Personal profile
Research interests
I am interested in the relationship between marine organisms and their environments. Climate change is disrupting marine ecosystems and some organisms are more vulnerable than others, but we don’t properly understand why. In the Ecophysiology and Evolution of Endosymbioses (E3) Lab, my students and I investigate how environmental stress affects marine animals using an integrative approach and a wide variety of different biological techniques. We focus on animals that form symbiotic relationships with algae, from sea slugs to upside-down jellyfish, sea anemones, and more, to unravel fundamental aspects of the algae-animal symbiosis, explore the tradeoffs associated with symbiosis and predict how these organisms will cope with the warmer, more acidified and deoxygenated oceans of the future.
Education/Academic qualification
Biology, Doctor rerum naturalium, Examining the Retention and Digestion of Functional Kleptoplasts in Solar-Powered Sea Slugs, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bonn
Award Date: 30-May-2017
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
- 19 Article
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Does heat tolerance vary with rates of oxygen production in photosymbiotic cnidarians?
Laetz, E. & Verberk, W. C. E. P., Feb-2026, In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 229, 3, 8 p., jeb251544.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
A host organelle integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
Allard, C. A. H., Thies, A. B., Mitra, R., Vaelli, P. M., Leto, O. D., Walsh, B. L., Laetz, E. M. J., Tresguerres, M., Lee, A. S. Y. & Bellono, N. W., 18-Sept-2025, In: Cell. p. 5266-5277.e13 25 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile9 Citations (Scopus)15 Downloads (Pure) -
Crawl away from the light! Assessing behavioral and physiological photoprotective mechanisms in tropical solar-powered sea slugs exposed to natural light intensities
Burgués Palau, L., Senna, G. & Laetz, E., 6-Jan-2024, In: Marine Biology. 171, 17 p., 50.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Citations (Scopus)126 Downloads (Pure) -
Critical thermal maxima and oxygen uptake in Elysia viridis (Montagu, 1804), a sea slug that steals chloroplasts to photosynthesize
Laetz, E. M. J., Kahyaoglu, C., Borgstein, N. M., Merkx, M., van der Meij, S. E. T. & Verberk, W. C. E. P., May-2024, In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 227, 10, 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Citations (Scopus)91 Downloads (Pure) -
Potential energetic and oxygenic benefits to unstable photosymbiosis in the cladobranch slug, Berghia stephanieae (Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae)
Borgstein, N., van der Meij, S. E. T., Christa, G. & Laetz, E., 2024, In: Marine biology research. 20, 1-2, p. 45-58 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)137 Downloads (Pure)
Projects
- 1 Active
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Unraveling how solar-powered slugs steal chloroplasts and survive starvation
Laetz, E. (PI)
01/09/2021 → 01/09/2026
Project: Research
Activities
- 1 Academic presentation
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The Deadly Trio: How warming, acidification & deoxygenation destabilize the animal/algae symbiosis
Laetz, E. (Speaker), Parodi, B. (Contributor), Stanca, I. (Contributor), Burgués Palau, L. (Contributor) & Qin, Z. (Contributor)
23-Apr-2024Activity: Talk and presentation › Academic presentation › Academic
Datasets
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Replication Data for: Unraveling the Phidiana paradox: Phidiana lynceus can retain algal symbionts but its nocturnal tendencies prevent benefits from photosynthesis
Borgstein, N. (Creator), Burgués Palau, L. (Creator), Parodi, B. (Creator) & Laetz, E. M. J. (Creator), DataverseNL, 23-May-2024
DOI: 10.34894/615y6b
Dataset
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Replication Data for: Crawl away from the light! - Assessing behavioral and physiological photoprotective mechanisms in tropical solar-powered sea slugs exposed to natural light intensities
Burgués Palau, L. (Creator), Senna, G. (Creator) & Laetz, E. M. J. (Creator), DataverseNL, 23-May-2024
DOI: 10.34894/61v18i
Dataset
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Replication Data for: Critical thermal maxima and oxygen dynamics in Elysia viridis (Montagu, 1804), a sea slug capable of photosynthesis
Laetz, E. M. J. (Creator), Kahyaoglu, C. (Creator), Borgstein, N. (Creator), Merkx, M. (Creator), Van Der Meij, S. E. T. (Creator) & Verberk, W. C. E. P. (Creator), DataverseNL, 24-Apr-2024
DOI: 10.34894/aufqe7
Dataset
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Potential energetic and oxygenic benefits to unstable photosymbiosis in the cladobranch slug, Berghia stephanieae (Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae)
Borgstein, N. (Creator), van der Meij, S. E. T. (Creator), Christa, G. (Creator) & Laetz, E. M. J. (Creator), figshare, 2-Mar-2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.25329515.v1
Dataset
Press/Media
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Sea slugs’ survival secrets
Laetz, E., Burgués Palau, L. & Senna, G.
07/02/2024 → 10/02/2024
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research › Popular
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Featured Scientist by Women in Ocean Science
21/01/2022
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities › Popular
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These slugs cut off their own heads when they want a new body
08/03/2021 → 09/03/2021
4 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment › Academic
Prizes
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2024 Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize
Laetz, E. (Recipient), 21-Feb-2025
Prize › Academic
File -
NWO Veni Research Fellowship
Laetz, E. (Recipient), Jul-2021
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively › Academic