Jay R. Rooker

Regents Professor
Department of Marine Biology

E-mail: rookerj@tamug.edu

Phone: +1 (409) 740.4744

Fax: +1 (409) 740.5001

Ocean & Coastal Studies Bldg., Office 243

Website

Google Scholars Page

Learn more about Jay R. Rooker

Publications

Stephens SA, Dance MA, Kline RJ, Zapp Sluis M, Stunz GW, Adams AA, Wells RJD, Rooker JR (2024) Spatial distribution and movement of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 19(3): e0298394.

Annandale SF, Turner JT, Lippi DL, Dance MA, Wells RJD, Rooker JR (2024) Habitat use and movements of parrotfishes in a Hawaiian coral reef seascape. Frontiers in Fish Science 2:1448809.

Liu H, Kobari T, Rooker JR, Bi H, Quigg A (2024) Dynamic oceanographic influences on zooplankton communities over the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf. Journal of Sea Research 199(4): 102501

Diaz-Arce N, Gagnaire PA, Richardson D, Walter J, Arnaud-Haond,..Rooker JR et al. (2024). Unidirectional trans-Atlantic gene flow and a mixed spawning area shape the genetic connectivity of Atlantic bluefin tuna. Molecular Ecology 3(1):e17188

Ramirez-Mendoza Z, Sosa-Nishizaki O, Pardo MA, Herzka SZ, Wells RJD, Rooker JR, Falterman BJ, Dreyfus-Leon M (2024). Mesoscale activity drives the habitat suitability of yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonal and interannual predictions. Scientific Reports (2024) 14:8256

Steffen C, Stephens SA, Dance MA, Lippi DL, Jensen CC, Wells RJD, Rooker JR (2023). Estuarine-coastal connectivity and partial migration of southern flounder in the Gulf of Mexico. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 294 (2023)

Rooker JR, Zapp Sluis M, Kitchens LL*, Dance MA, Falterman B, Lee JM, Liu H, Miller N, Murua H, Rooker AM, Saillant E, Walter J, Wells RJD (2023) Nursery origin of yellowfin tuna in the western Atlantic Ocean: significance of Caribbean Sea and trans-Atlantic migrants. Scientific Reports 13, 16277 (2023)

Trueman CN, Artetxe-Arrate I, Kerr LA, Meijers A, Rooker JR et al. (2023). Thermal sensitivity of field metabolic rate predicts differential futures for bluefin tuna juveniles across the Atlantic Ocean. Nature Communications (2023) 14:7379

Sanchez PJ, Dance MA, Kraus RT, Hill RL, Rooker JR (2023) Fish community characterization of mid-shelf and shelf-edge mesophotic coral ecosystems in the expanded Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Bulletin of Marine Science doi.org/10.5243/bms.2022.0014

Sanchez PJ, Sluis Zapp M, Pinsky J, Rooker JR (2022) Population structure and regional connectivity of snowy grouper Hyporthodus niveatus in the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 14e:10199

Blakeway RD, Fogg AQ, Johnston MA, Rooker JR, Jones GA (2022) Key life history attributes and removal efforts of invasive lionfish in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science 9: 2022.774407

Rooker JR, Wells RJF, Block BA, Liu H, BaumannH, Chiang WC,Sluis Zapp M, Miller NR, Mohan JA, Seiji OhshimoS, TanakaY, DanceMA, Dewar D, SnodgrassOE, Shiao JC (2021) Natal origin and age-specific egress of Pacific bluefin tuna from coastal nurseries revealed with geochemical markers. Scientific Reports 11: (2021) 14216

Zapp Sluis M, Judkins H, Dance MA, Vecchione M, Cornic M*, Sutton T, Rooker JR (2021) Family composition, abundance and habitat associations of squid paralarvae in the northern Gulf of Mexico Deep Sea Research Part 1 174: (2021) 103572

Cornic M, Rooker JR (2021) Temporal shifts in the abundance and preferred habitats of yellowfin and bigeye tuna larvae in the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Marine Systems 217: (2021) 103524

Dance MA, RookerJR, KlineRJ, QuiggA, StunzGR, WellsRJD, LaraK, LeeJM, SuarezR (2021) Importance of low-relief nursery habitat for reef fishes. Ecosphere 12(6): e03542. 10.1002/ecs2.3542

Rooker JR, Wells RJD, Addis P, ArrizabalagaH, BaptistaM, BearziG, DanceMA, et al. FraileI (2020) Natural geochemical markers reveal environmental history and population connectivity of common cuttlefish in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 17: 20200309.

Meinert CR, Clausen-Sparks C, Cornic M, Sutton TT, Rooker JR (2020) Taxonomic richness and diversity of larval fish assemblages in the oceanic Gulf of Mexico: links to oceanographic conditions. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:579.

Wetmore L*, Dance MA, Hill R, Rooker JR (2020). Community dynamics of fish assemblages on mid and outer shelf coral reefs in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:152.

Rooker JR, Dance MA, Wells RJD, Ajemian MJ, Block BA et al. (2019) Population connectivity of pelagic megafauna in the Cuba-Mexico-United States triangle. Scientific Reports 9: 1663

Rooker JR, Fraile I, Liu H, Abid N, Dance MA, Itoh T, Kimoto A, Tsukahara Y, Rodriguez-Marin E, Arrizabalaga H (2019) Wide-ranging temporal variation in transoceanic movement and population mixing of bluefin tuna in the North Atlantic Ocean. Frontiers in Marine Science 6: 398.

