Dr. Malcolm Hill
Associate Dean
Associate Professor of Biology
Profile
Projects focus on the evolutionary ecology of sponges (and other invertebrates) in temperate and tropical marine systems. Using molecular and field-based techniques, we study factors that influence population characteristics and community structure and function (e.g., symbiosis, predator-prey dynamics, morphological plasticity and anti-predator defenses).
Publications
Articles
Hill, M.S., Lopez, N., Young, K. (2005) Antipredator defenses in four temperate sponges of the western North Atlantic: Evidence for a defensive synergism in Microciona prolifera. Marine Ecology Progress Series 291: 93-102.
Hill, A.L., Wagner, A., Hill, M.S. (2003) Hox and paraHox genes from the anthozoan Parazoanthus parasiticus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 28: 529-535.
Hill, M.S., Hill, A.L. (2002) Morphological plasticity in the tropical sponge Anthosigmella varians: Responses to predators and wave energy. Biological Bulletin, 202: 86-95.
Hill, M.S., Stabile, C., Hill, A.L., Steffen, L.K. (2002) Endocrine disrupters cause phenotypically identical developmental abnormalities in freshwater sponges. Environmental Pollution, 117: 295-300.
Wilcox, T., Hill, M.S., DeMeo, K. (2002) Observations on a new two-sponge symbiosis from the Florida Keys. Coral Reefs, 21: 198-204.
Hill, A.L., Brown, N., Hill, M.S., Wells, D. (2002) Identification of the Xenopus laevis cDNA for EXT1: A phylogenetic perspective. DNA Sequence, 13: 85-92.
Rex, M.A., Etter, R.J., Clain, A.J., Hill, M.S. (1999) Bathymetric patterns of body size in deep-sea gastropods. Evolution, 53(4) 1298-1301.
Hill, M.S. (1999) Morphological and genetic examination of phenotypic plasticity in the tropical spongeAnthosigmella varians. in Proceedings of the 5th International Sponge Symposium  'Origin & Outlook.' (ed. J. N. A. Hooper) Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 44: 239-248.

Hill, M.S. (1998) Sponges harbor genetically identical populations of the zoanthid Parazoanthus parasiticus. Bulletin of Marine Science, 63(2): 513-521.

Hill, M.S. (1998) Spongivory on Caribbean reefs releases corals from competition with sponges. Oecologia, 117: 143-150.
Biographical Information
Education
Ph.D., University of Houston
Contact Information
22B Boatwright Memorial Library, Administrative Wing
(804) 289-8418
(804) 289-8818 (FAX)
B-114 Department of Biology, Gottwald Center for the Sciences
(804) 287-6628
(804) 289-8233 (FAX)
Campus Directory
New England Aquarium

Watch Dr. Hill give a lecture about sponges in June 2011 at the New England Aquarium. Hill presents recent findings from research on the sponge tree of life as well as work that addresses the ecological and evolutionary significance of sponge symbioses.