Published Research

Harmful algae blooms (HABs) in coastal marine environments are increasing in number and duration, pressuring local resource managers to implement mitigation solutions to protect human and ecosystem health. However, insufficient spatial and temporal observations create uninformed management decisions. In order ...

Lake Erie western basin (WB) cyanobacterial blooms are a yearly summer occurrence; however, blooms have also been reported in the offshore waters of the central basin (CB), and very little is known about what drives these blooms or their potential ...

Life history characters of the spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) have tremendous potential to discern trends in environmental conditions within and among estuaries. The species is widely distributed (i.e., from North Carolina to Mexico), is both commercially and recreationally important, and ...

In a relatively short time, artificial reef researchers have established a rich and valuable archive of information from which to build future research programs. The personal interactions and dialog essential for the development of "good science" has been established and ...

Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), is a nonmigratory game fish common in the Gulf of Mexico that is important in estuarine ecosystems. Population dynamics of spotted seatrout were examined using otolith-based age-and-growth models derived from observed and back-calculated length-at-age values. These ...

The importance of restoring filter-feeders, such as the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, to mitigate the effects of eutrophication (e.g. in Chesapeake Bay) is currently under debate. The argument that bivalve molluscs alone cannot control phytoplankton blooms and reduce hypoxia oversimplifies a ...

An important ecological role ascribed to oysters is the transfer of materials from the water column to the benthos as they feed on suspended particles (seston). This ecosystem service has been often touted as a major reason for many oyster ...

Reefs and beds formed by oysters such as the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica and the Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida Carpenter 1864† were dominant features in many estuaries throughout their native ranges. Many of these estuaries no longer have healthy, productive reefs because ...

Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) habitat is increasingly being restored for the ecosystem services it provides rather than solely as a fishery resource. Community‐based projects with the goal of ecological restoration have successfully constructed oyster reefs; however, the habitat benefits of ...

Native oyster reefs once dominated many estuaries, ecologically and economically. Centuries of resource extraction exacerbated by coastal degradation have pushed oyster reefs to the brink of functional extinction worldwide. We examined the condition of oyster reefs across 144 bays and ...