Karen Osborn

• M.S., Western Washington University
• B.S., Andrews University
• Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

• Annelida
  • Polychaeta
    • Archiannelida
    • Echiura
    • Pogonophora
    • Vestimentifera
• Arthropoda
  • Cephalocarida
  • Copepoda
  • Malacostraca
    • Peracarida
      • Amphipoda, Cumacea, Isopoda, Mysidacea, Tanaidacea
    • Phyllocarida
    • Stomatopoda
  • Maxillopoda
  • Pycnogonida
  • Remipedia
  • Xiphosura
• Hemichordata
• Plankton
• Sipuncula

Evolutionary biology of deep, pelagic invertebrates, primarily Polychaeta and Peracarida

Journal Article

• Pappalardo, Paula, Hemmi, Jan M., Machida, Ryuji J., Leray, Matthieu, Collins, Allen G., and Osborn, Karen J. 2025. "Taxon‐specific BLAST percent identity thresholds for identification of unknown sequences using metabarcoding." Methods in Ecology and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.70147.
• Jessop, Anna-Lee, Bagheri, Zahra M., Partridge, Julian C., Osborn, Karen J., and Hemmi, Jan M. 2024. "Functional differences between the extraordinary eyes of deep-sea hyperiid amphipods." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.0239.
• Bachmann, Lutz, Beermann, Jan, Brey, Thomas, de Boer, Hugo J., Dannheim, Jennifer, Edvardsen, Bente, Ericson, Per G. P., Holston, Kevin C., Johansson, Veronika A., Kloss, Paul, Konijnenberg, Rebecca, Osborn, Karen J., Pappalardo, Paula, Pehlke, Hendrik, Piepenburg, Dieter, Struck, Torsten H., Sundberg, Per, Markussen, Stine Svalheim, Teschke, Katharina, and Vanhove, Maarten P. M. 2023. "The role of systematics for understanding ecosystem functions: Proceedings of the Zoologica Scripta Symposium, Oslo, Norway, 25 August 2022." Zoologica Scripta, 52, (3) 187-214. https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12593.
• Gonzalez, Brett C., Conde-Vela, Victor, and Osborn, Karen J. 2023. "Synonymization of two, monotypic black-coral-commensal scale worm genera, Antipathipolyeunoa Pettibone, 1991 and Parahololepidella Pettibone, 1969 (Polynoidae, Aphroditiformia)." ZooKeys, 1178 61-68. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1178.106101.
• Gonzalez, Brett C., González, Vanessa L., Martínez, Alejandro, Worsaae, Katrine, and Osborn, Karen J. 2023. "A transcriptome-based phylogeny for Polynoidae (Annelida: Aphroditiformia)." Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107811.
• Rogers, Alex David, Appiah-Madson, Hannah, Ardron, Jeff A., Bax, Nicholas J., Bhadury, Punyasloke, Brandt, Angelika, Buttigieg, Pier-Luigi, De Clerck, Olivier, Delgado, Claudia, Distel, Daniel L., Glover, Adrian, Gobin, Judith, Guilhon, Maila, Hampton, Shannon, Harden-Davies, Harriet, Hebert, Paul, Hynes, Lisa, Lowe, Miranda, MacIntyre, Sandy, Madduppa, Hawis, Mazzuco, Ana Carolina De Azevedo, McCallum, Anna, McOwen, Chris, Nattkemper, Tim Wilhelm, Odido, Mika et al. 2023. "Accelerating ocean species discovery and laying the foundations for the future of marine biodiversity research and monitoring." Frontiers in Marine Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1224471.
• Bagheri, Zahra M., Jessop, Anna-Lee, Partridge, Julian C., Osborn, Karen J., and Hemmi, Jan M. 2022. "A new computational model illuminates the extraordinary eyes of Phronima." PLOS Computational Biology, 18, (10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010545.
• Breusing, Corinna, Girguis, Peter R., Reese, Aspen T., and Osborn, Karen J. 2022. "Composition and metabolic potential of microbiomes associated with mesopelagic animals from Monterey Canyon." ISME Communications, 2, (1) 117. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-022-00195-4.
• Lin, Chan, Hoving, Henk-Jan T., Cronin, Thomas W., and Osborn, Karen J. 2021. "Strange eyes, stranger brains: exceptional diversity of optic lobe organization in midwater crustaceans." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288, (1948). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0216.
• Pappalardo, Paula, Collins, Allen G., Pagenkopp Lohan, Katrina M., Hanson, Kate M., Truskey, Sarit B., Jaeckle, William, Ames, Cheryl Lewis, Goodheart, Jessica A., Bush, Stephanie L., Biancani, Leann M., Strong, Ellen E., Vecchione, Michael, Harasewych, M. G., Reed, Karen, Lin, Chan, Hartil, Elise C., Whelpley, Jessica, Blumberg, Jamie, Matterson, Kenan, Redmond, Niamh E., Becker, Allison, Boyle, Michael J., and Osborn, Karen J. 2021. "The role of taxonomic expertise in interpretation of metabarcoding studies." ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78, (9) 3397-3410. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab082.
