Marine Spatial Ecology
I am interested in how broad-scale spatial patterning may impact the structure and function of coastal systems at multiple levels of ecological organization (e.g., individual, population, community and ecosystem). Within this broader framework, I apply the tenets of macroecology and landscape ecology to quantify the relationship between environmental context and species distributions. More specifically, I combine descriptive, synthetic, and experimental approaches to understand how habitat pattern underlies community assembly, habitat quality, and productivity for various species. Specific examples below:
Coral reef macroecology
Macroecology is an exciting field, as it examines the processes regulating communities over extremely large spatial scales, perhaps best matching the scales at which metapopulations and metacommunities are regulated. In my current postdoc at SESYNC, I am working on a collaborative project that involves using a macroecological approaches to develop analytical tools for the effective management of key ecosystems services (i.e., fishery production) provided by coral reefs. I have also examined how marine reserves may impact occupancy-abundance relationships in for Caribbean reef fishes.
Collaborators: Julia Baum (University of Victoria), Jana McPherson (Calgary Zoo Centre for Conservation and Research), Ivor Williams (NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Division), Abel Valdivia (UNC-CH)
Macroecology is an exciting field, as it examines the processes regulating communities over extremely large spatial scales, perhaps best matching the scales at which metapopulations and metacommunities are regulated. In my current postdoc at SESYNC, I am working on a collaborative project that involves using a macroecological approaches to develop analytical tools for the effective management of key ecosystems services (i.e., fishery production) provided by coral reefs. I have also examined how marine reserves may impact occupancy-abundance relationships in for Caribbean reef fishes.
Collaborators: Julia Baum (University of Victoria), Jana McPherson (Calgary Zoo Centre for Conservation and Research), Ivor Williams (NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Division), Abel Valdivia (UNC-CH)
Manipulation of landscape context with artificial reefs
Most studies using landscape ecology approaches are descriptive as a result of logistical constraints. However, there is a need to experimentally test the importance of landscape context to ecological processes. This work involves creation of artificial reefs in various landscape settings to mechanistically link landscape patterns to community assembly in Abaco, Bahamas. Because many reef organisms make daily foraging migrations into surrounding seagrass and soft bottom habitat to feed, the landscape context of a reef should be particularly important for these species. I have found that even subtle changes in landscape pattern within a single habitat types (e.g., variation in cover of seagrass beds) can effect community assembly, community structure, and secondary production of
fishes on adjacent artificial reefs.
Collaborators: Craig Layman (FIU, NCSU), Martha Zapata (OSU) and Betsy Stoner (FIU), and Jake Allegeir (UGA, NCSU)
Most studies using landscape ecology approaches are descriptive as a result of logistical constraints. However, there is a need to experimentally test the importance of landscape context to ecological processes. This work involves creation of artificial reefs in various landscape settings to mechanistically link landscape patterns to community assembly in Abaco, Bahamas. Because many reef organisms make daily foraging migrations into surrounding seagrass and soft bottom habitat to feed, the landscape context of a reef should be particularly important for these species. I have found that even subtle changes in landscape pattern within a single habitat types (e.g., variation in cover of seagrass beds) can effect community assembly, community structure, and secondary production of
fishes on adjacent artificial reefs.
Collaborators: Craig Layman (FIU, NCSU), Martha Zapata (OSU) and Betsy Stoner (FIU), and Jake Allegeir (UGA, NCSU)
Effects of habitat fragmentation per se on diversity
Habitat fragmentation is a process that involves breaking apart of a contiguous patch of habitat into smaller patches which may have negative impacts on biodiversity. Comparisons of fragmented and contiguous habitats often confound changes in total habitat area as well as changes in spatial configuration . Recent reviews have questioned the importance of habitat fragmentation per se (changes in spatial pattern independent of changes in area) in affecting associated communities. We are studying the biodiversity of seagrass communities in contiguous and fragmented beds across gradients of total habitat area. We have found that there may be a threshold in remnant habitat area below which habitat fragmentation per se has negative effects on fish species richness.
Collaborators: Joel Fodrie (UNC-IMS)
Habitat fragmentation is a process that involves breaking apart of a contiguous patch of habitat into smaller patches which may have negative impacts on biodiversity. Comparisons of fragmented and contiguous habitats often confound changes in total habitat area as well as changes in spatial configuration . Recent reviews have questioned the importance of habitat fragmentation per se (changes in spatial pattern independent of changes in area) in affecting associated communities. We are studying the biodiversity of seagrass communities in contiguous and fragmented beds across gradients of total habitat area. We have found that there may be a threshold in remnant habitat area below which habitat fragmentation per se has negative effects on fish species richness.
Collaborators: Joel Fodrie (UNC-IMS)