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Past Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Associates

PAST GRADUATE STUDENTS
As a disciple of academic birth control, my graduate mentoring philosophy is to have few graduate students, typically four at a time, in whom I try to invest substantial effort.  I have been blessed with truly amazing students over the years, all of whom have touched my life in positive ways.  My past students in chronological order:

Brian TissotBrian Tissot (PhD 1991)
Professor and Director
Marine and Coastal Science Institute
Humboldt State University
Dissertation Title: Geographic variation and mass mortality in the black abalone: the roles of development and ecology
Dissertation Publications:

  • Tissot, B. N. 1988. Morphological variation along intertidal gradients in a population of black abalone Haliotis cracherodii Leach 1814. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 117:71-90.
  • Tissot, B. N. 1988. Multivariate Analysis. Chapter 3 in M. McKinney, ed. Heterochrony In Evolution: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Plenum Press, New York.
  • Tissot, B. N. 1990. El Niño responsible for decline of black abalone off southern California. Hawaiian Shell News 38(6): 3-4.
  • Tissot, B. N. 1992. The effects of water movement on the ecology and evolution of the Haliotidae. Chapter 4 in S. Shepherd and M. Tegner, eds. Proceedings of the First International Abalone Symposium: Biology, Fisheries, and Culture (La Paz, Mexico). Blackwell Sci. Publ. Ltd., Sydney.
  • Tissot, B. N. 1995. Recruitment, growth, and survivorship of black abalone on Santa Cruz Island following mass mortality. Southern California Academy of Sciences 94(3):32-47.
  • Tissot, B. N. 2004. Long-term population trends in the black abalone, Haliotis cracheroidii, along the eastern pacific coast. NOAA Protected Species Program Technical Report (for ESA Status Review). 41 pp.


David BoothDavid Booth (PhD 1991)
Professor
University of Technology Sydney and
Sydney Institute of Marine Science
Dissertation Title: Larval settlement and juvenile group dynamics in the domino damselfish (Dascyllus albisella)
Dissertation Publications:

  • Booth, D. J. 1991. The effects of sampling frequency on estimates of recruitment of the domino damselfish Dascyllus albisella Gill. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 145:149-159.
  • Booth, D. J. 1992. Larval settlement patterns and preferences by domino damselfish Dascyllus albisella Gill. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 155:85-104.
  • Booth, D. J. 1995. Juvenile groups in a coral-reef damselfish: density-dependent effects on individual fitness and demography. Ecology 76:91-106.


Jeffrey HardingJeffrey Harding (MS 1993)
Research Fishery Biologist
NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Thesis Title: The roles of environmental constraints and aggression on male-female pairing in the coral-reef fish Gobiosoma evelynae
Thesis Publication:

  • 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.




Paul SikkelPaul Sikkel (PhD 1993)
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Arkansas State University
Dissertation Title: Reproductive ecology and endocrinology of the garibaldi damselfish Hypsypops rubicundus
Dissertation Publications:

  • Sikkel, P. C. 1988. Factors influencing spawning site choice by female garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Copeia 1988:710-718.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1989. Egg presence and developmental stage influence spawning-site choice by female garibaldi. Animal Behaviour 38:447-456.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1993. Changes in plasma androgen levels associated with changes in male reproductive behavior in a brood-cycling marine fish. General and Comparative Endocrinology 89:229-237.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1994a. Filial cannibalism in a paternal-caring marine fish: the influence of egg developmental stage and position in the nest. Animal Behavior 47:1149-1158.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1994b. Why female garibaldi prefer males with young eggs: a test of the parental investment hypothesis. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 6:191-211.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1995a. Diel periodicity of spawning activity in a permanently territorial damselfish: a test of adult feeding hypotheses. Environmental Biology of Fishes 42:241-251.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1995b. Effects of nest quality on male courtship and female spawning-site choice in an algal-nesting damselfish. Bulletin of Marine Science 57:682-689.
  • Sikkel, P. C. 1998. The influence of food competitors on mate-search tactics in a territorial marine fish. Behavioral Ecology 9:439-444.


