Research Experience:

• 2006. Shoals Marine Laboratory, Appledore Island, NH.  “Antipredatory strategies of an aeolid nudibranch in response to a fish predator”. In collaboration with Dr. Brian Penney.

• 2002 – 2005. Dissertation research. University of Connecticut.  Dissertation title: “The reproductive ecology of two wrasses: a focus on reproductive variation in females”.

• 2004. Graduate Research Fellow. Lizard Island Research Station, Queensland, Australia.  Investigating inter-population variation of a female nuptial signal in the pink-belly wrasse.  Dissertation research.

• 2002. Graduate Research Fellow. Tropical Biosphere Research Station, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.  Investigating the influence of social environment on a nuptial signal displayed by female pink-belly wrasse. Dissertation research.

• 2000 – 2002. Graduate Research Assistant. University of Connecticut.  Estimating the annual fecundity for a multiple spawner, tautog (Tautoga onitis).  Conducted captive and field experiments to determine the influence of intraseasonal variations (environmental and biological) on annual fecundity estimates for tautog in Long Island Sound, Connecticut.  Dissertation research.

• 1997. Research Assistant. Lizard Island Research Station, Queensland, Australia.  1) Assisted with field collections of shrimp gobies for a systematics study.  Collection was carried out using SCUBA and hand-held spears.  2) Participated in an Acanthaster eradication project and population census. 

• 1996. Research Assistant. Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology: jointly with California State University at Long Beach. Independent study investigating a synaptid holothurian hosting symbiotic zooxanthellae. 

• 1995 – 1996. Laboratory Research Assistant. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Computer mapping and interpretation of the distribution of fishes and invertebrates in the Southern California Bight.  Compiled physical and chemical historical effluent data from sanitation districts of the Bight into a database.  Recorded and measured benthic brittle stars.

• 1995. Intern.  Southern California Coastal Water Research Project.  1) Conducted research to compare the reliability of three different methods used for determining fish biomass.  2) Collection and analysis of fish and invertebrate data used for a regional study in the Southern California Bight.

• 1993 – 1994. Naturalist/Educator.   Southern California Marine Institute.  Educated students on the identification and recording of biological and oceanographic information aboard the R/V Yellowfin.  Live animals were collected using otter trawls and plankton tows. Assisted with the aquaculture of mini rock reefs (for large salt-water aquariums) and abalone.  Rock reefs were raised in a flow-through seawater system in a laboratory; abalone were raised under the same conditions initially and then transplanted using SCUBA to man-made rocky reefs at Santa Catalina Island.