My research project studies the impact of Pleistocene climatic oscillation son historical ecology of California sea mussels (Mytilus californianus) and purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) through the reconstruction of multiple nuclear gene genealogies.

My research interests lie in the identification of individual foraging strategies in large marine predators and in the conservation of these animals facilitated through an understanding of their use of space. Previous work has involved linking movement patterns to diving and foraging success in grey seals using multiple instrument deployments. I plan to use existing telemetry data for a number of species (loggerhead turtles, Laysan albatross and blue whales) to examine movement patterns through the use of quantitative movement models. Ultimately, I hope to distinguish individual search strategies that may be coupled to habitat type or to characteristics of prey distribution.

My research program addresses one of the central aims in ecology and evolution: understanding the species interactions that underlie the diversity and structure of natural communities. I use mathematical models combined with laboratory and field experiments to understand the ecological and evolutionary interactions that structure communities. I see mathematical models, experiments with microbes in the lab, and field experiments as a set of tools that can be used in combination with a sound understanding of natural history to answer specific questions about community structure and dynamics. My most recent research focuses on the role of dispersal and spatial heterogeneity in the ecology and evolution of a parasitoid (the virus T7) and it's host (E. coli).

Broadly, my research goal is to understand the relative importance of species interactions for the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of diverse biological communities. I use manipulative field and laboratory experiments in communities of coniferous plants and their symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi to accomplish this goal. I also use a variety of theoretical approaches as inspiration for this empirical
work.

I am interested in the diversification of lineages, from local adaptation to speciation. My thesis focused on molecular systematics and biogeography of Pacific Newts (Taricha) and the salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii.  This later species is a classic study in evolutionary biology because it is an example of a "ring species". Ring species illustrate the transition from intraspecific variation to interspecific divergence. My postdoctoral research (an NSF funded study that I wrote), in collaboration with Barry Sinervo, investigates the evolution and ecological function of phenotypic variants within E. eschscholtzii. This is a highly differentiated species, and hypotheses for the ecological function of phenotypes include mimicry of Newts, background matching, and disruptive coloration. We are addressing these hypotheses using field predation experiments, spectrophotometric studies, and other techniques. This research will provide an ecological understanding of adaptive differentiation, including the role of predator-mediated disruptive selection, within E. eschscholtzii.

Proteins involved in sexual reproduction often show rapid evolutionary divergence promoted by natural selection. We assess variation in gamete recognition proteins to see if they have been evolving under positive selection. We use molecular inferences about natural selection to study the demographic histories of three sea urchin species, in particular in association with the evolution of reproductive isolation between sympatric species

My research interests focus on the links between ecology, morphology, and physiological adaptation of marine vertebrates. In particular, I am interested to know how animals use and allocate energy for various
activities and how the environment plays a role in shaping life history patterns that affect energy usage. I have found seabirds to be particularly interesting animals to study because they have evolved interesting life history patterns to overcome many challenges for life at sea. Overall, these life histories affect the way they allocate energy for themselves and their offspring. One pattern that is fundamental to all seabirds (and some marine mammal species) is the fact that they acquire food at sea, yet seabirds must breed on land. Pelagic seabirds like albatrosses and petrels are fascinating birds to study because they can exploit distant prey resources when breeding. Essentially, they integrate energy acquisition over vast areas of open ocean at relatively short time scales since albatrosses and petrels are adapted for fast and fuel-efficient flight. In essence, where they go, how they behave, and what it costs them are fundamental questions in my research. In addition to my research on seabirds, I have been involved in several studies related to the ecology, physiology, and behavior of marine mammals including cetaceans, fur seals, and true seals.

My current research focuses on the interface between individual behavior and population level processes, using California sea otters as a model system. In particular, I am interested in the mechanisms that lead to individual-level variation in behavioral strategies: for example, alternative foraging specializations in sea otters. Such individual variation may determine the way in which density dependent processes (e.g. food limitation) act at the population level, and would likely moderate the impact of predator populations on their prey species. To study this phenomenon, my research includes the collection of behavioral and energetic data from wild sea otters, measurement of diving physiology and energy expenditure in captive otters, and the integration of these data using dynamic state variable foraging models.

My research activity mainly focuses on behavioral adaptations of seabirds and marine mammals, with special emphasis on movement and diving behavior in relation to the marine environment, and behavioral plasticity.This kind of information is now mostly acquired through emitting and/or recording telemetry, including a variety of electronic devices.

My research interests are in behavioral decisions of diving marine mammals and birds (primarily seals and
boobies) using data loggers (depth, acceleration, GPS) and optimal diving models. .