Rodríguez-Ezpeleta N, Díaz-Arce N, Walter III JF, Richardson DE, Rooker JR et al. (2019) Genetic assignment of Atlantic bluefin tuna natal origin: a new tool for improved management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 17: 439-444

Rooker JR, Secor DH (2019) Otolith microchemistry: migration and ecology of Atlantic bluefin tuna. In: The Future of Bluefin Tuna: Ecology, Fisheries Management, and Conservation, Block BA (ed.), Johns Hopkins University Press pp. 45-66

Presentations

2017: Shifts in the abundance of pelagic fish larvae the Gulf of Mexico: natural variability or consequence of DWHOS. Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science (GoMOSES) Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana

2016: Population connectivity: concepts, definitions, and approaches. Primer on otolith chemistry, Universidade Federal Pernambuco Fisheries Workshop, Tamandare, Brazil

2016: Primer on otolith chemistry, Universidade Federal Pernambuco Fisheries Workshop, Tamandare, Brazil

2016: Migration ecology of fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. ECO-CIEC, Cayo Coco, Cuba

2016: Rooker JR, Arrizabalaga H, Fraile I, Secor DH, Lee J, Origin and population connectivity of bluefin tuna: insights from natural chemical markers in otoliths. Bluefin Futures Symposium, Monterey, CA

2016: Rooker JR, Wells RJD, Natural tracers in the otoliths of deep sea fishes, DEEPEND PI meeting, Tampa, FL

2015: Population connectivity of marine fishes, Universidade Federal Pernambuco

2015: Trans-boundary migrations and population connectivity of demersal and pelagic fishes. 5th Brazilian Congress of Marine Biology, Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco State, Brazil (Plenary Speaker)

2015: Significance of local production and trans-ocean migrations of pelagic fishes. University of Southern Mississippi

2015: Crossing the line: migratory and homing behaviors of large pelagic fishes. Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL (Elise B. Newell Seminar Series)

Grants and Fellowships

Since 2010:

2017-2019: OAA MS/AL Sea Grant Consortium. Estimating the absolute abundance of Red Snapper in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico [PI: G. Stunz et al., Co-PIs: J. Rooker et al. $9.5 million total;
$1,379,698 to J. Rooker]

2017-2019: NOAA Saltonstall Kennedy Program. Ocean basin connectivity of Pacific bluefin tuna: linking natal origin and trans-Pacific movements into population dynamics [Co-PI: J. Rooker, $291,298 NA17NMF4270224]

2016-2019: NOAA Marine Fisheries Initiative. Life history and population structure of Snowy and Warsaw Grouper in US waters [PI: J. Rooker, $393,520, NA16NMF4330161]

2016-2018: NOAA Saltonstall Kennedy Program. Origin of yellowfin tuna in the western Atlantic Ocean: importance of outside production to US fisheries [PI: J. Rooker, $278,823 NA16NMF4270221]

2016-2017: State Wildlife Grant Program-TPWD. Temporal variability in the egress and ingress of estuarine-dependent fishes [PI: J. Rooker, $126,720]

2015-2016: NOAA Bluefin Tuna Research Program. Development of mixed-stock models for determining the origin of Bluefin Tuna [PI: J. Rooker, $116,909, NA15NMF4720107]

2016-2018: Texas OneGulf. Restoring and enhancing nursery habitats to increase fisheries production [Co:PI J. Rooker, $223,752]

2016-2018: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Biomass and Community Structure of Reef Fishes on TPWD Artificial Reefs [Co-PI: J. Rooker, $518,773]

2015-2018: Gulf of Mexico Research Institute. DEEPEND: Gulf of Mexico Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics [PI: Tracey Sutton, Co-PIs: J. Rooker et al., TAMUG award $1,505,191, J. Rooker subcontract $742,340]

2012-2015: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Nursery origin of yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico using ‘natural’ tags [PI: J. Rooker, $458,489]

2011-2013: Phases 1-3: ICCAT (Spain)/GBYP. Biological and genetic analysis of bluefin tuna-Atlantic-Wide Research Program [Consortium Proposal; Co-PI: J. Rooker €88,000 (~$120,000)]

2012-2014: NOAA Sea Grant-Texas. Movement and population connectivity of fishes across estuarine seascapes [PI: J. Rooker, $215,291 NA10OAR4170099]

2011-2014: State of Louisiana (LDWF/LSU). Impact of Deepwater Horizon incident on benthic and pelagic fish communities [Co-PI: J. Rooker, $2,937,249; J. Rooker subcontract $689,229]
NOAA-SEFSC (2011-2013). Natal origin of bluefin tuna [Co-PI: J. Rooker $154,087; J. Rooker subcontract $71,727, NA11NMF4720107]

2010-2013: McDaniel Foundation. Ocean influences on the occurrence and abundance of billfishes in the GOM [PI: J. Rooker $628,802]

2010-2011: National Science Foundation. Acquisition of instruments to facilitate and enhance education and research on marine ecosystems [PI: J. Rooker, $383,127]

2010-2011: NOAA/GMFMC (Coral Reef Conservation Program). Early life ecology of groupers on low and high diversity reefs in the northern GOM [PI: J. Rooker, $126,573, NA09NMF4410036]

2009-2010: NOAA (Cooperative Research Program). Vertical and horizontal habitat use of yellowfin tuna in the northern Gulf of Mexico [PI: J. Rooker $264,125, NA08NMF4540402]

Jay R. Rooker

Learn more about Jay R. Rooker

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