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My research program has two main foci: 1) the effects of disease on the ecology of marine organisms and, 2) the resilience and restoration of benthic marine communities (e.g., coral reefs and tropical hard-bottom areas) affected by human or natural disturbances. The two are not mutually exclusive in that the effects of disease are altered or exacerbated by impacts to the habitat structure that sessile communities provide.
The emergence and impact of diseases in marine populations is increasingly recognized as an issue of major environmental concern and my research uses the novel virus PaV1, discovered infecting the Caribbean spiny lobster, as a model system. PaV1 (Panulirus argus Virus 1) is a pathogenic virus that infects spiny lobsters throughout the Caribbean Sea. PaV1 is the first naturally occurring viral pathogen described for any species of lobster and it has remarkable effects on lobster ecology. Early results were exciting and included a remarkable discovery that healthy lobsters are able to detect and avoid infected lobsters – potentially reducing their risk of infection. This is the first description of this type of behavior and it stands to alter our understanding of the role of pathogens in structuring social populations. Components of the work on PaV1 include the ecological effects of disease, geographic disease distribution and connectivity, disease pathobiology, molecular characterization, and fishery implications. My research has evolved from a basic understanding of PaV1 disease epidemiology, ecology, and pathobiology to a focus on the lobster-PaV1 system as a case study to better understand the importance of oceanic hydrodynamics and larval dispersal of infectious agents on the distribution and maintenance of disease in disparate populations.
The other focus of my research targets hard-bottom communities in southeast Florida and the Florida Keys with the aim of determining human/environmental impact patterns and the potential for sustainable use or need for restoration. In the Florida Keys, I have been studying the impacts of recurring harmful plankton blooms on shallow hard-bottom communities, particularly sponges. These blooms devastate sponges, some > 1 m wide, that form much of the structure in this critical habitat. Many ecologically and economically valuable organisms such as spiny lobsters, stone crabs, snappers, and groupers rely on this habitat for their early ontogeny. In southeast Florida, colleagues and I are using aerial surveys to determine human use patterns (i.e. vessels) on coral reefs and in-water studies to determine whether the use patterns we describe correspond to reef damage patterns.
Degrees:
BS, Zoology, University of Florida, 1991
PhD, Ecological Sciences, Old Dominion University, 2003
Courses:
FAS 6932 Marine Ecological Processes, fall semester, 3 credits
Focuses on the ecological and environmental processes that drive individual behaviors, population dynamics, and community structure in marine ecosystems.
FAS 5276C Field Ecology of Aquatic Organisms (team-taught), summer term, 4 credits
Understanding principles of fish and shellfish ecology through field studies. Intensive study in lakes, rivers, and coastal marshes to gain understanding of how fish and shellfish interact with their environment. Requires extensive field trips. Offered summer term.
Contact information:
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653
352-273-3634 (tel)
352-392-3672 (fax)
email: behringer@ufl.edu
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