Current Research Projects:

Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC) Lee Stocking Island, The Bahamas

Dr. David Liddell, Dr. Sharon Ohlhorst and I are determining patterns of community structure , rates of recruitment and rates of change in community structure for hard-substrate sessile taxa along a depth gradient from 10m to 300m. SCUBA transects are used for the shallow depth sites while small research submersibles are used for sites at depths greater than 30 meters. Community structure and rates of change are determined by photographic transects and repeat photography. Recruitment rates and patterns of succession are determined through the use of permanent settling panels and retrievable recruitment modules each holding two 15cm square carbonate tiles.

Jamaica

We are determining the amount of community-level change at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. This is an extension of previous work begun in 1978 to monitor the relative percent cover of all sessile hard-substrate taxa associated with the coral reefs around Discovery Bay. These reefs have been heavily modified by hurricanes, sea urchin die off, over fishing and probable eutrophication of the local waters. Our recent SCUBA survey of permanent underwater transects from 3m to 50m is the culmination 15 years of reef monitoring at this sites.
Avery (home page)