Mark A. Hixon

Helen Thompson Professor of Marine Conservation Biology

B.A. 1973, M.A. 1974, Ph.D. 1979, University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Mark Hixon Department of Zoology Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-2914 phone: 541-737-5364 fax: 541-737-0501 e-mail: hixonm@science.oregonstate.edu

Overview:

Mark Hixon has been a professor in OSU's Department of Zoology since 1984. His expertise is the ecology of coastal marine fishes in both temperate and tropical regions, emphasizing undersea observations and experiments. He completed his Ph.D. at U.C. Santa Barbara, where he studied the ecology of kelp-forest fishes, and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Hawai`i, where began his studies of coral-reef fishes. Off Oregon, Mark has participated in long-term manned submersible studies of groundfish communities inhabiting the outer continental shelf. He has also published on projects in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the Great Barrier Reef, and French Polynesia. His research has clarified mechanisms that naturally regulate populations and sustain biodiversity of marine fishes. In 2004, he was honored by ISI Citation Index as the most cited American author on coral reefs in the past decade. A Fulbright Senior Scholar and Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellow, Mark serves on the editorial boards of three scientific journals: Coral Reefs, Ecology, and Ecological Monographs. He also serves on the National Science Foundation Geosciences Directorate Federal Advisory Committee, and as a scientific advisor for a variety of marine conservation organizations, including the Pacific Marine Conservation Council and the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea. Mark is an executive appointee of both the Clinton and Bush administrations to the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, which he currently chairs.

Professional Biography:

As a professor, I am involved in teaching, research, and public service. I currently teach various graduate seminars, a large undergraduate course in Ecology (BI 370), a smaller upper-division course in Marine Ecology with a field lab (Z 351/352), and a combined undergraduate/graduate course in Marine Conservation Biology (Z 464/564), co-taught with Dr. Selina Heppell of the OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. My research focuses on the ecology of coastal marine fishes on both temperate rocky reefs and tropical coral reefs, although I have studied a variety of other organisms, including seaweeds and hummingbirds. My major research interests include population dynamics (particularly the mechanisms that naturally regulate population sizes) and community ecology (particularly the mechanisms that affect and maintain local species diversity), especially in the context of sustaining fisheries and conserving biodiversity. My major public service involves (1) editing peer-reviewed scientific journals as an associate editor of Ecology, Ecological Monographs, and Coral Reefs, and (2) advising marine conservation and research efforts, primarily at the federal level by service on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee and the National Science Foundation Geosciences Directorate Federal Advisory Committee. Please see the Summer 1997 issue (#4) of ReefNet and the Spring 2004 issue (vol.5, no.2) of the OSU Science Record for more detailed descriptions of my career and research. Please see below for a list of my publications, as well as those by my recent graduate students.

Larry Allen

Temperate Rocky-Reef Research: My graduate work at U.C. Santa Barbara with Dr. Al Ebeling focused on SCUBA studies of the behavior and ecology of kelp-forest fishes, including predation by Pacific electric rays, published with Dick Bray [now a professor at California State University at San Marcos] (1978 Science), competition between species of surfperch (1980 Ecology), and territoriality in black surfperch (1981 Copeia). While in graduate school, I also published a theoretical model on the mechanisms that determine feeding territory size (1980, 1982 American Naturalist), which led to postdoctoral work with Dr. F. Lynn Carpenter [U.C. Irvine] on hummingbirds (American Naturalist 1983, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1983, American Zoologist 1987, 1988, etc.). During the past several decades, I have been involved in studies of the distribution of groundfishes among seafloor habitats on the outer continental shelf of Oregon using manned submersibles (Fishery Bulletin 1989, 1992, 1995, 2002, etc.). This research has led to collaborative recommendations regarding sustainability of demersal fisheries (Fisheries 1999, 2000, 2004, etc.). My current research focuses on the age-old question of what drives and regulates population sizes of marine fishes at multiple spatial scales, more recently in the context of marine protected areas. Answers to this question are of fundamental importance for managing fisheries, conserving marine species, and understanding the ecology of the oceans. The major difficulty in providing answers lies in the complex life cycle of most marine fishes, which as adults are associated with the ocean bottom: a planktonic egg and larval phase during which developing fish drift and swim in the open ocean, followed by settlement to the seafloor and a relatively sedentary juvenile and adult phase, located either near or far from where the fish were spawned. This interest has led me to make use of coral reefs as model systems, which can be experimentally manipulated in situ more easily than temperate systems, providing stronger inference regarding ecological mechanisms.

