Marine and Freshwater Ecology

Dr. Charles Birkeland - coral reef recovery from damage by human activities (overfishing and nutrient input), and interactions of crustose coralline algae, coral recruitment and herbivorous fishes on the process of recovery; coral reef resource management (e.g., Marine Protected Areas); the affect of biological characteristics and life histories of coral-reef species and ecosystem processes.

Dr. Julie Brock - the community structure, trophic response and ecology of benthic invertebrates, paticularly marine polychaetes at sewage outfalls; polychaete systematics and taxonomy.

Dr. David Greenfield - the contribution of small cryptic gobies and blennies to the high species diversity of coral-reef fish communities; cryptic fishes as a trophic link between the invertebrate fauna and larger fish species of the reef; assemblage structure of cryptic fishes in relation to specific habitat parameters (niche specificity). Also, systematics of these poorly known cryptic fishes.

Dr. Kim Holland - the physiological ecology of aquatic organisms and the interface between animal behavior and physiology; relating pelagic and nearshore fishes diel movements, home range sizes and swimming strategies to their foraging success and energy budgets.

Dr. Paul Jokiel - the effects of the physical parameters on coral reef ecosystems, such as light (spectrum, intensity and modulation), temperature, water motion, salinity, various pollutants, sedimentation and nutrients; the biogeography and dispersal of reef organisms; reef structure and function, and various biological dimensions such as competition and genetic structure.

Dr. Alison Kay - systematics, ecology, and biogeography of Pacific mollusks.

Dr. Robert Kinzie - the relationship between reef building corals and their symbiotic algae; the photobiology of reef corals with particular emphasis of ultraviolet radiation; population and ecosystem level studies of Hawaiian streams with emphasis on reproductive biology and life history patterns of diadromous endemic fishes, crustaceans, and mollusks of Hawaiian streams

Dr. George Losey (Emeritus Faculty)- the behavioral control of sex change, analysis of social or symbiotic communication, the functions of UV-sensitive vision in marine fishes and invertebrates and continuing interest in cleaning symbiosis.

Dr. James Parrish - aquatic species interactions and community ecology in relation to nearshore fisheries; predation, trophic ecology, and the trophic structure of communities; competion between native and alien coastal marine fishes.

Dr. Ernie Reese (Emeritus Faculty)- the relationship of food and feeding behavior to behavioral ecology and life history characteristics, coevolution of corals and reef fishes, orientation behavior of butterflyfishes, and the use of butterflyfishes as indicators of conditions on coral reefs.

Dr. John Stimson - the operation of the zooxanthellae--coral mutualism; the influence of the interactions between corals and other organisms on the diversity within coral communities; the process of succession in coral communities; growth rates and morphology of corals.

Dr. Tim Tricas - the evolution of social systems, coevolution between coral-feeding butterflyfishes and their food corals, the use of butterflyfishes as biological indicators of reef health, and recruitment processes of larvae to coral reefs; mating strategies, reproductive endocrinology, and neuroendocrine systems that may affect sensory processing in fishes.