Reef
Fish Ecology. Much of my work focuses
on recruitment processes,
density-dependence and size-structure in reef fishes. A portion of our
work synthesized
existing studies using meta-analysis, and have extended mathematical models of
recruitment processes in fishes.
This work was sponsored, in part, by our project on marine ornamentals (see
below), by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, NCEAS
(in Santa Barbara, California), and by NSF. We also investigate the efficacy of marine reserves and alternative management practices
(both by using mathematical and statistical models; and by conducting empirical
studies). A portion of this work was based in Moorea, French
Polynesia. The NSF work was built around our work on "cryptic density
dependence" (sensu Wilson and Osenberg 2002, and Shima and Osenberg 2003).
Vermetid
- Coral - Fish Interactions.
During our work on reef fish in Moorea, we
discovered that sessile, vermetid gastropods (see picture to the right) can
have large deleterious effects on coral growth and survival. Our
ongoing work is exploring the mechanisms and consequences of these effects,
and is a major focus of my ongoing research in the Indo-Pacific. This
work is collaborative with Jeff Shima and Nicole Phillips (Victoria
University of Wellington, New Zealand) and it also involves some of my
graduate students (e.g., Adrian Stier and Carol Chaffee). I expect to
continue this work through at least ~2012.
Marine
Ornamentals. Our
project was designed to quantify the effect of density-dependence in reef
fishes, estimate migration rates among, and settlement to, different habitats,
explore relationships between benthic habitat characteristics and reef
fish abundance, elaborate upon statistical aspects of the BACIPS assessment
design, and model fish population dynamics. Our work helped elaborate upon the attraction-production
hypothesis, and was designed to improve information that guides the management of the
marine ornamental fishery (i.e., fishes harvested in the marine aquarium
trade). Fieldwork was located in the Florida Keys, and the project supported a
post-doc and a graduate student. PI's: Craig Osenberg, Colette St. Mary, Ben Bolker; Post-doc: Laurent Vigliola.
Restoration
ecology of macrophytes in freshwater springs.
Our
two-year research project (now complete) was designed to understand the ecological factors
influencing the dynamics and regeneration of Vallisneria in freshwater
springs. Results were intended to guide restoration efforts being conducted
by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Fieldwork was conducted
in Kings Bay in the upper Crystal River; lab work was conducted at the
University of Florida. Field studies used experimental and observation
approaches to quantify effects of herbivory demographic parameters for use
in a stage-structured population dynamics model. The project supported a
post-doc, a tech, and a graduate student. PI's: Tom Frazer, Craig Osenberg; Post-doc: Jennifer
Hauxwell.
Phenotypic
plasticity and species interactions. Much
of my past work has focused on stage-structured interactions
among sunfishes and has also explored causes and implications of variation in their feeding
morphology. Several of my students also have worked on phenotypic
plasticity, but in other aquatic systems (e.g., tadpoles). My older
work on sunfish (collaborative with Peter Wainwright, Gary Mittelbach, and
Casey Huckins) was designed to engineer different phenotypes (by exploiting
phenotypic plasticity in jaw morphology), develop and test biomechanical
models of molluscivory, to compare patterns of diet and morphology within
the sunfish clade, and explore the implications of these findings to the
evolution of molluscivory and phenotypic plasticity and the ecological
significance with respect to predator-prey and competitive interactions.
I am very keen to attract a graduate student who would be interested in
working in this area or related areas.