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I am broadly interested in the evolutionary and population ecology of colonial invertebrates. These organisms are important members of many marine communities and the goal of my research is to elucidate the reasons for their success, in particular, their ability to contend with the pressures of competition and disease. The tropical coral reef is an excellent example of a highly diverse community dominated by benthic colonial invertebrates, and thus provides an ideal environment to pursue my research interests. Using gorgonian corals as a model system, I have applied both experimental and theoretical methods to: i) determine the importance of environmental cues in colony development and assess how colony form affects life history strategies; and ii) evaluate the role of disease in the evolution of host defenses and the dynamics of marine populations and communities.
Time series photographs
of a sea fan colony affected by aspergillosis.
(A) June 96 (B) Aug 96 (C) Nov 97
Photos by C. Quirolo
Research Funding and Support
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| Last Updated: 10-Jul-2001 | |