My research group studies the biology and ecology of marine benthic communities, with a major goal of understanding interactions among environmental factors and biological adaptations that influence the survival, growth, and reproduction of organisms, ultimately determining their distribution and abundance. Our recent work emphasizes the influence of climate change, including global warming and rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, on ocean animals and ecosystems. Environmental conditions throughout the world ocean are changing in response to fossil fuel emissions and greenhouse warming in the atmosphere. Climate change and high carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are, in turn, causing a domino-like series of changes in ocean conditions, including ocean warming, decreased oxygen content of deep ocean waters due to reduced mixing of oxygenated surface waters to depth, and ocean acidification. Our lab examines the physiological responses of organisms to changing ocean conditions using experiments performed in the laboratory and in deep-sea environments using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

2014

  • Ocean acidification, climate change, and the new ocean: what does it mean for organisms, ecosystems, and society?  NOAA Ocean Acidification Teacher Workshop, San Francisco (download)
  • Ocean acidification research in its teens: what next to help shape our future?  Global Change Gordon Conference, June, New Hampshire

2013

  • Ocean acidification and deep-sea research, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, Jan., 2013
  • Oceans, Society, and Sustainability, SpectorDance, San Jose State University, San Jose, March, 2013
  • Effects of climate change and ocean acidification on deep-sea organisms and ecosystems, CSUMB, Marina, CA, March, 2013
  • Ecosystem and societal consequences of ocean versus atmospheric carbon storage. CSUMB, Marina, CA, April, 2013.
  • Ocean acidification, climate change, and the new ocean: what does it mean for organisms, ecosystems, and society? Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, CA, April, 2013
  • Future climate change and ocean acidification affect deep-sea organisms and ecosystems. Monterey Bay Aquarium, teachers workshop, Monterey, June, 2013
  • Shallow water FOCE installation at Hopkins Marine Station, Monterey Bay, CA.  FOCE Meeting, VilleFranche, France, November, 2013
  • Effect of ocean acidification on the feeding behavior of a bathyal echinoid, Strongylocentrotus fragilis: a dpFOCE experiment.  FOCE meeting, Villefranche, France, November, 2013
  • Effects of climate change and ocean acidification on deep-sea organisms and ecosystems, Laboratoire d’Océanographie, Villefranche, France, November, 2013.

2012

  • The effects of ocean acidification on marine benthic organisms and processes.  ASLO, Salt Lake City, February 2012
  • Effects of oxygen and pH on the performance of the urchin Strongylocentrotus fragilis across a depth gradient spanning the oxygen minimum zone, ASLO, Salt Lake City, February, 2012
  • Ross Sea Benthic Ecosystems.  Ross Sea Conservation Workshop, La Jolla, March, 2012
  • Ocean acidification: challenges for marine organisms and society, Keynote address, XiangShang Meeting, Beijing, China, April, 2012
  • Effects of oxygen and pH on the performance of the deep sea fragile urchin.  U.K. Ocean Acidification Meeting, Exeter, April, 2012
  • Quest TV episode on deep-sea corals. May, 2012
  • Is climate change and ocean acidification increasing the cost of living in ocean ecosystems?  UC. Santa Cruz, Whole Earth Seminar Series, May, 2012
  • Life in the new ocean – effects of climate change and ocean acidification on marine ecosystems.  Monterey Bay Aquarium, August, 2012
  • Are deep-sea ecosystems isolated from the effects of climate change and ocean acidification?, Chesapeake Biology Laboratory, October, 2012
  • Climate change and ocean acidification in the deep sea. Geo-Mar, Kiel, Germany, November, 2012.
  • The U.S. National Ocean Acidification Program, BIOACID 2 Meeting, Kiel, Germany, 2012

