Expertise
Research areas are coral reef ecology and disease ecology in marine systems.Biography
Area: Coral reef ecology, marine disease dynamics
Abstract of Research: The long-term goal of my research is to link local and regional stressors to the
processes that structure complex coral communities and understand how these translate
to ecosystem functioning. To accomplish this goal, my research combines field-based
ecological studies with advanced analytical techniques. This research includes conducting
intensive field studies specifically targeted towards quantifying coral susceptibility
and resistance to mortality-causing stressors, with a particular emphasis on the risk
factors involved in coral disease incidence, severity and spread. I then use the results
of these studies and data from established monitoring programs to parameterize empirically-based
modeling tools used to understand how colony-level characteristics (e.g., growth rates)
and impacts (e.g., mortality due to disease) translate to ecosystem-level dynamics,
with the intent of identifying specific properties that maintain resilience in diverse
coral communities.
Related Publications:
