Research Interests:

            Intertidal and shallow subtidal organisms inhabit an exceptionally dynamic environment.   These organisms depend directly on water flow for important environmental factors such as light, nutrients, oxygen, and temperature.   However, excessive flow can challenge an organism's mechanical strength, causing dislodgment and even death.   Water flow and biomechanics (how an organism is built to survive in an environment) may help to explain many important aspects of an organism's ecology and physiology.   The effects of water flow can extend beyond the individual organism to influence species interactions and community dynamics.    My general interest in biology is in the effect of water flow on species interactions at the community level.   My basic philosophy is that greater understanding in marine community ecology can be gained by examining the interaction between physical and biological factors at the individual level.  

At SCSU, my first research initiative would be an examination of intertidal and subtidal species interactions and the effects by physical processes (e.g. wave exposure, currents, temperature, and salinity) on these interactions. Long Island Sound is a unique natural area representing the northern and southern most boundaries for many intertidal and subtidal species, and hence these sites lend themselves well to comparative studies with more northern research sites in the Gulf of Maine and southern research sites in Delaware Bay , Chesapeake Bay , and temperate reefs on the coast of North Carolina .  

I currently have two graduate students that are completing diverse projects in the marine sciences.   Please visit their link from this website to learn more about the research that currently takes place in my lab.