Ecology of Marine Invertebrates

Romberg Tiburon Center
and
San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

(415) 338-3724

mferner@sfsu.edu

Research Interests

I am broadly interested in how the physical environment affects organism behavior and performance. In particular, my research targets the consequences of water motion and habitat structure for the trophic ecology of marine invertebrates. I am currently using a combination of quantitative laboratory and field techniques to examine how: (1) Habitat structure and hydrodynamics combine to affect predator-prey recognition and patterns of consumer pressure; (2) Material flexibility of feeding structures limits the potential for resource acquisition; and (3) Small-scale coastal topography affects water retention and post-settlement growth of sessile suspension feeders. My general goal with all of this research is to gain insight into the mechanisms by which abiotic factors exert selective pressure on organisms and ultimately help to drive ecological patterns.

 
Selected Papers

Coming soon...