2011

  • Ocean acidification:  How does changing ocean chemistry affect ocean ecosystems?  Stanford University, January, 2011 (download)
  • Ocean acidification – the other CO2 problem, Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, Morro Bay, January, 2011 (download)
  • How ocean change affects ecosystem services: options for ocean health and societal adaptation.  AAAS Meeting, Washington, D.C., February 2011 (download)
  • Ocean warming, acidification, and hypoxia – the dominoes of climate change. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, March 2011 (download)
  • As dominoes fall… The consequences of rising atmospheric CO2 for ocean conditions, ecosystems, and society.  Lockheed Martin ATC Colloquium, Palo Alto, April, 2011 (download)
  • The effects of ocean acidification on organisms: an ecophysiological perspective, U.C. Santa Cruz, May, 2011 (download)
  • How does changing ocean chemistry affect ocean ecosystems.  2nd International Marine Conservation Congress, Victoria, BC, May 2011 (download)
  • Ocean acidification, organisms, ecosystems, and society: an ecophysiological perspective, Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, June, 2011
  • The oceans in transition – is ocean health sustainable?  Monterey Bay Aquarium, teachers workshop, July, 2011 (download)
  • Ocean acidification and California Coastal Ecosystems.  NOAA Ocean Acidification Education Workshop, Marin Headlands, August, 2011 (download)
  • Climate change and the oceans: Effects on  coastal upwelling systems, Climate – Policy Course, Hopkins Marine Station, August, 2011 (download)
  • Ocean Acidification 101:  What is ocean acidification and how can it affect organisms, ecosystems, and society? California State Legislature Briefing, Sacramento, CA, August, 2011 (download)
  • Physiological Responses of Benthic Invertebrates to Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, American Fisheries Society, Seattle, September, 2011
  • The United States Ocean Acidification program, BIOACID, German Ocean Acidification Research Program, Bremen, Germany, September, 2011
  • Dead Seas: The Impact of Carbon Pollution on Ocean Chemistry and Policy Responses, Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, Fish Camp, CA October, 2011 (download)
  • Climate, oceans, humans, and sustainability,  “Out of the fog talks’, Monterey, November, 2011
  • Oceans, Climate Change, and Society,  Spector Dance, November, 2011

2010

  • Climate Change and the Oceans, International School of Monterey, Monterey, CA, Jan.
  • Effects of Ocean Acidification on Brachiopods, Ocean Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR, Feb.
  • Ocean Acidification and Ocean Ecosystems:  COMPASS CA State Legislator visit, MBARI, Feb (download)
  • MBARI Benthic Habitat Characterization, NOAA Benthic Habitat Characterization Workshop, Sidney, BC, March
  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide targets for ocean acidification studies, Best Practices training workshop, Kiel, Germany, March, 2010
  • In situ perturbation experiments in ocean acidification, Best practices training workshop, Kiel, Germany, March, 2010
  • Ocean Acidification & the NRC OA Report, US Senate Committee Testimony, Washington, D.C., April
  • Climate Change and Ocean Acidification, MBA Teachers workshop, Monterey, CA, April
  • Ocean Acidification and Climate Change effects on Ocean Ecosystems, Stanford, CA, May
  • Climate Change and Ocean Acidification: A Changing Ocean.  Monterey Bay Aquarium Workshop, Monterey, CA, June (download)
  • Ocean Acidification and Society, MBARI, June
  • Biology in a high CO2 ocean, SCWRP Ocean Acidification Shellfish workshop, keynote address, Long Beach, CA, July
  • Aspen Institute Environmental Forum,  “Ocean Acidification Panel”, Aspen, CO, July 2010
  • Aspen Institute Environmental Forum,  “Marine Spatial Planning Panel”, Aspen, CO, July 2010
  • Climate Change and Ocean Acidification: A Changing Ocean.  Monterey Bay Aquarium Workshop, Monterey, CA, July
  • Comparing the acid-base response of shallow-water and deep-sea decapod crabs to ocean acidification,  American Physiological Society, August, Denver, CO
  • Changing Oceans: Climate Change and Ocean Acidification, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, CA, August
  • Climate change / ocean acidification panel presentation, Blue Ocean Film Festival, Monterey, August
  • Overview of species responses to ocean acidification: any emerging patterns?  NOAA Fisheries Ocean Acidification Workshop, Seattle, WA, August
  • Ocean Acidification and Climate Change panel discussion, AAAS Meeting, San Francisco, September
  • Climate change and ocean acidification effects on society, Office of Management and Budget briefing, Washington, D.C., October
  • Congressional briefing on ocean acidification, October
  • Global Warming, Ocean Acidification, and Society, seminar, Cal. State. Univ. San Luis Obispo, Nov.

