September was a busy month in the world of coral reef food webs. Take a look at the links below from our latest work spanning the entire Line Islands Archipelago as well as two new methods for examining heterotrophy in corals using d13C analysis of amino acids and fatty acid profiles!
I had a great time working with the folks over at the Functional Ecologist to discuss the story behind my recent paper. Read more: https://functionalecologists.com/2019/09/18/michael-fox-variable-diets-of-coral-reefs/
I've officially started my new position as a Postdoctoral Scholar with Anne Cohen in the departments of
Geology & Geophysics and Biology at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I'll be continuing my research on remote reefs trying to understand the natural mechanisms of coral resilience and recovery from large-scale bleaching events in the central equatorial Pacific.
I wrote a commentary piece about our recent paper for the Conversation along with Gareth Williams and Andrew Johnson. It helps tell the bigger picture story of our recent paper.
We show that global patterns of primary production can influence how much corals are eating and this information may be in important for identifying and protecting naturally resilient reefs around the world!
In July 2017 I joined the 100 Island Challenge expedition to the remote, SW islands of Palau. These sparsely populated and rarely visited islands provided us with an opportunity to study another group of oceanic islands in the western Pacific to compare with our findings from the Line Islands. We saw truly spectacular reefs that were a happy counterpoint to the news of death and...
I was fortunate enough to join an amazing, international group of researchers interested in the application of stable isotopes in ecology for a week in Siracusa, Sicily. We learned a ton about the history, current best practices, and the future of stable isotope ecology from a exceptional panel of experts, including Drs Brian Hayden, Chris Harrod, Seth Newsome, and Andrew Jackson...
Giant kelp is one of the largest and fastest growing organisms on the planet. Off the coast of California, this massive, golden-brown seaweed can reach heights of over 100 ft as it grows towards the well-lit surface waters. However, being this big can also have its disadvantages. Large waves can snap giant kelp fronds, removing biomass and sometimes even whole individuals. Unders...
Marine Macrophytes as Foundation Species is a new book that focuses on the diverse role of macrophytes in coastal marine environments and the impacts they have on their associated communities. In collaboration with Drs. Mike Graham and Scott Hamilton at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories I helped write a chapter focusing on the provisioning of energy and habitat by marine macroalga...
