Dr. Mark S. Peterson
- Ecology
- Fisheries
- Population Biology
- Coastal Development
- Endangered Species
- Habitat Loss
- Invasive Species
- Restoration
- Sustainable Development
- Geographic Information Science (GIS)
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, Florida, U.S.A., 1987-1989
- Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi, U.S.A., 1987
- M.S. in Bio-Environmental Oceanography, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, U.S.A., 1981
- B.S. in Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, U.S.A., 1978
My research goal is to create and maintain a research program that addresses issues centered around nekton (fish and decapods) resource ecology and also successfully trains graduate students. My research interests are broadly focused on habitat-use in nekton, with particular emphasis on factors affecting recruitment success and distribution in estuarine-dependent fishes and the tradeoffs made by nekton when living in different habitats. I have recently begun addressing habitat loss and environmental variability and impacts on recruitment and distribution using GIS. In my research, I have emphasized important ecological issues that have some applied aspects but which require an approach founded in basic ecological theory and have good experimental design. Much of my research has this direction.
GoMRI-funded projects:
- A Comprehensive Assessment of Oil Distribution, Transport, Fate and Impacts on Ecosystems and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Release (Year One Block Grant
- The Northern Gulf Institute, Role: Task Co-Lead) - Extend Sulis Toolkit (Year One Block Grant - The Northern Gulf Institute, Role: Co-Principal Investigator)