Research Interests

My research interests are in the evolution and ecology of aquatic organisms. I work with both marine and freshwater systems.

The marine aspects of the research are concentrated on corals and other invertebrates symbiotic with unicellular algae. This association is, to a great extent, responsible for the diversity and productivity of coral reef ecosystems. We have worked with several aspects of this symbiosis ranging from the specificity of the animal-protist partnership to the interdependent physiological and metabolic relationships that drive the symbiosis. Because these symbiotic systems are photosynthetic they are also subjected to tropical levels of ultraviolet radiation. Recently we have begun a study of the effects of current and projected levels of UV on photosynthetic reef organisms.

In fresh water, our research is focused on the evolution and ecology of the amphidromous stream fauna of high oceanic islands. A majority of the stream macrofauna, mollusks, crustaceans and fishes, has descended from marine ancestors and shares the amphidromous life history pattern. Adults live and breed in a stream, but the newly hatched young are swept out to sea where they mature as part of the marine zooplankton community. Eventually they recruit as post-larvae back to a stream. This life history pattern has tremendous impacts on the ecology, population biology and community structure of these species. Many streams in Hawaii are influenced by human activities (habitat alteration, introduction of alien species, dewaterment etc.), so the effects on the native stream fauna are of immediate concern.