• Daniels, Joost, Aoki, Nadege, Havassy, Josh, Katija, Kakani, and Osborn, Karen J. 2021. "Metachronal Swimming with Flexible Legs: A Kinematics Analysis of the Midwater Polychaete Tomopteris." Integrative and Comparative Biology, 61, (5) 1658-1673. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab059.
• Stenvers, Vanessa, I., Gonzalez, Brett C., Goetz, Freya E., Hemmi, Jan M., Jessop, Anna-Lee, Lin, Chan, Hoving, Henk-Jan T., and Osborn, Karen J. 2021. "Extraordinary eyes reveal hidden diversity within the holopelagic genus Paraphronima (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea)." Deep-Sea Research Part I-Oceanographic Research Papers, 177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2021.103610.
• Stenvers, Vanessa I., Hauss, Helena, Osborn, Karen J., Neitzel, Philipp, Merten, Véronique, Scheer, Stella, Robison, Bruce H., Freitas, Rui, and Hoving, Henk Jan T. 2021. "Distribution, associations and role in the biological carbon pump of Pyrosoma atlanticum (Tunicata, Thaliacea) off Cabo Verde, NE Atlantic." Scientific Reports, 11, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88208-5.
• Allentoft-Larsen, Marc C., Gonzalez, Brett C., Daniels, Joost, Katija, Kakani, Osborn, Karen J., and Worsaae, Katrine. 2021. "Muscular adaptations in swimming scale worms (Polynoidae, Annelida)." Royal Society Open Science, 8, (10). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210541.
• Gonzalez, Brett C., Martinez, Alejandro, Worsaae, Katrine, and Osborn, Karen J. 2021. "Morphological convergence and adaptation in cave and pelagic scale worms (Polynoidae, Annelida)." Scientific Reports, 11, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89459-y.
• Worsaae, Katrine, Hansen, Malte J., Axelsen, Oscar, Kakui, Keiichi, Moller, Peter R., Osborn, Karen J., Martinez, Alejandro, Gonzalez, Brett C., Miyamoto, Norio, and Fujita, Yoshihisa. 2021. "A new cave-dwelling genus and species of Nerillidae (Annelida) from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan." Marine Biodiversity, 51, (4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-021-01199-4.
• Polski, Ashley A., Osborn, Karen J., Hayward, James L., Joo, Elliot, Mitchell, Athena T., Sandler, Amanda G., and Henson, Shandelle M. 2021. "Egg cannibalism as a foraging tactic by less fit Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens)." Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 133, (4) 552-567. https://doi.org/10.1676/20-00072.
• San Martín, Guillermo, Álvarez-Campos, Patricia, Kondo, Yusuke, Núñez, Jorge, Fernández-Álamo, María Ana, Pleijel, Fredrik, Goetz, Freya E., Nygren, Arne, and Osborn, Karen. 2021. "New symbiotic association in marine annelids: ectoparasites of comb jellies." Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 191, (3) 672-694. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa034.
• Ballou, Lauren, Iliffe, Thomas M., Kakuk, Brian, Gonzalez, Brett C., Osborn, Karen J., Worsaae, Katrine, Meland, Kenneth, Broad, Kenneth, Bracken-Grissom, Heather, and Olesen, Jorgen. 2021. "Monsters in the dark: systematics and biogeography of the stygobitic genus Godzillius (Crustacea: Remipedia) from the Lucayan Archipelago." European Journal of Taxonomy, 751 115-139. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.751.1383.
• Brix, Saskia, Osborn, Karen J., Kaiser, Stefanie, Truskey, Sarit B., Schnurr, Sarah M., Brenke, Nils, Malyutina, Marina, and Arbizu, Pedro Martinez. 2020. "Adult life strategy affects distribution patterns in abyssal isopods - implications for conservation in Pacific nodule areas." Biogeosciences, 17, (23) 6163-6184. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6163-2020.
• Brix, Saskia, Osborn, Karen J., Kaiser, Stefanie, Truskey, Sarit B., Schnurr, Sarah M., Brenke, Nils, Malyutina, Marina, and Martinez, Pedro M. 2020. "Adult life strategy affects distribution patterns in abyssal isopods -- implications for conservation in Pacific nodule areas." Biogeosciences Discussions, 17, (23) 6163-6184. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2019-358.
• Davis, Alexander L., Thomas, Kate N., Goetz, Freya E., Robison, Bruce H., Johnsen, Sönke, and Osborn, Karen J. 2020. "Ultra-black Camouflage in Deep-Sea Fishes." Current Biology, 30, (17) 3470-3776.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.044.
• Gonzalez, Brett, Martínez, Alejandro, Olesen, Jørgen, Truskey, Sarit, Ballou, Lauren, Allentoft-Larsen, Marc, Daniels, Joost, Heinerth, Paul, Parrish, Mark, Manco, Naqqi, Ward, Jon, Iliffe, Thomas M., Osborn, Karen J., and Worsaae, Katrine. 2020. "Anchialine biodiversity in the Turks and Caicos Islands: New discoveries and current faunal composition." International Journal of Speleology, 49, (2) 71-86. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.49.2.2316.
