Fish Community Ecology
In the Bahamas and U. S. Virgin Islands and to a lesser extent the rest of the Caribbean, I have ongoing research examining: (1) the role of mangrove creeks as nursery habitats for coral reef fish and (2) connectivity of coral reef fish populations. We use a combination of field surveys, experiments, and molecular techniques to examine these issues. Our results have identified the expansive mangrove creek system of Andros Island, Bahamas as a key nursery ground for juvenile fish that inhabit near-by barrier reefs and suggest that self-recruitment of reef fish may affect the genetic connectivity of relatively proximate populations in the U.S.V.I. (i.e., windward vs. leeward fish assemblages).

Blue head wrasse in St. Croix

Cleaner Gobies in St. Croix