pfiesteria piscicida has been blamed for many of the harmful algal blooms resulting in fish kills both in the wild and at aquaculture facilities in the US Atlantic coast region over the last several years.
  • Population genetic study of the Suminoe oyster. This Asian oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis, is being tested for potential use in Chesapeake Bay since it is relatively resistant to the disease MSX and Dermo, which have heavily impacted the native oyster, C. virginica. We have collected samples of C. ariakensis from various regions of Japan, China, India and Vietnam and are doing molecular genetic studies to examine the genetic variation in this oyster.

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Selected Publications

  • Litaker, R.W., Steidinger, K.A., Mason, P. L., Lansberg, J. H., Shields, J. D., Reece, K.S., Haas, L.W., Vogelbein, W.K., Vandersea, M.W., Kibler, S.R., and Tester, P.A. (2005) The reclassification of Pfiesteria shumwayae (Dinophyceae): Pseudopfiesteria, gen. nov. J. Phycol. 41(3):643-651.
  • Zhang, Q., Allen, S.K., Jr. and Reece, K.S. (2005) Genetic variation in wild and hatchery stocks of the Suminoe oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) assessed by PCR-RFLP and microsatellite markers. Mar. Biotechnol. 7(6):588-599.
  • Brown, G.D., Kaattari, S.L. and Reece, K.S. (2005) Effect of Homogenate from Different Oyster Species on Perkinsus marinus Proliferation and Subtilisin Gene Expression. J. Shellfish Res. 24(4): 1027-1033.
  • Burreson, E.M., Dungan, C.F. and Reece, K.S. (2005) Molecular, morphological, and experimental evidence support the synonymy of Perkinsus chesapeaki and Perkinsus andrewsi J. Eukary. Micro. 52(3):258-270.
  • Hedgecock, D., P.M Gaffney, P. Goulletquer, X. Guo, K. Reece and G. Warr (2005) The case for sequencing the Pacific oyster genome.J. Shellfish Res. 24:429-441.
  • Rhodes, M.W., Kator, H., McNabb, A., Reyrat, J-M., Deshayes, C., Brown-Elliott, B.A., Wallace, R. Jr., Trott, K.A., Parker, J.M., Osterhout, G., Kaattari, I., Reece, K.S., Vogelbein, W. and Ottinger, C.A. (2005) Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii sp. nov., a slowly growing chromogenic species isolated from Chesapeake Bay striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Int. J. System. Evol. Microbiol. 55:1139-1147
  • Friedman, C.S. R.M. Estes, N.A. Stokes, C.A. Burge, J.S. Hargove, B.J. Barber, R.A. Elston, E.M. Burreson.and K.S. Reece. (2005) Herpes-like virus detected in juvenile Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, in Tomales Bay, California, may be related to a mortality episode. Dis. Aquat. Org. 63:33-41.
  • Audemard, C., K.S. Reece and E.M. Burreson. (2004). Real-time PCR for the detection and quantification of the protistan parasite Perkinsus marinus in environmental waters. Appl. Environ. Micro. 70:6611-6618.
  • Brown, G., Hudson, K.L. and Reece, K.S.  (2004)  Genetic variation at the ITS and ATAN loci among and within cultured isolates of Perkinsus marinus. J. Eukary Micro. 51:312-320.

  • Casas, S.M., Grau, A., Reece, K.S., Apakupakul, K., Azevedo, C. and Villalba, A. (2004) Perkinsus mediterraneus n. sp. a protistan parasite of the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis (L.) from the coast of Balearic Islands, Mediterranean Sea. Dis. Aqu. Org. 58:231-244.

  • Earnhart, C.G., Vogelbein, M.A., Brown, G.D., Reece, K.S. and Kaattari, S.L. (2004) Supplementation of Perkinsus marinus cultures with host plasma or tissue homogenate enhances their infectivity.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 421-432.

  • Elston, R., Dungan, C., Meyers, T. Reece, K.S. (2004) Perkinsus sp. infection risk for Manila clams, Venerupis philippinarum (Admas and Reeve, 1850) on the Pacific coast of North and Central America. J. Shellfish. Res. 23:101-105.
  • Reece, K.S., Ribeiro, W.L., Gaffney, P.M., Carnegie, R.B. and Allen, S.K. Jr. (2004) Microsatellite marker development and analysis in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica: Confirmation of null alleles and non-Mendelian segregation ratios. J. Heredity 95:355-361.
  • Reece, K.S., M.E Siddall, N.A. Stokes and E.M. Burreson. (2004) Molecular phylogeny of the phylum Haplosporidia based on two independent gene sequences. J. Parasitol. 90(5):1111-1122.
  • Villalba, A., Reece, K.S., Ordás, M.C., Casas, S.M., Figueras, A. (2004) Perkinsosis in molluscs - a review. Aquatic Living Resources 17(4):411-432.
  • Anderson, R.S., Kraus, B.S., McGladdery, S.E., Reece, K.S. and Stokes, N.A. (2003) A thraustochytrid protist isolated from Mercenaria mercenaria: molecular characterization and host defense responses. Fish and Shellfish Immun. 15:183-194.