2009

  • The what, how, where, where, and why of ocean acidification: Understanding the effects of changing ocean chemistry from individuals to ecosystems, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA, November
  • The National Research Council Ocean Acidification Report, BIOACID Investigator Meeting, Kiel, Germany, October, 2009
  • Ocean Acidification – good, bad, or ugly for marine ecosystems?  Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, September 2009
  • Ross Sea Ecosystems:  CCLAMR Ross Sea Workshop, La Jolla, August, 2009
  • Climate Change: distraction or destruction for marine ecosystems:  Ocean Studies Board, June, 2009
  • Ecosystem effects of high ocean carbon levels: potential impacts of subseabed carbon storage, Bergen, Norway, Keynote address, May, 2009
  • Amplified ocean acidification in the deep sea, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, February, 2009
  • From extreme CO2 venting to ocean acidification – experimental approaches to assess the fate of deep sea ecosystems,  Goldschmidt Conference, Keynote address, June, 2009
  • Antarctic benthic community patterns and processes,  IMCC Ross Sea Conference, Washington, D.C., May 2009

2008

  • Effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems (California State University, Stanislaus)
  • Changing the world, one breath at a time: Humans, Climate Change, and the Oceans (Ricketts Memorial Lecture, MBNMS Sanctuary Symposium) (download)
  • Climate change and the oceans (Monterey Institute of International Studies)
  • Effects of the high CO2 ocean on deep-sea ecosystems (AAAS Symposium, Boston)
  • Effects of global climate change on the oceans (Headwaters to Oceans Conference, Long Beach)
  • Climate Change and the Oceans, (Climate Clock Colloquium, San Jose)
  • MBARI Ocean Acidification Studies (Friday Harbor Labs, Washington)
  • Ocean acidification and deep sea ecosystems (MIIS)
  • Ocean acidification Studies: Issues, approaches, methods (Western Soc. Nat. Workshop)
  • In situ perturbation experiments on ocean acidification (Best practices in OA research, Kiel, Germany)
  • Climate change and the oceans, MBARI seminar
  • Ocean acidification and marine ecosystems,  Deep-Sea Coral Symposium, Wellington, NZ

2007

  • How will climate warming and the carbon dioxide invasion from the atmosphere affect future ocean ecosystems? (Moss Landing Marine Laboratories)
  • Barry, JP, Kochevar, RK, Whaling, PJ.  Growth, production, and mortality of the vesicomyid bivalve Calyptogena kilmeri.  Pacific Science Congress, Okinawa, Japan
  • The hard life in Monterey Canyon: effects of sediment gravity flows on benthic biological patterns and material transport across the continental margin (Oregon State University)
  • Population dynamics of chemosynthetic clams in cold seeps off Central California (Moss Landing Marine Laboratories)
  • Conducting Experiments in the Deep-Sea to understand the Low pH Ocean (AAAS Symposium, SF)
  • Deep-sea Carbon Sequestration and Ocean Acidification (Carbon Management Symposium, Utretch University, The Netherlands)
  • Ocean Carbon Sequestration (U.S. Congressional Briefing – COMPASS)
  • MBARI Ocean Acidification Studies (Kristineberg Marine Research Station, Sweden)
  • Ocean Acidification effects on Deep-Sea ecosystems (MBARI CO2 symposium)

2006

  • Biological Impacts of Deep-Sea Carbon Sequestration  (International Seminar on Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  • Can ocean carbon sequestration have significant societal value without the collapse of deep-sea ecosystems? (Stanford University)
  • The Effects of Climate Warming and Ocean Acidification on Ocean Ecosystems (California Coastal Commission)
  • Ocean exploration by MBARI (MBA)