• Hughes, Lauren E., Bruce, Niel L., and Osborn, Karen J. 2020. "Aegiochus gracilipes (Hansen, 1895) a senior synonym of Aegiochus tara Bruce, 2009 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Aegidae)." Zootaxa, 4803, (2) 388-392. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4803.2.10.
• Bentlage, Bastian, Osborn, Karen J., Lindsay, Dhugal J., Hopcroft, Russell R., Raskoff, Kevin A., and Collins, Allen G. 2018. "Loss of metagenesis and evolution of a parasitic life style in a group of open ocean jellyfish." Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 124 50-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.02.030.
• Bentlage, Bastian, Osborn, Karen J., Lindsay, Dhugal J., Hopcroft, Russell R., Raskoff, Kevin A., and Collins, Allen G. 2018. "Corrigendum to Loss of metagenesis and evolution of a parasitic life style in a group of open-ocean jellyfish Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 124 (2018) 50-59." Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 126 390-391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.017.
• Schnurr, Sarah, Osborn, Karen J., Malyutina, Marina, Jennings, Robert, Brix, Saskia, Driskell, Amy, Svavarsson, Jö, and Martinez Arbizu, Pedro. 2018. "Hidden diversity in two species complexes of munnopsid isopods (Crustacea) at the transition between the northernmost North Atlantic and the Nordic Seas." Marine Biodiversity, 48, (2) 813-843. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-018-0877-6.
• Burridge, Alice K., Hörnlein, Christine, Janssen, Arie W., Hughes, Martin, Bush, Stephanie L., Marlétaz, Ferdinand, Gasca, Rebeca, Pierrot-Bults, Annelies, Michel, Ellinor, Todd, Jonathan A., Young, Jeremy R., Osborn, Karen J., Menken, Steph B. J., and Peijnenburg, Katja T. C. A. 2017. "Time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of pteropods." PLOS ONE, 12, (6) 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177325.
• Haddock, Steven H. D., Christianson, Lynne, Francis, Warren, Martini, Sé, Powers, Meghan, Dunn, Casey, Pugh, Philip, Mills, Claudia, Osborn, Karen J., Seibel, Brad, Choy, Anela, Schnitzler, Christine, Matsumoto, George, Messié, Monique, Schultz, Darrin, Winnikoff, Jacob, Gasca, Rebeca, Browne, William, Johnsen, Sönke, Schlining, Kyra, von Thun, Susan, Erwin, Benjamin, Ryan, Joseph, and Thuesen, Erik. 2017. "Insights into the Biodiversity, Behavior, and Bioluminescence of Deep-Sea Organisms Using Molecular and Maritime Technology." Oceanography, 30, (4) 38-47. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2017.422.
• Zhang, Jinghuai, Zhang, Yanjie, Osborn, Karen J., and Qiu, Jian-Wen. 2017. "Description of a new species of Eulepethus (Annelida, Eulepethidae) from the northern South China Sea, and comments on the phylogeny of the family." Zootaxa, 4226, (4) 581. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4226.4.8.
• Bagge, Laura E, Osborn, Karen J., and Johnsen, Sönke. 2016. "Nanostructures and Monolayers of Spheres Reduce Surface Reflections in Hyperiid Amphipods." Current Biology, 26, (22) 3071-3076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.033.
• Capa, María, Osborn, Karen J., and Bakken, Torkild. 2016. "Sphaerodoridae (Annelida) of the deep Northwestern Atlantic, including remarkable new species of Euritmia and Sphaerephesia." ZooKeys, 615 1-32. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.615.9530.
• Baldwin Fergus, Jamie L, Johnsen, Sönke, and Osborn, Karen J. 2015. "A Unique Apposition Compound Eye in the Mesopelagic Hyperiid Amphipod Paraphronima gracilis." Current Biology, 25, (4) 473-478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.010.
• Bracken-Grissom, Heather, Collins, Allen Gilbert, Collins, Timothy, Crandall, Keith, Distel, Daniel, Dunn, Casey, Giribet, Gonzalo, Haddock, Steven, Knowlton, Nancy, Martindale, Mark, Medina, Monica, Messing, Charles, O'Brien, Stephen J., Paulay, Gustav, Putnam, Nicolas, Ravasi, Timothy, Rouse, Greg W., Ryan, Joseph F., Schulze, Anja, Worheide, Gert, Adamska, Maja, Bailly, Xavier, Breinholt, Jesse, Browne, William E., Diaz, M. Christina et al. 2014. "The Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance (GIGA): Developing Community Resources to Study Diverse Invertebrate Genomes." The Journal of Heredity, 105, (1) 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/est084.
• Holland, Nicholas D., Osborn, Karen J., Gebruk, Andrey V., and Rogacheva, Antonina. 2013. "Rediscovery and augmented description of the HMS ‘Challenger’ acorn worm (Hemichordata, Enteropneusta), Glandiceps abyssicola, in the equatorial Atlantic abyss." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 93, (8) 2197-2205. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315413000684.
