The influence of the physical environment on organisms has long been a subject of ecological research. But, the complex drivers of environmental variation, and the multiple scales at which this can occur, make studying this topic a difficult challenge. In rocky intertidal habitats, oceanographic- and climate-scale variability influence benthic communities...
The role that anthropogenic and natural habitats in estuaries play in long-term population trends for Oregon’s nearshore marine fishes is poorly understood, in part due to limited temporal sampling. One important nearshore marine group is northeastern Pacific rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), which are highly diverse, with around 96 documented species, and...
Most benthic marine fishes have a biphasic life cycle with a dispersive pelagic larval stage that spends weeks to months in the plankton before metamorphosing into juveniles and settling to benthic habitats. The magnitude of mortality during the early life stages of marine fishes typically drives variability in year-class strength....
Dynamic seascapes, which are classified using a combination of remotely sensed data and model output, represent a potential tool for dynamic ecosystem-based management in marine systems. This work explores the utility of seascape classification in the context of marine resource management by examining two case studies: one involving biological relationships...
Interest is expanding for the potential role of estuaries, particularly seagrass and salt marsh habitats, to sequester carbon, mitigate ocean acidification, and support abundant fisheries. The important functions of estuaries are part of a broader set of ecosystem services, or benefits to humans, which are regulated by ocean and watershed...
The group of scientists that make up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found in 2007 that the warming of Earth’s climate is unequivocal and largely due to human activity. Earth’s climate has changed in the past, though the recent magnitude and pace of changes are unprecedented in human existence....