Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology email: zac@hawaii.edu
PO Box 1346 Ph: (808) 236-7471
Kāneʻohe, HI 96744 Fax (808) 236-7443

EDUCATION

2003 PhD Biology (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), University of Houston, Houston TX

1996 BA East Asian Studies (Japanese Language), University of Arizona, Tucson AZ

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2012-present Affiliated Researcher - Moʻorea Long Term Ecological Research Site (coral barcoding and biodiversity surveys)

2011-present Affiliate Faculty - Hawaiʻi Pacific University (biodiversity and evolution of deep water corals; master’s thesis committee; MS student -Daniel Luck)

2009-present Research Fellow - Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (coral molecular evolution, conservation genetics, coral propagation and ecology, coral reef survey work, coral holobiont next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics)

2007-2008 Consulting Fellowship - US Fish and Wildlife Pacific Islands office, Honolulu HI (coral reef damage assessment and restoration proposal writing, coral reef survey work)

2005-2007 Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Kewalo Marine Laboratory, Honolulu HI (coral propagation and manipulative ecological studies, coral genetics)

2003-2005 Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Waikīkī Aquarium, Honolulu HI (coral propagation and manipulative ecological studies, coral genetics)

1997-2003 Graduate Teaching Assistant/Research Assistant - University of Houston, Houston TX (coral molecular evolution, genetics laboratory, ecology laboratory)

FUNDED PROPOSALS

$50,000 Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2011-2012) Waikīkī beach maintenance project marine environmental monitoring project. Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources

$34,060 Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2010-2011) Genetic isolation and plasticity in Montipora dilatata and Hawaiian congeners: where are the species boundaries? National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

$31,307 Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2009-2010) Gene flow and morphological variation in one of the rarest known corals: is Montipora dilatata genetically isolated? National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

$33,215 Forsman ZH, Hunter CL, Toonen RJ (2008-2009) Genetic and morphological characterization of a coral Species of Concern, Montipora dilatata, in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

$634,110 Forsman ZH, Parry M, Pelleteri S, Cubit J, Hunter CL, Gulko G, Everson A, Calahan C, Foster K, Ziemann D (2008-2012) Sea urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) aquaculture for biocontrol of invasive algae and reef restoration in Hawaiʻi. U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Office

$44,000 Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2006-2007) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Fellowship. Hawaiʻi Coral Reef Initiative

$73,161 Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2005-2006) Propagation of Hawaiian corals for reef restoration. Hawaiʻi Coral Reef Initiative

$64,340 Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2004-2005) Origins and relationships of an important Hawaiian reef building coral: Porites taxonomy, life history, endemicity and population genetics. Hawaiʻi Coral Reef Initiative

$14,395 Forsman ZH, Wellington GM (2000-2001) Ribosomal DNA variation in Porites spp.: The relationship between The Texas Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the Caribbean Province. Environmental Institute of Houston

$14,220 Forsman ZH, Wellington GM (1999-2000) Genetic connectivity to the Texas Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary. Environmental Institute of Houston

$437,088 Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (submission Jan 2013) Cryptic coral biodiversity in Pocillopora spp. from Hawai`i and surrounding waters.

$71,000 Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (submission Jan 2013) Genomics and Bioinformatics of Corals and Other Cnidarians. 2013 Edwin W. Pauley Summer Program in Marine Biology

$6,698,585 Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (submitted) The Coral Biodiversity Initiative. NOAA solicited strategy for 82 species petitioned to be listed under the US Endangered Species Act

$385,770 Forsman ZH, Rinkevich B, Toonen RJ (submitted) Sustainable aquaculture of corals from larvae; a potentially unlimited resource for the aquarium trade and conservation. Binational Agriculture Research and Development

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (* = mentored students, h-index = 7, citations=177)

14) Stat M, Baker A, Correa A, Forsman ZH, Huggett M, Pochon X, Skillings D, Starger C, van Oppen M, Gates RD (2012) Molecular delineation of species in the coral holobiont. Advances in Marine Biology vol. 63 p. 1-65 (Impact Factor = 3.9)

12) Work TM, Forsman ZH, Szabo Z, Lewis TD, Aeby GS, Toonen RJ (2011) Inter-specific coral chimerism: genetically distinct multicellular structures associated with tissue loss in Montipora capitata. PLoS One 6(7) e22869 (Impact Factor = 4.411, Citations = 1)

11) Baranets V*, Forsman ZH, Karl SA (2011) Microsatellite loci for the plate-and-pillar coral, Porites rus. Conservation Genetics Resources 0: 2009-2011 (Impact Factor = 0.485, Citations = 1)