• Osborn, Karen J., Gebruk, Andrey V., Rogacheva, Antonina, and Holland, Nicholas D. 2013. "An Externally Brooding Acorn Worm (Hemichordata, Enteropneusta, Torquaratoridae) from the Russian Arctic." Biological Bulletin, 225, (2) 113-123.
• Holland, Nicholas D., Kuhnz, Linda A., and Osborn, Karen J. 2012. "Morphology of a new deep‐sea acorn worm (class Enteropneusta, phylum Hemichordata): A part‐time demersal drifter with externalized ovaries." Journal of Morphology, 273, (7) 661-671. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.20013.
• Holland, Nicholas D., Osborn, Karen J., and Kuhnz, Linda A. 2012. "A new deep-sea species of harrimaniid enteropneust (Hemichordata)." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 125, (3) 228-240. https://doi.org/10.2988/12-11.1.
• Priede, Imants G., Osborn, Karen J., Gebruk, Andrey V., Jones, Dan, Shale, David, Rogacheva, Antonina, and Holland, Nicholas D. 2012. "Observations on torquaratorid acorn worms (Hemichordata, Enteropneusta) from the North Atlantic with descriptions of a new genus and three new species." Invertebrate Biology, 131, (3) 244-257. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7410.2012.00266.x.
• Hull, Pincelli M., Osborn, Karen J., Norris, Richard D., and Robison, Bruce H. 2011. "Seasonality and depth distribution of a mesopelagic foraminifer, Hastigerinella digitata, in Monterey Bay, California." Limnology and Oceanography, 56 562-576. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2011.56.2.0562.
• Kaufmann, Ronald S., Robison, Bruce H., Sherlock, Rob E., Reisenbichler, Kim R., and Osborn, Karen J. 2011. "Composition and structure of macrozooplankton and micronekton communities in the vicinity of free-drifting Antarctic icebergs." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 58 1469-1484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.11.026.
• Osborn, Karen J., Haddock, Steven, and Rouse, Greg. 2011. "Swima (Annelida, Acrocirridae), holopelagic worms from the deep Pacific." Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 163, (3) 663-678. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00727.x.
• Osborn, Karen J., Kuhnz, Linda A., Priede, Imants G., Urata, Makoto, Gebruk, Andrey V., and Holland, Nicholas D. 2011. "Diversification of acorn worms (Hemichordata, Enteropneusta) revealed in the deep sea." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279, (1733) 1646-1654. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1916.
• Sherlock, R. E., Reisenbichler, K. R., Bush, S. L., Osborn, Karen J., and Robison, B. H. 2011. "Near-field zooplankton, ice-face biota and proximal hydrography of free-drifting Antarctic icebergs." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 58 1457-1468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.11.025.
• Osborn, Karen J., Madin, L. P., and Rouse, G. W. 2010. "The remarkable squidworm is an example of discoveries that await in deep-pelagic habitats." Biology Letters, 7 449-453. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2010.0923.
• Osborn, Karen J. and Rouse, Greg W. 2010. "Phylogenetics of Acrocirridae and Flabelligeridae (Cirratuliformia, Annelida)." Zoologica Scripta, 40, (2) 204-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00460.x.
• Osborn, Karen J. 2009. "Relationships within the Munnopsidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Asellota) based on three genes." Zoologica Scripta, 38 617-635. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2009.00394.x.
• Osborn, Karen J., Haddock, S. H. D., Pleijel, F., Madin, L. P., and Rouse, G. W. 2009. "Deep-Sea, Swimming Worms with Luminescent "Bombs"." Science, 325 964-964. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172488.
• Osborn, Karen J. and Rouse, G. 2008. "Multiple origins of pelagicism within Flabelligeridae (Annelida)." Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 49 386-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.042.
• Osborn, Karen J., Rouse, Greg W., Goffredi, Shana K., and Robison, Bruce H. 2007. "Description and Relationships of Chaetopterus pugaporcinus, an Unusual Pelagic Polychaete (Annelida, Chaetopteridae)." Biological Bulletin, 212, (1) 40-54. https://doi.org/10.2307/25066579.
• Collins, Allen Gilbert, Bentlage, Bastian, Matsumoto, G. I., Haddock, H. D., Osborn, Karen J., and Schierwater, B. 2006. "Solution to the phylogenetic enigma of Tetraplatia, a worm-shaped cnidarian." Biology Letters, 2 120-124.

