Emily Jones

Current Research: Facilitation by Invasive Species

In rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats of Rhode Island, large macroalgal species richness is low, while the number of species that can grow epiphytically is high.  Thus, in areas where primary spaceholding invasive algal species are present, epiphyte diversity may be increased due to an increase in secondary substrate heterogeneity.  My thesis research project investigated how invasive algal species may be facilitating epiphytic algal growth in rocky intertidal systems by providing different types of settlement structures.   Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides and Grateloupia turuturu are both invaders in New England, and they both serve as hosts to an abundance of epiphytes.  I measured species diversity, richness, and abundance of epiphytes on these invasive species, as well as native host species.  Through field surveys and manipulative experiments, I examined how these invaders positively affect algal epiphyte species, relative to native host species.