10) Forsman ZH, Concepcion GT*, Haverkort RD*, Shaw RW, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (2010) Ecomorph or endangered coral? DNA and microstructure reveal Hawaiian species complexes: Montipora dilatata/flabellata/turgescens & M. patula/verilli. PLoS One 5(12):e15021 (Impact Factor = 4.411, Citations =6)

9) Forsman ZH, Martinez JA*, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (2010) Resurrection of Porites hawaiiensis Vaughan 1907; a Hawaiian coral obscured by small size, cryptic habitat and confused taxonomy. Zootaxa 2624:67-68 (Impact Factor = 0.927, Citations = 2)

8) Forsman ZH, Birkeland C (2009) Porites randalli: a new coral species (Scleractinia, Poritidae) from Samoa. Zootaxa 2244:51-59 (Impact Factor = 0.927, Citations = 1)

7) Brown DP, Basch L, Barshis D*, Forsman ZH, D Fenner D, Goldberg J (2009) American Samoa’s island of giants: Massive Porites colonies at Ta’u Island. Coral Reefs 28:735 (Impact Factor = 3.878, Citations = 5)

6) Forsman ZH, Barshis D*, Hunter CL, Toonen RJ (2009) Shape-shifting corals: Molecular markers show morphology is evolutionarily plastic in Porites. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9:45 [Featured by Faculty of 1000] (Impact Factor = 3.52, Citations = 47)

5) Keeley S, Forsman ZH, Chan R (2007) A phylogeny of the “Evil Tribe” (Vernonieae: Compositae) reveals old/new world long distance dispersal: support from separate and combined congruent datasets (trnl-F, ndhF, ITS). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 89-103 (Impact Factor = 3.982, Citations = 19)

4) Forsman ZH, Rinkevich B, Hunter CL (2006) Investigating fragment size for culturing reef-building corals (Porites lobata and P. compressa) in ex situ nurseries.Aquaculture 261: 89-97 (Impact Factor = 2.041, Citations = 13)

3) Forsman ZH, Wellington GM, Hunter CL G.E. Fox (2006) Is the ITS region the solution to the ‘species problem’ in corals? Intragenomic variation and alignment permutation in Porites, Siderastrea and outgroup taxa. 10th International Coral Reef Symp 14-23 (Citations = 16)

2) Forsman ZH, Guzman HM, Chen CA, Fox GE, Wellington GM (2005) An ITS region phylogeny of Siderastrea (CNIDARIA:ANTHOZOA); is S. glynni endangered or introduced? Coral Reefs 24: 343-347 (Impact Factor = 3.878, Citations = 26)

1) Forsman ZH, Lednicky JA, Fox GE, Willson RC, White Z, Halvorson S, Wong C, Lewis AM, Butel JS (2004) Phylogenetic analysis of polyomavirus simian virus 40 from monkeys and humans reveals genetic variation. Journal of Virology 78(17): 9306-9316 (Impact Factor = 5.402, Citations = 24)

MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED / ADVANCED PREP (available upon request)

Prada C, Neigel JE, Yednock B, Stake J, Forsman ZH, Baums IB, Hellberg ME (submitted) Genetic testing of three Caribbean coral morpho-species: to lump or to split the branching Porites? Coral Reefs

Martinez JA*, Anson J, Macduff S, Forsman ZH, Richmond RH (submitted) The Reproductive Biology and Recruitment Ecology of Porites (Synarӕa) hawaiiensis. Marine Ecology Progress Series

Forsman ZH, Marti-Puig P*, Haverkort RD, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (submitted) Extreme phenotypic polymorphism in Pocillopora (Anthozoa: Scleractinia); corallite morphology corresponds to mitochondrial groups, while taxonomy based on colony morphology does not. Bulletin of Marine Science

Knapp IS*, Forsman ZH, Williams GJ, Toonen RJ, Bell JJ (in prep) Evidence of cryptic speciation in Haliclona (Gellius) caerulea, family: Haplosclerida

Farrar C, Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ, Gates RD (in prep) Live imaging of the coral symbiome using laser scanning confocal microscopy. Coral Reefs.

Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (in prep) A review of molecular studies of reef-building corals; can we tell the difference between speciation, hybridization and phenotypic polymorphism?

Toonen, RJ, Puritz, JB, Forsman, ZH, Whitney, J, Bird, CE, Fernandez-Silva, I, Andrews, K. (in prep). ezRAD: a simplified method for genomic genotyping in non-model organisms.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Forsman ZH, Peyton KA, Knapp ISS, Toonen RJ (2012) Benthic surveys for the Waikīkī beach sand replenishment project. State of Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources Report. p. 67

Forsman ZH, Concepcion GT*, Haverkort RD*, Shaw RW, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (2010) Is Montipora dilatata an endangered coral species or an ecotype? Genes and skeletal microstructure lump seven Hawaiian species into four groups. NOAA Report. p.20

Forsman ZH, Concepcion GT*, Haverkort RD*, Maragos JE, Toonen (2009) Genetic and morphological characterization of a coral Species of Concern, Montipora dilatata, in Kaneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. NOAA Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office FY 2008 Report. p.15

Forsman ZH, Phillips J, Gulko DA, Foster KB (2008) Primary restoration: enhancement of coral recovery at the M/V Cape Flattery incident site. U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Office ($6,812,853)

Foster KB, Forsman ZH, Sukhraj NC* (2007) Barbers Point (Kalaeloa) Harbor deep draft harbor fish and wildlife coordination act investigation marine assessment and impact analysis. U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Office. p. 82

Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2007) Propagation of Hawaiian corals for reef restoration. Hawaiian Coral Reef Initiation/NOAA report. p.18

Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2006) Origins and relationships of the Hawaiian reef coral Porites; taxonomy, life history, endemicity and population genetics. Hawaiian Coral Reef Initiation/NOAA report, p. 12

Wellington GM, Forsman ZH (2002) Ribosomal DNA variation in Porites spp.; The relationship between the Texas Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the Caribbean province. Environmental Institute of Houston Annual Report

AWARDS AND HONORS

2010 Faculty of 1,000 featured paper (Forsman et al. 2009, BMC Evolutionary Biology)

1999 Teaching Excellence Award; University of Houston campus-wide competition ($1,000)

1999 Teaching Excellence Award; University of Houston biology department competition ($500)

1996 Travel and research award; biomedical research abroad, University of Arizona ($8,000)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE (Awarded two teaching excellence awards)

2012 Guest lectures; Marine Research (Coral Systematic Issues), Coral Reef Ecology (Coral Species and Speciation), Advanced Topics in Marine Biology (Coral Phenotypic Variation)

2008 Guest lecture; Ecology & Evolution (The Origin of Life), Molecular Systematics & Evolution (Phylogenetic Methods)

2007 Guest lecture; Marine Biology (Phylogenetics); Advanced Topics in Marine Biology (Coral Evolution)

1997-2002 Genetics Laboratory (9 semesters); Co-authored a new lab manual; designed new curriculum (DNA extraction, PCR, sub-cloning, sequencing and bioinformatics).–Awarded Campus-Wide Teaching Excellence Award

1999 Ecology Laboratory (2 semesters) –Awarded Biology Department Teaching Excellence Award

1996-1997 English as a second language: National Institute of Animal Industry Tsukuba, Japan

PRESENTATIONS

2012 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) workshop on 82 species petitioned for listing on the Endangered Species Act (Expert Panelist); Oʻahu HI

2012 Joint Ocean Science Symposium (University of Tokyo/University of Hawaiʻi) Oʻahu HI

2011 Pacific Science Congress (Symposium Organizer and Chair: marine biodiversity) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2006 Oceanography Departmental Seminar, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Oʻahu HI

PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS (* = mentored students)

Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2012) Barcoding corals in the genus Pocillopora: geographically restricted cryptic diversity. Long Term Ecological Research All Scientists Meeting. Estes Park CO

Frederic S, Zoccola D, BacoA, Flot JF, Stefani F, Benzoni F, Schmidt-Roach S, Klueter A, McFadden C, Forsman ZH (2012) DNA barcoding in cnidarians: where do we stand? Where do we go? ICRS. Australia.

Hellberg M, Prada-Montoya C, Forsman ZH, Polato N, Baums I (2012) Population isolation and introgression in Eastern Pacific Porites. ICRS. Australia.

Luck D*, Forsman ZH, Kahng SE (2012) Taxonomic and phylogenetic re-characterization of Hawaiian Leptoseris. ICRS. Australia.

Forsman ZH (2012) Current issues in molecular systematics of corals petitioned to be listed under the US Endangered Species Act. NOAA invited panel on 82 petitioned coral species. Oʻahu HI

Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2012) Coral conservation genetics; hybridization, phenotypic plasticity and the identification of cryptic biodiversity. Joint University of Tokyo/University of Hawaiʻi Ocean Science Symposium. Oʻahu HI

Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2011) The coral species complex: the exception or the rule? Pacific Science Congress, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Forsman ZH, Toonen RJ (2011) Hawaiian coral species complexes; ecological variation or endangered species? Evolution of Life on Pacific Islands and Reefs, Oʻahu HI

Forsman ZH, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (2011) The coral species problem: How unique are the coral in the North West Hawaiian Islands? NWHI symposium, Oʻahu HI

Hellberg ME, Montoya CP, Baums IB, Polato N, Neigel J, Stake J, Yednock B, Forsman ZH (2011) Population isolation and introgression in eastern pacific Porites. AMLC, Costa Rica.