Larry Allen

Tropical Coral-Reef Research: My original experience studying coral reefs using SCUBA was my postdoctoral work at the University of Hawai'i, hosted by Dr. George Losey, where I focused in the effects of grazing by different groups of fishes on ecological succession and local species diversity of seaweeds in collaboration with Bill Brostoff [now at the U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station] (1983 Science, 1996 Ecological Monographs, etc.). This work led to a theoretical model on the combined effects of predation and prey refuges on the local species diversity of prey, published with Dr. Bruce Menge [OSU] (1991 Theoretical Population Biology). Subsequently, I studied the role of predation and prey refuges in structuring ecological communities of reef fishes in the U.S. Virgin Islands with Dr. Jim Beets [now at the University of Hawai'i] (1993 Ecological Monographs, etc.), early post-settlement mortality of unicorn surgeonfish in French Polynesia with a team of Australian and French scientists (2004 Ecology), and the role of predation vs competition in regulating local population sizes of Ambon's damselfish on the Great Barrier Reef with Dr. Geoff Jones [James Cook University] (2005 Ecology). Currently, my lab works at the Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC) in the Bahamas. Here, especially with postdoctoral associates Mark Carr [now a professor at U.C. Santa Cruz] and Todd Anderson [now a professor at San Diego State University], we have experimentally manipulated the abundance of newly settled fish, the abundance of their potential predators and competitors, and reef structure (which provides shelter from predation) to determine the relative roles of these factors in driving population dynamics and regulating community structure (1996 Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 1997 Science, 1998 Australian Journal of Ecology, 2002 Ecology, 2002 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, etc.). More recently, we have initiated studies of the function of marine protected areas (MPAs), testing the two mechanisms by which MPAs are thought to replenish marine populations: (1) the "spillover" effect, whereby fish that settle and grow inside MPAs eventually swim to adjacent fished areas, thereby sustaining fisheries, and (2) the "seeding" effect, whereby larvae spawned by fish inside MPAs disperse to and replenish fished populations outside MPAs. Research on spillover, in collaboration with Dr. Craig Dahlgren [Perry Institute for Marine Science], involves tagging and tracking Nassau grouper in and about the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in the Bahamas, and well as near CMRC. Research on seeding involves genetic studies of bicolor damselfish at multiple sites within the Bahamas that provide information on larval dispersal as well as self-recruitment (self-seeding). Most recently, in collaboration with Drs. Jim Beets [University of Hawai'i], Brian Tissot [Washington State University], and Stosh Thompson [Cascadia Conservation Trust], we are also testing the seeding effect on yellow tang on the Big Island of Hawai'i. This species is probably the most collected aquarium fish in the world, and is now protected by a network of marine reserves along the Kohala-Kona coast. My current projects are funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Undersea Research Program, and Conservation International.

Editorial Service: I serve on the editorial boards of three scientific journals: Coral Reefs, Ecology, and Ecological Monographs.

Conservation Service: My conservation focus is sustainable fisheries and fish habitats, especially in the context of marine protected areas. Trained as a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, I sit on the Board of Advisors of the Pacific Marine Conservation Council, and serve on scientific advisory panels for the Sustainable Ecosystems Institute and the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea. In 2001 (Clinton Administration), 2003 and 2005 (Bush Administration), I was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to serve on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, which I currently chair. I also serve on the National Science Foundation Geosciences Directorate Federal Advisory Committee.

Honors and Awards:

1979: Seawright Award for Best Student Paper, Western Society of Naturalists.

1989: Distinguished Marine Biologist Lectureship, Marine Science Program, University of Puerto Rico.

1990: Eminent Ecologist Lectureship, Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University.

1993: Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, Research and Teaching at James Cook University, Australia.

1996: Offered position as Maytag Endowed Chair of Ichthyology, University of Miami.

1998: Mortar Board Senior Honor Society "Top Prof" Award, Oregon State University.

Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching, Oregon State University.

1999: Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellowship, sponsored by the Ecological Society of America.

Marine Superspeaker Lectureship, Duke University Marine Laboratory.

2001: Appointed to Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee.

Ron Hering Mission of Service Award, The ManKind Project.

2002: Offered position as Mote Eminent Scholar in Fisheries Ecology, Florida State University.

2003: Re-appointed to Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee as subcommittee chair.

2004: President of the Western Society of Naturalists.

Recognition by ISI Citation Index as most cited U.S. author on coral reef ecology in past decade.

2005: Re-appointed to Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee.

2006: Appointed to National Science Foundation Geosciences Directorate Federal Advisory Committee.

Elected chair of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee.

Refereed Publications: papers noted with an asterisk [*] can be obtained from me as Adobe Acrobat files:

[Note: As a policy I do not tack my name on my graduate students' publications, the most recent of which are listed below my publications.]

* Bray, R.N., and M.A. Hixon. 1978. Night-shocker: predatory behavior of the Pacific electric ray (Torpedo californica). Science 200: 333-334. [included cover photo]

Hixon, M.A. 1979. Competition between California reef fishes: niche inclusion or coextension? Pages 170-178 in S.J. Lipovsky and C.A. Simenstad (eds.) Fish Food Habit Studies. Proc. 2nd Pacific Workshop, Washington Sea Grant, WSG-WO-79-1.

Hixon, M.A. 1979. The halfmoon, Medialuna californiensis, as a cleaner fish. California Fish and Game 65(2): 118-119.

Hixon, M.A. 1979. Term fetuses from a large thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus. California Fish and Game 65(3): 194-195.

* Hixon, M.A. 1980. Food production and competitor density as the determinants of feeding territory size. American Naturalist 115: 510-530.

* Hixon, M.A. 1980. Competitive interactions between California reef fishes of the genus Embiotoca. Ecology 61: 918-931.

Hixon, M.A. 1981. An experimental analysis of territoriality in the California reef fish Embiotoca jacksoni (Embiotocidae). Copeia 1981: 653-665.

Hixon, M.A., and W.N. Brostoff. 1981. Fish grazing and community structure of Hawaiian reef algae. Proceedings of the 4th International Coral Reef Symposium 2: 507-514. Marine Sciences Center, University of the Philippines; Quezon City, Philippines.

* Hixon, M.A. 1982. Energy maximizers and time minimizers: theory and reality. American Naturalist 119: 596-599.

Hixon, M.A., and W.N. Brostoff. 1982. Differential fish grazing and benthic community structure on Hawaiian reefs. Pages 249-257 in G.M. Cailliet and C.A. Simenstad (eds.) Fish Food Habit Studies. Proc. 3rd Pacific Workshop, Washington Sea Grant, WSG-WO-82-2.

* Hixon, M.A., and W.N. Brostoff. 1983. Damselfish as keystone species in reverse: intermediate disturbance and diversity of reef algae. Science 220: 511-513. [reviewed in "News of Views" column of Nature (1983) 306:17]

* Hixon, M.A., F.L. Carpenter, and D.C. Paton. 1983. Territory area, flower density, and time budgeting in hummingbirds: an experimental and theoretical analysis. American Naturalist 122: 366-391.