  • Brown, G. and Reece, K.S.  (2003) Isolation and characterization of serine protease gene(s) from Perkinsus marinus. Dis. Aquat. Org.  57:117-126.  

  • Cochennec-Laureau, N., Reece, K.S., Berthe, F.C.J. and Hine, P.M. (2003) Mykrocytos roughleyi taxonomic affiliation leads to the genus Bonamia (Haplosporidia). Dis. Aquat. Org. 54:209-217.
  • Litaker, R.W., Vandersea, M.W., Kibler, S.R., Reece, K.S. , Stokes, N.A., Steidinger, K.A., Millie, D.F., Bendis, B.J., Pigg, R.J., Tester, P.A. (2003) Identification of Pfiesteria piscicida (Dinophycae) and Pfiesteria-like organisms using internal transcribes spacer-specific PCR assays J.Phycol. 39:754-761.
  • Lovko, V.J., Vogelbein, W.K., Shields, J.D., Haas, L.W. and Reece, K.S. (2003) A new larval fish biomass for testing the pathogenicity of Pfiesteria spp. (Dinophyceae). J. Phycol. 39:600-609.

  • Reece, K.S. and Stokes, N.A. (2003) Molecular analysis of a haplosporidian parasite from cultured New Zealand abalone (Haliotis iris Martyn, 1784).  Dis. Aquat. Org.  53(1):61-66.

  • Stokes, N.A., Ragone Calvo L.M., Reece K.S. and Burreson E.M. (2002) Molecular diagnostics, field validation, and phylogenetic analysis of quahog parasite unknown (QPX) a pathogen of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria.  Dis. Aquat. Org 52:233-247.

  • Vogelbein, W.K., Lovko, V.J., Shields, J.D., Reece, K.S., Mason, P.L., Haas, L.W.  and  Walker, C.C. (2002) Pfiesteria shumwayae kills fish by micropredation not exotoxin secretion. Nature 418:967-970.

  • Berry, J.P., Reece, K.S., Rein, K.S., Baden, D.G., Haas, L.W., Ribeiro, W.L., Shields, J.D., Snyder, R.V., Vogelbein, W.K. and Gawley, R.E. (2002) Are Pfiesteria species toxicogenic? Evidence against production of ichthyotoxins by Pfiesteria shumwayae.  Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99(17):10970-10975.

  • Dungan, C.F., R.M. Hamilton, K.L. Hudson, C.B. McCollough and K.S. Reece. (2002) Two Epizootic Infectious Diseases in Chesapeake Bay Commercial Clams Mya arenaria and Tagelus plebius. Dis. Aquat. Org. 50:67-78.

  • Reece, K.S., D. Bushek, K.L. Hudson and J.E. Graves. (2001) Geographic distribution of Perkinsus marinus genetic strains along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the USA. Marine Biology 139:1047-1055.

  • Reece, K.S., D. Bushek and J.E. Graves. (1997) Molecular markers for population genetic analysis of Perkinsus marinus. Marine Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 6(3):201-210.

  • Reece, K.S., M.E. Siddall, E. M. Burreson and J.E. Graves. (1997) Phylogenetic analysis of Perkinsus based upon actin gene sequences. Journal of Parasitology 83(3):417-423.

  • Siddall, M.E., K.S. Reece, J.E. Graves and E.M. Burreson. (1997) Total evidence refutes the inclusion of Perkinsus' species in the phylum Apicomplexa. Parasitology 115: 165-176.

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Current Students

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Research Associates

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Courses Taught / Teaching

  • MS 673 Marine Molecular Genetics (lecture)
  • MS 673 Marine Molecular Genetics (laboratory)
  • MS 583 Bioinformatics: Molecular Genetic Data Analysis
  • MS 558 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms

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Faculty Awards

  • Class of 1964 Distinguished Associate Professor of Marine Science, 2004-2007

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Professional Memberships

  • American Society of Parasitology

  • Society of Protozoologists

  • National Shellfisheries Association

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Collaborative / Interdisciplinary Efforts

  • Pfiesteria research project with Drs. Vogelbein and Shields (Environmental Sciences) and Dr. Haas (Biological Sciences)
  • Oyster genomics research with Dr. Patrick Gaffney (U. of Delaware)
  • Suminoe oyster research with Dr. Allen (ABC, Fisheries Science)
  • Marine parasite research with Dr. Burreson (Environmental Science) and Dr. Mark Siddall (American Museum of Natural History)

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