Kimokeo BK*, Forsman ZH, Hunter CL, Toonen RJ (2010) Coral farming: species specific effects of light, water motion and artificial foods. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle WA

Forsman ZH, Concepcion GT*, Haverkort RD*, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (2010) Can endangered species of coral be distinguished from population level variation? Evolution OR

Concepcion G*, Forsman ZH, Haverkort RD*, Maragos JE, Toonen RJ (2009) Evolutionary relationships of Hawaiian Montipora. 34^th Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium, Oʻahu HI

Forsman ZH, Barshis D*, Hunter CL (2008) Coral Biodiversity is not as it appears: cryptic species and morphospecies flocks in Porites, Proceedings of the 11^th International Coral Reef Symposium. Orlando FL

Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2008) Optimizing ex-situ nursery culturing conditions for Hawaiian coral. Proceedings of the 11^th International Coral Reef Symposium. Orlando FL

Forsman ZH, Hunter CL (2006) ITS and mtDNA congruence, corallite-level concordance and rapid phenotypic evolution in Porites species. First Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, Hong Kong

Forsman ZH, Baker A*, Hunter CL (2006) Fluorescent ITS-SSCP can differentiate Porites lobata and P. lutea; a useful tool for the coral species problem. First Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, Hong Kong

Chaung YY, Tseng CC, Fukami H, Claereboudt, Obura MD, Forsman ZH, Knowlton N, Chen CA (2005) Does deep divergence apply to the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific congeneric corals? Insights from the mitogenomics of Siderastrea, Barcode of Life workshop, Panama

Keeley SC, Forsman ZH (2004) Phylogenetic signal and congruence in nuclear and chloroplast DNA data in the Vernonieae (Asteraceae). Botanical Society of America 2004

Forsman ZH, Fox GE, Nnabuihe N*, Konshak AME*, Wellington GM (2001) Can ribosomal internally transcribed spacers be used to document reticulate evolution and population relationships in corals? Sigma Xi research symposium, Houston TX

Forsman ZH, Papaj DR (1995) Shared preferences and resource partitioning in two species of walnut flies Rhagoletis Boycei And R. Juglandis. Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) Sixth Annual Conference, Tucson AZ

Forsman ZH, Bronstein JL (1995) Growth initiation cohorts of Yucca schottii, UBRP Fifth Annual Conference, Tucson AZ

OTHER SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES AND RELATED EXPERIENCE

Marine Biodiversity and Speciation; Pacific Science Congress, Kuala Lumpur 2011, Malaysia

Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, coral reef ecological surveys; Barbers Point (Kalaeloa) channel (2007)

Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu Hawaiʻi, collection of rare Hawaiian coral for Waikīkī Aquarium (2007, 2005)

Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary, fish surveys (1998) MV Fling, MV Spree (1999)

Caribbean Marine Research Center/ Lee Stocking Island, coral transplant and bleaching studies (1997)

Undergraduate Marine Biology Program Mentor (Pacific Islanders), University of Hawaiʻi (2006)

REVIEWER SERVICE (N=77)

CERTIFICATIONS

AAUS Scientific diver (master diver, rescue diver), O₂ administration, First Aid, CPR, Radiation and Chemical safety, Small boat operation and safety

RECENT COLLABORATORS

Ruth Gates, Sam Kahng, Mike Stat, Xavier Pochon, Madeline van Oppen, Steve Karl, Theirry Work, Theresa Lewis, Greta Aeby, Ross Shaw, Greg Concepcion, Doug Fenner, Jim Maragos, Allen Chen, Buki Rinkevich, Charles Birkeland, Daniel Barshis, Sterling Keeley, Kevin Foster, David Gulko, Hector Guzman, Janet Butel, John Lednicky

GRADUATE ADVISORS: Dr. Garrard M. Wellington (unavailable due to advanced Alzheimer's disease), Dr. Gorge E. Fox, University of Houston,TX

POSTDOCTORAL ADVISORS: Dr. Gorge E. Fox, University of Houston, TX; Dr. Cynthia L. Hunter, University of Hawaiʻi; Dr. Robert J. Toonen, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology

CURRICULUM VITAE