* Carpenter, F.L., D.C. Paton, and M.A. Hixon. 1983. Weight gain and adjustment of feeding territory size in migrant hummingbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 80: 7259-7263. [reviewed in "News of Views" column of Nature (1984) 311:603-604]

Hixon, M.A. 1983. Fish grazing and community structure of reef corals and algae: a synthesis of recent studies. Pages 79-87 in M.L. Reaka (ed.) The Ecology of Deep and Shallow Coral Reefs. NOAA Symposia Series for Underwater Research 1(1); Rockville, Md.

Hixon, M.A. 1985. Overview: coral reef community structure and function. Pages 27-32 in M.L. Reaka (ed.) The Ecology of Coral Reefs. NOAA Symposia Series for Underwater Research 3(1); Rockville, Md.

Hixon, M.A., and W.N. Brostoff. 1985. Substrate characteristics, fish grazing, and epibenthic reef assemblages off Hawaii. Bulletin of Marine Science 37: 200-213.

Hixon, M.A. 1986. Fish predation and local prey diversity. Pages 235-257 in C.A. Simenstad and G.M. Cailliet (ed.) Contemporary Studies on Fish Feeding. Junk Publ.; Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Hixon, M.A. 1987. Territory area as a determinant of mating systems. American Zoologist 27: 229-247.

Carpenter, F.L., and M.A. Hixon. 1988. A new function for torpor: fat conservation in a wild migrant hummingbird. Condor 90: 373-378.

Hixon, M.A., and F.L. Carpenter. 1988. Distinguishing energy maximizers from time minimizers: a comparative study of two hummingbird species. American Zoologist 28: 913-925.

Hixon, M.A., and J.P. Beets. 1989. Shelter characteristics and Caribbean fish assemblages: experiments with artificial reefs. Bulletin of Marine Science 44: 666-680.

Pearcy, W.G., D.L. Stein, M.A. Hixon, E.K. Pikitch, W.H. Barss, and R.M. Starr. 1989. Submersible observations of deep-reef fishes of Heceta Bank, Oregon. Fishery Bulletin 87: 955-965.

Carpenter, F.L., M.A. Hixon, A. Hunt, and R.W. Russell. 1991. Why hummingbirds have such large crops. Evolutionary Ecology 5:405-414. [reviewed in "News of Views" column of Nature (1991) 353:796]

Carpenter, F.L., M.A. Hixon, D.C. Paton, E.J. Temeles, and R.W. Russell. 1991. Sexual differences in resource acquisition by migrant hummingbirds. 20th International Ornithological Congress 2: 1156-1165. New Zealand Ornithological Congress Trust Board; Wellington, NZ.

Ebeling, A.W., and M.A. Hixon. 1991. Tropical and temperate reef fishes: comparison of community structures. Pages 509-563 in P.F. Sale (ed.) The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs. Academic Press; San Diego, California.

Hixon, M.A. 1991. Predation as a process structuring coral-reef fish communities. Pages 475-508 in P.F. Sale (ed.) The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs. Academic Press; San Diego, California.

Hixon, M.A., and B.A. Menge. 1991. Species diversity: prey refuges modify the interactive effects of predation and competition. Theoretical Population Biology 39: 178-200.

Buchheim, J.R., and M.A. Hixon. 1992. Competition for shelter holes in the coral-reef fish Acanthemblemaria spinosa Metzelaar. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 164:45-54.

Stein, D.L., B.N. Tissot, and M.A. Hixon. 1992. Fish-habitat associations on a deep reef at the edge of the Oregon continental shelf. Fishery Bulletin 90:540-551.

* Carpenter, F.L., M.A. Hixon, C.A. Beuchat, R.W. Russell, and D.C. Paton. 1993. Biphasic mass gain in migrant rufous hummingbirds: body composition changes, use of torpor, and ecological significance. Ecology 74:1173-1182.

