Major Research Themes:
Biodiversity Redistribution with Climate Change
The first major theme of my research focuses on anticipating potential changes in the biodiversity of coastal marine ecosystems with climate change. During my PhD, I examined the need to account for multiple environmental variables when projecting marine species range shifts in response to ocean warming. I also examined the potential for climate change to disrupt key ecological interactions, like the critical role that tropical seagrass beds play in enhancing biodiversity.
Marine Ecosystem Service Delivery in a Changing World
The second major theme of my research seeks to understand and predict the ecosystem service outcomes of habitat conservation and restoration decisions. My dissertation research examined the capacity of seagrasses in the Florida Gulf Coast to provide multiple ecosystem services, evaluating spatial patterns of service co-variation and exploring the potential for co-benefits and trade-offs from management.
Ocean Climate Solutions
An emerging theme of my research seeks to evaluate how blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) can contribute to the development of ocean climate solutions. As part of a new multi-institute collaboration (Blue Carbon Canada), my postdoc research seeks to critically evaluate the potential for coastal and marine vegetated ecosystems to provide carbon sequestration and climate mitigation benefits, recognizing that these ecosystems face substantial redistribution with ocean climate change.