2005

  • Climate change, societal values, and carbon sequestration: the biology of ocean versus atmospheric carbon dioxide storage (U.C. Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory)
  • The biology of the future high-CO2 ocean (Hopkins Marine Station)
  • Climate Change and carbon sequestration:  the biology of ocean versus atmospheric carbon storage (Louisiana State University)

2004

  • Biological Responses of Deep-sea organisms to direct CO2 injection.  (SCOR/IOC Symposium on “The Ocean in a High CO2 World”, Paris, France)
  • Benthic Ecology of McMurdo Sound and the SW Ross Sea, Antarctica.  (NSF-sponsored McMurdo Sound LTER workshop, San Jose, CA)

2003

  • The effects of direct ocean CO2 injection on deep-sea meiofauna (RITE International Conference on the Biology of Deep-Sea CO2 sequestration, Kyoto, Japan)
  • Ecological impacts of ocean carbon sequestration (Hopkins Marine St.)
  • Carbon sequestration biology. (2nd Ann. Conf. on Carbon Sequestration, Washington, D.C.)
  • Biology of Monterey Methane Seeps (JAMSTEC)
  • Ecological impacts of ocean carbon sequestration (JAMSTEC)
  • The effects of direct ocean CO2 injection on Deep-sea meiofauna (RITE International Workshop)
  • Use of Vesicomyid clams as proxies for ageing submarine landslide events (AGU Fall Meeting)

2002

  • Ecological impacts of direct ocean CO2 sequestration (AGU, spring, SIO, MLML, Romberg Center)
  • Cold seep biology and ecology (Hopkins Mar. St., Romberg Center, MLML, USF)
  • Antarctic pelagic-benthic coupling (CSUS)

<2001

  • Cold seep biology and ecology (Hopkins Marine Station, 2001)
  • Biological Studies of Ocean Carbon Sequestration, (AGU fall meeting, DOE Center for Carbon Sequestration Research Workshop, Oakland, CA, MBARI / DOE Ocean Injection Experts Workshop, 2001)
  • Pelagic-benthic coupling on the Antarctic Continental Shelf (MLML, AGU, CSUS, 2001)
  • Biological impacts of ocean carbon sequestration, (DOE Ocean Carbon Sequestration, Baltimore, 2000)
  • Pelagic Benthic Coupling in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, (Cal. State Univ. Stanislaus, 2000)
  • Biology and Ecology of Cold Seeps;  (Friends of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 1999)
  • A tale of two clams: Differing chemosynthetic life styles at cold seep communities in Monterey Bay.  (UCSB, SIO, Symbiosis conference, 1997)
  • Ecology of Chemosynthetic Communities in Monterey Bay (Hopkins Marine Station, MLML, 1996)
  • Coupling between Fluid Chemistry and Community Structure at Cold Seeps in Monterey Bay (AAAS, San Jose State University, 1996)
  • Methods of Underwater Positioning and Size Estimation (Groundfish Meeting, Newport, Oregon, 1996)
  • Climate-Related Changes in Intertidal Invertebrate Communities (Nat. Mus. of Natural History, 1995)
  • Geology and Ecology of Cold Seeps (California State University, Stanislaus, MLML, 1995)
  • Coupling between Fluid Chemistry and Community Structure at Cold Seeps (AAAS, 1994)
  • Sampling Benthic Populations Using ROVs: How Can Accuracy and Statistical Power Be Maximized? (Groundfish Meeting, Seattle, Washington, 1994)
  • Biology and Ecology of Cold Seeps in Monterey Bay (JAMSTEC, UCSC, 1994)
  • Science at MBARI, Scripps Inst. Oc., Field Studies Course, G. Kooyman, 1994
  • Alternate Stable States in Natural Communities: Why are They Rare? (Hopkins Marine Station, 1993)