Range-wide Phylogeographic Studies on Hawkfishes
Hawkfishes of the family Cirrhitidae are small, conspicuous reef predators that often perch on, or shelter within, the branches of coral colonies. There are 34 recognized species within the family. Only three occur in the Atlantic and several are widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific. We have a particular interest in the species of the genus Paracirrhites in which stable and sympatric color morphs have been documented in three of the six species.
Red Sea Phylogeography
Working with collaborators at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) we’ve published a number of studies on Red Sea phylogeography and have ongoing projects on Red Sea hawkfish Paracirrhites forsteri.
Population Connectivity in the Northern Mariana Islands
One of our primary interests in the NMI is in understanding latitudinal effects on life history and population connectivity. The NMI is expansive ranging across seven degrees of latitude from Guam in the south to the Maug in the north. Teaming up with the Life History Program at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center we are planning to combine genetic techniques with life history data to look at the effects of latitude on population connectivity and traits such as growth and age at maturity.
