| 1978: |
Stoye Award for Best Student Paper (runner-up), American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. |
| 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. |
| 1991: |
Vice-President of the Gilbert Ichthyological Society. |
| 1994: |
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 Professor Award, Oregon State University. |
| 1998: |
Loyd Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching, Oregon State University. |
| 1999: |
Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellowship, sponsored by the Ecological Society of America. |
| 1999: |
Marine Superspeaker Lectureship, Duke University Marine Laboratory. |
| 2000: |
Appointed to Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee.
|
| 2001: |
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. |
| 2004: |
Recognition by ISI Citation Index as most cited author on coral reef ecology in Nothern and Western Hemisphere in past decade. |
| 2005: |
Re-appointed to Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (elected Chair in 2006). |
| 2006: |
Appointed to National Science Foundation Geosciences Advisory Committee (appointed Chair of Ocean Sciences Subcommittee in 2007). |
| 2007: |
William Evans Visiting Fellow, University of Otago, New Zealand. |
| 2010: |
Gilfillan Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Science, Oregon State University. |