Carpenter, F.L., M.A. Hixon, R.W. Russell, D.C. Paton, and E.J. Temeles. 1993. Interference asymmetries among age-sex classes of rufous hummingbirds during migratory stopovers. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 33:297-304.

Carpenter, F.L., M.A. Hixon, E.J. Temeles, R.W. Russell, and D.C. Paton. 1993. Exploitative compensation by subordinate age-sex classes of migrant rufous hummingbirds. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 33:305-312.

* Hixon, M.A., and J.P. Beets. 1993. Predation, prey refuges, and the structure of coral-reef fish assemblages. Ecological Monographs 63:77-101.

Beets, J.P., and M.A. Hixon. 1994. Distribution, persistence, and growth of groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) on artificial and natural patch reefs in the Virgin Islands. Bulletin of Marine Science 55:470-483.

* Russell, R.W., F.L. Carpenter, M.A. Hixon, and D.C. Paton. 1994. The impact of variation in stopover habitat quality on migrant rufous hummmingbirds. Conservation Biology 8:483-490.

* Carr, M.H., and M.A. Hixon. 1995. Predation effects on early post-settlement survivorship of coral reef fishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series 124:31-42.

Starr, R.M., D.S. Fox, M.A. Hixon, B.N. Tissot, G.E. Johnson, and W.H. Barss. 1995. Comparison of submersible-survey and hydroacoustic-survey estimates of fish density on a rocky bank. Fishery Bulletin 94:113-123.

* Caley, M.J., M.H. Carr, M.A. Hixon, T.P. Hughes, G.P. Jones, and B.A. Menge. 1996. Recruitment and the local dynamics of open marine populations. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 27:477-500.

Hixon, M.A. 1996. What is "recruitment limitation" anyway? Reef Encounter 19:5-6.

* Hixon, M.A., and W.N. Brostoff. 1996. Succession and herbivory: effects of differential fish grazing on Hawaiian coral-reef algae. Ecological Monographs 66:67-90.

* Carr, M.H., and M.A. Hixon. 1997. Artificial reefs: the importance of comparisons with natural reefs. Fisheries 22(4):28-33.

Hixon, M.A. 1997. The effects of reef fishes on corals and algae. Pages 230-248 in C. Birkeland (ed.) Life and Death of Coral Reefs. Chapman and Hall; New York, New York.

* Hixon, M.A., and M.H. Carr. 1997. Synergistic predation, density dependence, and population regulation in marine fish. Science 277:946-949. [reviewed in "This Week in Science" column of Science (1997) 277:879]

Hixon, M.A. 1998. Plenary address--Population dynamics of coral reef fishes: let’s get pluralistic! Pages 11-18 in G.P. Jones, P.J. Doherty, B.D. Mapstone, and L. Howlett (eds.) ReeFish ’95: Recruitment and Population Dynamics of Coral Reef Fishes. Reef Research Center; Townsville, Australia.

* Hixon, M.A. 1998. Population dynamics of coral-reef fishes: controversial concepts and hypotheses. Australian Journal of Ecology 23:192-201.

* Booth, D.J., and M.A. Hixon. 1999. Food ration and condition affect early survival of the coral reef damselfish, Stegastes partitus. Oecologia 121:364-368.

* Murray, S.N., R.F. Ambrose, J.A. Bohnsack, L.W. Botsford, M.H. Carr, G.E. Davis, P.K. Dayton, D. Gotshall, D.R. Gunderson, M.A. Hixon, J. Lubchenco, M. Mangel, A. MacCall, D.A. McArdle, J.C. Ogden, J. Roughgarden, R.M. Starr, M.J. Tegner, and M.M. Yoklavich. 1999. No-take reserve networks: protection for fishery populations and marine ecosystems. Fisheries 24(11):11-25.

