Position:
Professor & McDaniel Chair of Marine Fisheries
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Department of Marine Biology (Galveston)
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (College Station)

Research Interests:
My research centers on the community and population ecology of aquatic organisms, with a special emphasis on marine fishes. I am particularly interested in linkages between habitat selection, individual responses, and survival. My work is both laboratory and field-based, and I typically use both quantitative and experimental approaches to elucidate the importance of biotic and abiotic factors that influence growth, condition, and survival. In addition, we are currently using a variety of natural markers to solve ecological problems. Otolith chemistry is being used to retrospectively determine the environmental histories of marine fishes. The premise of otolith chemistry is that certain elements or isotopes are incorporated into otoliths in proportion to their concentrations in the environment, and thus we use these elemental fingerprints to distinguish individuals from different environments or regions. We also use dietary tracers (stable isotopes, fatty acids) to investigate marine food web structure since consumer tissues reflect the isotopic and fatty acid composition of prey in a predictable manor. These natural biomarkers provide time-integrated or long-term measures of diet, and both approaches afford information on source(s) of organic matter supporting local food webs as well as trophic relationships of associated consumers. Recent work also involves the use of sophisticated electronic tags to investigate movement and population connectivity of coastal and pelagic fishes.

Position:
Ph.D. Student

Education:
M.S. Aix-Marseille II University (2009)
M.S. La Reunion University (2007)
B.S. La Rochelle University (2006)

Research Interests:
I am interested in the early life ecology of tuna species in the Gulf of Mexico. My research focuses on the factors influencing the distribution, growth and mortality of tuna larvae in the Gulf.

Position:
Ph.D. Student

Education:
B.S. University of Texas at Austin (2008)

Research Interests:
For my thesis, I will be researching the early life ecology of dolphinfish, Coryphaena spp., in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). Dolphinfish are a commercially and recreationally valuable pelagic species, however, knowledge of their early life history is limited. A better understanding of the early life of dolphinfish is essential for proper management of this economically important species. I will determine the distribution and abundance of Coryphaena larvae through ichtyoplankton surveys in the northern Gulf. Otoliths (ear bones) deposit alternating layers of calcium carbonate and protein on a daily basis, producing growth increments that can be counted to determine age. Using otolith microstructure analysis, I will assess spatial and temporal variations in growth rate, survivability, and recruitment across the Loop Current and its associated eddy systems, which produce paired upwelling and downwelling zones in the Gulf. Also, nutritional condition, reflecting food availability, will be analyzed through RNA:DNA ratios. This research will help us to better understand the factors affecting growth and survival of dolphinfish larvae in the Gulf.

Position:
Ph.D. Student

Education:
M.S. University of West Florida (2007)
B.S. Auburn University (2004)

Research Interests:
My research interests are focused on the ecology of marine fishes, including population and community dynamics, with specific emphasis on species for which significant fisheries exist. Currently I am working on habitat use and connectivity of age 0+ (2-18 months old) red drum in Texas estuaries. I will be employing both stable isotopes and traditional stomach content analysis to look at trophic dynamics, relative contributions of primary producers, as well as connectivity of red drum utilizing different habitat types (seagrass, oyster, marsh grass, bare mud). I am also using otolith based aging techniques to look at differences in growth among different habitat types. This information is supplemented with acoustic telemetry work that will focus on ontogenetic differences in both fine-scale habitat use (resolution m2) and habitat connectivity at a bay scale (resolution 20m2). Furthermore I will be looking at red drum habitat use in response to multiple species interactions. This research will hopefully provide valuable information on essential nursery habitats and relative importance of these habitat types for red drum in Texas estuaries.

Position:
M.S. Student

Education:
B.S. Trinity University (2011)

Research Interests:
For my thesis, I am researching the early life ecology of larval flyingfish (family Exocoetidae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico.  Flyingfish play a crucial role in the food web by acting as a source of food for many large, commercially targeted species like billfish, tuna, and dolphinfish. Understanding the early life history of flyingfish could have a positive impact on these larger pelagic fish. I will use summer ichthyoplankton cruises off Louisiana to explore the distribution and abundance of larval flyingfish and then relate any spatial or temporal variation in abundance to environmental variables like temperature and salinity. Also, using otolith (ear bones) analysis I will estimate age, growth rate, and mortality rate to assess if growth differences exist among the different flyingfish species and across oceanographic features. An understanding of the early ecology of flyingfish larvae can help determine the importance of the northern Gulf of Mexico as a spawning ground and assist in identifying oceanographic factors that influence the population dynamics of flyingfishes during early life.

Position:
M.S. Student

Education:
B.A. Biology from Occidental College (2007)