My research interests span a broad range of marine ecological questions. I focus primarily on ecological processes in nearshore, intertidal and subtidal marine communities, including competition, herbivory, predation, and facilitation. I am also interested in how these processes may vary in strength across both temporal and spatial scales. I believe in employing a suite of different techniques in my research, including theoretical modeling, field and laboratory manipulations, and biogeographical comparisons. There are several active areas of research in my laboratory that are conducted by myself, my graduate students, and my undergraduates.

Three areas of research are summarized below. I welcome prospective students to contact me who have prior research experience and are interested in any of these (or related) research questions.

1) Macroalgal blooms
Large accumulations of macroalgae are a cosmopolitan phenomenon of protected, eutrophied estuaries around the world, These prolific blooms (>400g/m2) are a persistent feature of shallow areas of Narragansett Bay, RI during the summer months, although their abundance and species composition varies both spatially and temporally. Numerous invertebrate species are associated with these macroalgal blooms. We are investigating a myriad of ecological interactions between bloom species and herbivores, including herbivory and herbivore preferences, decomposition, and the facilitation of bloom growth through herbivore overcompensation and competitive release. We are also interested in the impacts of climate change on macroalgal bloom dynamics. In addition, with our collaborators, we also study macroalgal nutrient uptake dynamics and assess macroalgal bloom species richness through molecular phylogenetic techniques.

2) Epiphyte-herbivore interactions
Epiphytic macroalgae are small, often filamentous species that live attached to larger host macroalgal species. Algal epiphytes can increase the structural complexity of their host algal species, which may, in turn, increase the suitability of the host as habitat for mesoherbivores.. The epiphytes provide both protection from predators for the mesoherbivores as well as a food source, as mesoherbivores preferentially consume some species of small, filamentous algae. This consumption can be beneficial to the host alga by reducing negative impacts of shading and competition for nutrients that epiphytes exert on their host. We investigate these epiphyte-herbivore interactions in through a suite of field surveys and manipulative experiments.

3) Trophic dynamics, including invasive species
Trophic dynamics play important and vital roles in structuring ecological communities. We investigate trophic linkages (macroalgal-herbivore and herbivore-predator) in a variety of marine intertidal and subtidal systems, to better understand the nature of (and strengths of) these interactions. When invasive species become established in an area and form new trophic linkages, there is potential for the entire community structure to become altered (through direct and/or indirect interactions). Invasive species can be found on every trophic level, including macroalgae, herbivores, and predators. We thus are very interested in the trophic dynamics of these species as they become established members of their communities.