* Parker, S.J., S.A. Berkeley, J.T. Golden, D.R. Gunderson, J. Heifetz, M.A. Hixon, R. Larson, B.M. Leaman, M.S. Love, J.A. Musick, V.M. O’Connell, S. Ralston, H.J. Weeks, and M.M. Yoklavich. 2000. Management of Pacific rockfish. Fisheries 25(3):22-30.

* Webster, M.S., and M.A. Hixon. 2000. Mechanisms and individual consequences of intraspecific competition in a coral reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 196:187-194.

* Hixon, M.A. 2001. Coral-reef fishes. Pages 538-542 in J.H. Steele, K.K. Turekian, and S.A. Thorpe (eds.) Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences. Academic Press; London, United Kingdom.

* Hixon, M.A., P.D. Boersma, M.L. Hunter, F. Micheli, E.A. Norse, H.P. Possingham, and P.V.R. Snelgrove. 2001. Oceans at risk: research priorities in marine conservation. Pages 125-154 in M.E. Soulé and G.H. Orians (eds.) Conservation Biology: Research Priorities for the Next Decade. Island Press; Washington, D.C.

Micheli, F., G.A. Polis, P.D. Boersma, M.A. Hixon, E.A. Norse, P.V.R. Snelgrove, and M.E. Soulé. 2001. Human alteration of food webs: research priorities for conservation and management. Pages 31-57 in M.E. Soulé and G.H. Orians (eds.) Conservation Biology: Research Priorities for the Next Decade. Island Press; Washington, D.C.

* Anderson, T.W., C.T. Bartels, M.A. Hixon, E. Bartels, M.H. Carr, and J.M. Shenker. 2002. Current flow and catch efficiency in sampling settlement-stage larvae of coral-reef fishes. Fishery Bulletin 100:404-413.

* Carr, M.H., T.W. Anderson, and M.A. Hixon. 2002. Biodiversity, population regulation, and the stability of coral-reef fish communities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99:11241-11245. [covered by Associated Press and other news organizations]

* Graham, M.H., P.K Dayton, and M.A. Hixon. 2002. Paradigms in ecology: past, present, and future. Ecology 83:1479-1480. [Introduction to Special Feature]

* Hixon, M.A., S. W. Pacala, and S.A. Sandin. 2002. Population regulation: historical context and contemporary challenges of open vs. closed systems. Ecology 83:1490-1508. [recognized by ISI Citation Index as being in top 1% cited publications in ecology during 2000-2004]

* Hixon, M.A., and M.S. Webster 2002. Density dependence in reef fishes: coral-reef populations as model systems. Pages 303-325 in P.F. Sale (ed.) Coral Reef Fishes: Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex Ecosystem. Academic Press; San Diego, California.

* Nasby-Lucas, N.M., B.W. Embley, M.A. Hixon, S.G. Merle, B.N. Tissot, D.J. Wright. 2002. Integration of submersible transect data and high-resolution multibeam sonar imagery for a habitat-based groundfish assessment of Heceta Bank, Oregon. Fishery Bulletin 100:739-751.

* Harding, J.A., G.R. Almany, L.D. Houck, and M.A. Hixon. 2003. Experimental analysis of monogamy in the Caribbean cleaning goby, Gobiosoma evelynae. Animal Behavior 65:865-874.

* Hixon, M.A. 2003. How do so many species of coral-reef fishes coexist? Pages 216-217 in G.C. Ray and J. McCormick-Ray. Coastal-Marine Conservation: Science and Policy. Blackwell Science Limited; Malden, Massachusetts.

* Berkeley, S.A., M.A. Hixon, R.J. Larson, and M.S. Love. 2004. Fisheries sustainability via protection of age structure and spatial distribution of fish populations. Fisheries 29(8):23-32. [reviewed in Trends in Ecology and Evolution (2005)]

* Doherty, P.J., V. Dufour, R. Galzin, M.A. Hixon, M.G. Meekan, and S. Planes. 2004. High mortality during settlement is a population bottleneck for a tropical surgeonfish. Ecology 85:2422–2428.

