I am a lecturer in the Department of Biology of the University of Miami. I am also a recent graduate from here. I worked in Steve Green's Animal Behavior lab. My research interests are mostly in applying the principles of behavioral ecology to marine and benthic ecology. I study the effects of of environment and ecology on mate choice, the evolution of social systems, the ecology of parasitism, and grazing ecology. Believe it or not, although these fields seem disparate, they are all very much interlinked! I am also interested in conservation biology. Much of my current research focuses on reef fishes as model organisms; they are great to work with because of their diversity and visibility. I am interested in and have worked on many different animals, however, particularly crustaceans and sea urchins.

Stegastes partitus male with Anilocra partiti parasite

For my dissertation, I examined the relationship between the large external isopod parasite, Anilocra partiti, and its host, the bicolor damselfish, Stegastes partitus. The bicolor damselfish is an extremely common reef fish in the western Atlantic and has been very well-studied. The parasitic genus Anilocra is widespread and common, but relatively little is known about them. You might have seen them resembling psychotic lobsters or pillbugs attached to the head or body of reef fishes. This particular species of Anilocra is endemic to Jamaica. For my dissertation I looked at the effect of A. partiti on the ecology, behavior and reproductive biology of its damselfish host. This research is on-going and I am currently beginning comparative analyses of fish and Anilocraecology and social systems.