Understanding of gene flow, connectivity, and diversity is critical to predict the stability of key marine species. The Oregon coast of the U.S.A. shows fine-scale levels of geographic variation in environmental stressors such as temperature, pH, and oxygen levels, prompting questions about the potential for local adaptation. In this thesis,...
Long-term, large-scale studies of meta-ecosystems provide critical information about how global change influences communities. In my dissertation, I analyzed data from studies encompassing 18 years (2006 – 2023) and over 1,000 km of coastline to investigate drivers of rocky intertidal community structure and dynamics. Specifically, I explored the roles of...
Understanding and predicting how regional to global scale processes affect macroalgal populations and communities requires elucidating the mechanisms underlying observed patterns. This dissertation identifies some of the underlying mechanisms that produce complex multi-scale responses of macroalgae across space and time by delineating the role of key local environmental drivers and...
Kelps are large brown algae in the order Laminariales and are foundation species that form the basis of kelp forests. Present across a quarter of the world’s coastlines, kelp forests provide diverse services to coastal communities, as habitat for commercially and culturally important species, as a food source for humans...
Ocean acidification affects all organisms that incorporate calcium carbonate into their structure, including coralline algae. Coralline algae are a key component of the intertidal ecosystem on the Oregon coast which is why it is important that we understand how the potential loss of coralline algae to ocean acidification will impact...