Dataset

• Pappalardo, Paula, Osborn, Karen J., Collins, Allen G., Hemmi, Jan M., Machida, Ryuji, and Leray, Matthieu. 2025. [Dataset] Supplemental Data and Results Package for Pappalardo et al (2025) publication "Taxon-specific BLAST percent identity thresholds for identification of unknown sequences using metabarcoding". Distributed by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. https://doi.org/10.25573/SERC.29832347.V1.
• Pappalardo, Paula, Collins, Allen G., Pagenkopp Lohan, Katrina M., Hanson, Kate M., Truskey, Sarit B., Jaeckle, William, Lewis Ames, Cheryl, Goodheart, Jessica A., Bush, Stephanie L., Biancani, Leann M., Strong, Ellen E., Vecchione, Michael, Harasewych, M. G., Reed, Karen, Lin, Chan, Hartil, Elise, Whelpley, Jessica, Blumberg, Jamie, Matterson, Kenan, Redmond, Niamh E., Becker, Allison, Boyle, Michael J., and Osborn, Karen J. 2021. [Dataset] Data from: The role of taxonomic expertise in interpretation of metabarcoding studies. Distributed by Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.TDZ08KPZX.
• Burridge, Alice K., Hörnlein, Christine, Janssen, Arie W., Hughes, Martin, Bush, Stephanie L., Marlétaz, Ferdinand, Gasca, Rebeca, Pierrot-Bults, Annelies, Michel, Ellinor, Todd, Jonathan A., Young, Jeremy R., Osborn, Karen J., Menken, Steph B. J., and Peijnenburg, Katja T. C. A. 2017. [Dataset] Photographs of pteropod specimens. Distributed by URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bp106: Dryad Digital Repository.

Book Chapter

• Hourdez, Stéphane, Osborn, Karen J., and Gonzalez, Brett C. 2022. "Acoetidae Kinberg, 1856." In Pleistoannelida, Errantia II. Purschke, Günter, Böggemann, Markus, and Westheide, Wilfried, editors. 74-92. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Company KG. In Handbook of Zoology, 4. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110647167-004.