Dwayne MeadowsDwayne Meadows (PhD 1994, NSF Predoctoral Fellow)
Species of Concern Program National Coordinator
National Marine Fisheries Service
Dissertation Title: Patterns, causes, and consequences of clustering of individual territories of the threespot damselfish, Stegastes planifrons
Dissertation Publications:

  • Meadows, D. 1995. Effects of habitat geometry on territorial defense costs in a damselfish. Animal Behavior 49:1406-1408.
  • Meadows, D. 2001. Center-edge differences in behavior, territory size and fitness in clusters of territorial damselfish: patterns, causes, and consequences. Behavior 138:1085-1116.


Michael WebsterMichael Webster (PhD 2001, NSF Predoctoral Fellow)
Executive Director
Coral Reef Alliance
Dissertation Title: Factors affecting the dynamics and regulation of coral-reef fish populations
Dissertation Publications:

  • Webster, M. S. 2002. Role of predators in the early post-settlement demography of coral-reef fishes. Oecologia 131:52-60.
  • 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.
  • 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., and M. A. Hixon. 2000. Mechanisms and individual consequences of intraspecific competition in a coral-reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 196:187-194.


    Glenn AlmanyGlenn Almany     (PhD 2002, NSF Predoctoral Fellow) [deceased]
    Australian Research Council Future Fellow and
    Adjunct Senior Lecturer
    ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
    James Cook University
    Dissertation Title: Role of priority effects and habitat complexity in coral-reef fish communities
    Dissertation Publications:
  • Almany, G. R. 2003. Priority effects in coral reef fish communities. Ecology 84:1920–1935.
  • Almany, G. R. 2004a. Differential effects of habitat complexity, predators and competitors on abundance of juvenile and adult coral reef fishes. Oecologia 141:105-113.
  • Almany, G. R. 2004b. Does increased habitat complexity reduce predation and competition in coral reef fish assemblages? Oikos 106:275-284.
  • Almany, G. R. 2004c. 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.


Karen Overholtzer McLeodKaren Overholtzer-McLeod(PhD 2003)
Director of Science
Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS)
Oregon State University
Dissertation Title: Population dynamics of coral-reef fishes: spatial variation in emigration, mortality, and predation
Dissertation Publications:

  • 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.


Christopher StallingsChristopher Stallings (PhD 2007)
Assistant Professor
College of Marine Science
University of South Florida
Dissertation Title: Indirect effects of fishing on predators and their prey
Dissertation Publications:

  • Stallings, C. D. 2008. Indirect effects of an exploited predator on recruitment of coral-reef fishes. Ecology 89:2090–2095.
  • Stallings, C. D. 2009a. Fishery-independent data reveal negative effect of human population density on Caribbean predatory fish communities. PLoS ONE 4:e5333. doi:5310.1371/journal.pone.0005333.
  • Stallings, C. D. 2009b. Predator identity and recruitment of coral-reef fishes: an indirect effect of fishing? Marine Ecology Progress Series 383:251-259.


Darren JohnsonDarren Johnson (PhD 2009, NSERC Predoctoral Fellow)
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
California State University at Long Beach
Dissertation Title: Selection on larval and adult body size in a marine fish: potential evolutionary responses and effects on population dynamics
Dissertation Publications:

  • Johnson, D. W. 2008. Combined effects of condition and density on post-settlement survival and growth of a marine fish. Oecologia 155:43–52.
  • Johnson, D. W., M. R. Christie, and J. Moye. 2010. Quantifying evolutionary potential of marine fish larvae: heritability, selection, and evolutionary constraints. Evolution 64:2614-2628.
  • Johnson, D. W., M. R. Christie, J. Moye, and M. A. Hixon. In press. Genetic correlations between adults and larvae in a marine fish: potential effects of fishery selection on population replenishment. Evolutionary Applications.
  • Johnson, D. W., and M. A. Hixon. 2010. Ontogenetic and spatial variation in size-selective mortality of a marine fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 23:724-737.
  • Johnson, D. W., and M. A. Hixon. 2011. Sexual and lifetime selection on body size in a marine fish: the importance of life history trade-offs. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24:1653-1663.


Mark ChristieMark Christie (PhD 2009)
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Purdue University
Dissertation Title: Larval dispersal in marine fishes: novel methods reveal pattern of self-recruitment and population connectivity
Dissertation Publications:

  • Christie, M. R. 2010. Parentage in natural populations: novel methods to detect parent-offspring pairs in large data sets. Molecular Ecology Resources 10:115-128.
  • Christie, M. R., and J. A. Eble. 2009. Isolation and characterization of 23 microsatellite loci in the yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens (Pisces: Acanthuridae). Molecular Ecology Resources 9:544-546.
  • Christie, M. R., D. W. Johnson, C. D. Stallings, and M. A. Hixon. 2010. Self-recruitment and sweepstakes reproduction amid extensive gene flow in a coral-reef fish. Molecular Ecology 19:1042-1057.
  • Christie, M. R., B. N. Tissot, M. A. Albins, J. P. Beets, Y. Jia, D. M. Ortiz, S. E. Thompson, and M. A. Hixon. 2010. Larval connectivity in an effective network of marine protected areas. PLoS One 5:e15715. doi:15710.11371/journal.pone.0015715.

Mark Albins   Mark Albins (PhD 2011, NSF Predoctoral Fellow)
   Postdoctoral Researcher
   Auburn University
   Dissertation Title:  Effects of the invasive Pacific red lionfish
  (Pteoris volitans) on Atlantic  coral-reef fish communities
   Dissertation Publications:

  •   Albins, M.A.  In preparation.  Effects of the Pacific red lionfish
      (Pterois volitans) on Bahamaian coral-reef fish
      communities: a large-scale, long-term experiment.
  •   Albins, M.A.  2013.  Effects of invasive Pacific red lionfish
      (Pterois volitans) versus a native predator on Bahamian
      coral-reef fish communities.  Biological Invasions 15:29-43.
  •   Albins, M.A., and M.A. Hixon.  2008.  Invasive Indo-Pacific
      lionfish (Pterois volitans) reduce recruitment of Atlantic
      coral-reef fishes.  Marine Ecology Progress Series
      367:233-238.
  • Albins, M.A., and M.A. Hixon.  2013.  Worst case scenario: potential long-term effects of invasive predatory lionfish (Pterois volitans) on Atlantic and Caribbean coral-reef communities.  Environmental Biology of Fishes 96:1151-1157.
  • Albins, M.A., and P.J. Lyons.  2012.  Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans blow directed jets of water at prey fish.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 448:1-5.

Tim Pusack

  Tim Pusack (PhD 2013)
  Postdoctoral Researcher
  University of South Florida
  Dissertation Title:  Coral-reef fishes: insights into larval dispersal and
  invasion ecology
  Dissertation Publications:

  Pusack, T.J., M.R. Christie, D.W. Johnson, C.D. Stallings, and M.A. Hixon.
  2014.  Spatial and temporal patterns of larval dispersal in a coral-reef fish
  metapopulation: evidence of variable reproductive success.  Molecular
  Ecology, in press.

  [2 other chapters in review]

 

 

PAST POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATES
I have also been lucky to work with excellent postdoctoral associates who went on to their own outstanding careers. I am honored to count them among my friends:

 

Todd AndersonTodd Anderson
Professor
Department of Biology
San Diego State University
Publications from Postdoctoral Research:

 

  • 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.
  • Anderson, T.W., M.H. Carr, and M.A. Hixon. 2007. Patterns and mechanisms of variable settlement and recruitment of a coral reef damselfish, Chromis cyanea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 350:109-116.
  • 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]


Mark CarrMark Carr
Professor
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California at Santa Cruz
Publications from Postdoctoral Research:

  • 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.
  • Anderson, T.W., M.H. Carr, and M.A. Hixon. 2007. Patterns and mechanisms of variable settlement and recruitment of a coral reef damselfish, Chromis cyanea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 350:109-116.
  • 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.
  • 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]
  • 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.
  • 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., and M.H. Carr. 1997. Synergistic predation, density dependence, and population regulation in marine fish. Science 277:946-949. [authorship equal—reviewed in "This Week in Science" column of Science (15 Aug 1997) 277:879]