Dr. David Kimbro
- Ph.D. University of California at Davis, CA, U.S.A., 2008
- M.S. University of California at Davis, CA, U.S.A.
- B.S. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, U.S.A.
I am interested in how physical processes and local species interactions influence the distribution and abundance of organisms in coastal marine environments. I am particularly intrigued by changes in the abiotic environment that alter the organization of ecological communities by shifting the relative importance of predation and competition. For example, predators can increase prey diversity by preferentially consuming competitively dominant prey species, but these effects may diminish when abiotic processes create physiologically stressful conditions that inhibit predator consumption or when abiotic processes deliver too few resources (e.g., precipitation or propagule supply) to sustain prey populations. Because variables such as stress and resources vary along local and biogeographic continuums, I strive to identify spatial gradients in species interactions and to understand the physical processes that ultimately underlie these ecological patterns.
GoMRI-funded projects:
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Assessing Impacts on a Critical Habitat, Oyster Reefs and Associated Species in Florida Gulf Estuaries
Impact of Crude Oil on Coastal and Ocean Environments of the West Florida Shelf and Big Bend Region from the Shoreline to the Continental Shelf Edge
The effects of species diversity, consumer pressure, and bioremediation on salt marsh recovery from oil (NOAA, NGI)