* Harley, C.D.G., M.A. Hixon, and L.A. Levin. 2004. Scientific writing and publishing—a guide for students. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 85:74-78.

* Hixon, M.A., and G.P. Jones. 2005. Competition, predation, and density-dependent mortality in demersal marine fishes. Ecology 86:2847-2859. [Concepts and Synthesis lead article]

* Hixon, M.A. 2006. Competition. Pages 449-465 in L.G. Allen, D.J. Pondella, and M.H. Horn (eds.) The Ecology of Marine Fishes: California and Adjacent Waters. University of California Press: Berkeley, California.

* Francis, R.C., M.A. Hixon, M.E. Clarke, S.A. Murawski, and S. Ralston. 2007. Ten commandments for ecosystem-based fisheries scientists. Fisheries 32:219-233.

* Hixon, M.A., and B.N. Tissot. 2007. Comparison of trawled vs untrawled mud seafloor assemblages of fishes and macroinvertebrates at Coquille Bank, Oregon. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 344:23-34.

Hixon, M.A. In press. Carrying capacity. In S.E. Jørgensen (ed.) Encyclopedia of Ecology. Elsevier Press; Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Hixon, M.A. In press. Reef fishes, seaweeds, and corals: a complex triangle. In C. Birkeland (ed.) Life and Death of Coral Reefs. Second edition. Chapman and Hall; New York, New York.

Dissertation Publications by Recent Graduate Students:

Dr. Glenn Almany (NSF Predoctoral Fellow) Current position: Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (following completion of a postdoctoral fellowship at James Cook University)

Almany, G. R. 2003. Priority effects in coral reef fish communities. Ecology 84:1920-1935.

Almany, G. R. 2004. Differential effects of habitat complexity, predators and competitors on abundance of juvenile and adult coral reef fishes. Oecologia 141:105-113.

Almany, G. R. 2004. Does increased habitat complexity reduce predation and competition in coral reef fish assemblages? Oikos 106:275-284.

Almany, G. R. 2004. Priority effects in coral reef fish communities of the Great Barrier Reef. Ecology 85:2872-2880.

Almany, G. R., and M. S. Webster. 2004. Odd species out as predators reduce diversity of coral-reef fishes. Ecology 85:2933-2937.

Almany, G. R. and M. S. Webster. 2006. The predation gauntlet: early post-settlement mortality in coral reef fishes. Coral Reefs 25: 19-22.

Dr. Karen Overholtzer-McLeod Current position: Director of Science, Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea

Overholtzer-McLeod, K. L. 2004. Variance in reef spatial structure masks density dependence of coral-reef fish populations on natural versus artificial reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 276: 269-280.

Overholtzer-McLeod, K. L. 2005. Post-settlement emigration affects mortality estimates for two Bahamian wrasses. Coral Reefs 24: 283–291.

Overholtzer-McLeod, K. L. 2006. Consequences of patch reef spacing for density-dependent mortality of coral reef fishes. Ecology 87: 1017-1026.

Dr. Michael Webster (NSF Predoctoral Fellow) Current position: Program Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Webster, M. S. 2002. Role of predators in the early post-settlement demography of coral-reef fishes. Oecologia 131:52-60.

Webster, M. S., and G. R. Almany. 2002. Positive indirect effects in a coral reef fish community. Ecology Letters 5:549-557.

Webster, M. S. 2003. Temporal density dependence and population regulation in a marine fish. Ecology 84:623-628.

Webster, M. S. 2004. Density dependence via intercohort competition in a coral-reef fish. Ecology 85: 986-994.

Current Graduate Students

(no, you don't have to be a Mark to join our lab)

Mark Albins (NSF Predoctoral Fellow)

Mark Christie

Darren Johnson (NSERC Predoctoral Fellow)

Chris Stallings

[last updated June 2007]

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