Dr. Patrick Biber, Marine Botany

I work on physiology to landscapes, using tools such as PAM fluorescence, quantum sensors, SCUBA, and GIS.  My lab is working on projects in saltmarsh restoration, seagrass light requirements, and chlorophyll analyses.

• Chandeleur Islands Seagrass Assessment
• Mississippi Native Saltmarsh Plants Nursery
• Seagrasses and Water Quality

Dr. Bruce Comyns, Early life history of marine fishes

My research is primarily involved with the taxonomy and ecology of larval and young juvenile marine fishes. Several ongoing projects focus on habitat usage by these early-life-history stages, and involve both studies of age and growth, and otolith microchemistry.

Dr. Mark Peterson, Nekton (fish and decapods) resource ecology

My research interests are broadly focused on habitat-use in nekton, with particular emphasis on factors affecting recruitment success in estuarine-dependent fishes and the tradeoffs made by nekton when living in different habitats. I am particularly interested in the impacts of habitat alteration on recruitment and habitat use, the basic biology and ecology of invasive species and the impacts they have on native communities, how alteration of watersheds influence essential fish habitat of resident and estuarine-dependent species, and restoration trajectories of important coastal habitat.

• Tropical storms as a vector for dispersal of non-indigenous Nile Tilapia
• North-Central GOM Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) Manual

Dr. Jinx Campbell, Marine fungi

Researchers are examining the roles of marine fungi in estuarine function, restoration success and assessment.

• Jinx’s Fungi Lab Page

Dr. Richard Fulford, Fisheries, foodwebs & ecosystems

I work on community and ecosystem-based fisheries science, based on interactions that mediate population production and trophic transfer in aquatic food webs.

• Trophic dynamics and energy flow through aquatic ecosystems

Dr. Kevin Dillon, biogeochemical cycles of nutrients, stable isotopes

My main research interest is in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients in coastal ecosystems. We are evaluating the nitrogen dynamics in surface waters of the Mississippi Sound to examine the sources, sinks and bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). To determine the source of DON, we are characterizing the outwelling of organic matter from terrestrial watersheds and wetlands.

Dr. Chet Rakocinski, Benthic Ecology

My research centers around benthic ecology and fisheries ecology in marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats.  Research efforts address macrobenthic responses to environmental change and anthropogenic alteration, recruitment ecology of early life-stages of estuarine dependent fisheries species, habitat use, trophic ecology, and the effects of biotic interactions on trophic relationships.

• Consortium for Estuarine Ecoindicator Research for the Gulf of Mexico