FIU Graduate Biology - Tropical Biology

Tropical Biology

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Bradley C. Bennett

Charles Bigger

Tim Collins

Research Interests:
Neotropical ethnobotany; ecology of vascular epiphytes; flora and vegetation dynamics of southern Florida

Student Projects:

Representative Papers:

Research Interests:
Comparative Immunology, Invertebrate pathology and disease, Invertebrate cytology, Histocompatibility and population genetics, Environmental influences on immunity.

Student Projects:
Marine mammal cytokines; Sponge immunity and pathology; Histopathology of gorgonian coral adaptive alloimmune response; Molecular genetic basis of the immunological responses of a gorgonian coral; Environmental influences on wound healing; Histocompatibility in gorgonian corals.

Representative Papers:
J. Invertebrate Pathology 76: 176-184
J. Invertebrate Pathology 73: 321-331
Biol. Bulletin 181: 127-134

Research Interests:
The application of molecular data to address systematic and evolutionary questions, particularly within the Mollusca.

Student Projects:
Population biology of applesnails; Systematics of vermetid molluscs; Population genetics of conchs; Population genetics of Asian swamp eels

RepresentativePapers:
Nature 376:163-165.
Systematic Biology 43(3):449-459
SystematicBiology 43(4):482-496
Nature 373:565-566

Maureen Donnelly

Kelsey R. Downum

James W. Fourqurean

Research Interests:
Ecology and evolutionary biology of tropical amphibians and reptiles; declining amphibians in the Neotropics; restoration of alluvial forest in northeastern Costa Rica

Student Projects:
Status of a high elevation salamander in Costa Rica; Leaf-litter amphibians and reptiles in Peru; Ecology of Rana grylioin south Florida; Restoration of sea turtle nesting sites on the west coast of Florida.

Representative Papers:
Climatic Change 39:541-561
American Museum Novitates 3213:1-71
Am. Mus. Novitates 3172: 1-56

Research Interests:
Phytochemistry , chemical/biochemical
ecology of plant/insect and plant/pathogen
interactions; environmental photobiology &
UV effects on photosynthetic processes
Phytochemistry chemical/biochemical
ecology of plant/insect interactions; photobiology

Representative Papers:
Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2001, 17:1-5.
Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2001, 27:311-324

Research Interests:
Biogeochemistry of the coastal ocean, Nutrient cycling in the marine environment , Primary productivity of aquatic systems; Seagrass physiological ecology, Ecosystem modeling

Student projects:
Relationships between land use and benthic habitat change in the Florida Keys, The importance of competition in structuring plant communities along a disturbance gradient, Nitrogen versus Phosphorus limitation of benthic environments in south Florida, Stable isotope investigations of food webs, Decomposition of mangrove and seagrass biomass along nutrient and salinity gradients, PAM fluorometry as an indicator of seagrass status, Environmental controls on sexual reproduction in seagrasses
Representative papers:
Limnology and Oceanography 46(5):1077-1090
Limnology and Oceanography. 46(6):1278-1286.
Marine Biology 138:341-354.
Aquatic Botany 71(3):217-232.
Water Resources Research 36(7):1805-1822.
Estuaries 22(2B):345-357.

Javier Francisco-Ortega

Evelyn Gaiser

Walter Goldberg

Research Interests:
Molecular markers in plant conservation, plant evolution and plant systematic studies; Molecular systematic studies with cycads and palms.

Student Projects:
Origin and systematics of the Galapagos Island endemic genus Darwiniothamnus (Asteraceae);Conservation genetics and restoration ecology of Jacquemontia reclinata (Convolvulaceae);Molecular phylogeny study of the Macaronesian genus Bystropogon (Lamiaceae)

Representative Papers:
Systematic Botany 24: 249-2

Research Interests:
Aquatic community ecology, algal
biology, Everglades periphyton, Paleoecology of lakes and wetlands, Diatom taxonomy

Student Projects:

Representative Papers:
Diatom Research 15: 75-130.
Journal of Paleolimnology 20: 71-90

Research Interests:
Coral biology, especially cell biology and skeletogenesis; coral reef ecology.

Student Projects:
Effects of turbidity on coral growth, structure and properties of black coral skeleton, calcium and calcification in spicule formation.

Representative Papers:
Bulletin of Marine Science 57: 548-556.
MarineBiology156:655-662.
The Biological Bulletin (Woods Hole)192:1-16.
Nature 392: 557-558.

Suzanne Koptur

David Kuhn

David Lee

Research Interests:
Plant-herbivore interactions and pollination; Extrafloral nectary-mediated interactions between insects and plants.

Student Projects:
Pollination in pine rockland fragments;
Population biology of Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis in the Lower Keys; Mosquito pollination in the Everglades; Restoration of pine rockland in the Lower Keys; Reproductive biology of Amorpha crenulata; Interaction of pollination and herbivory in Centrosema virginiana; Phenology and ecophysiology of trees of the Keys; Pollination and breeding system of Jacquemontia reclinata; Microhabitat variation and reproductive biology of Jacquemontia reclinata

Representative Papers:
American Midland Naturalist 140 (2):393-396 B
iotropica 30(2): 179-189.

Research Interests:
Biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics of fungi.

Student Projects:

Representative Papers:
Exp. Mycol. 12:180-194, 1988.
Phytopathology 78:961-966, 1988.
Phytopathology 80:602-606, 1990.

Research Interests:
Evolution and adaptation in tropical forest plants, functional ecology; tropical forest ecology, especially India and Southeast Asia; Adaptations to extreme shade; leaf optical properties.

Student Projects:
Ecology of aquatic macrophytes in the Everglades

Representative Papers:
Biotropica 19:161-166.
J. Trop.Ecol. 4:281-292.
Biotropica 19:40-49.

Steve Oberbauer

Jennifer H. Richards

Laurie Richardson

Research Interests:
Plant physiological ecology: photosynthesis and cell-water relations of tropical forest and arctic tundra plants.

Student Projects:
Effects of increased season length on plant phenology, community composition, productivity, and ecosystem carbon fluxes in Alaskan tundra: implications for climate warming; Climatic Controls of Tropical Rainforest Productivity; Current and future carbon budgets of tropical rainforest: a cross scale analysis.

Representative Papers:
Global Change Biology 6:357-369.
American Journal of Botany 87:447-455.
Journal of Tropical Forest Science11:132-147

Research Interests:
Ecology of aquatic macrophytes in the Everglades; Evolution of plant mating systems

Student Projects:
Effects of hydroperiod on algal mat communities; Nutrient dynamics of bladderworts

Representative Papers:
Richards, J.H. In press. Bladder function in Utricularia purpurea Walter: is carnivory important? American Journal of Botany.

Research Interests:
The biology, ecology and etiology of coral diseases, including identification and characterization of coral microbial pathogens, and the effects of coral disease on the reef.

Student Projects:
Microbial physiology of pathogens associated with black band disease of corals and coral plague; microbial ecology of coral disease pathogens; microbial ecology of coral disease pathogens; microbial motility patterns (phototaxis and chemotaxis); Chemical microenvironments associated with coral pathologies and microbial pathogen metabolism (micrelectrodes); Reef studies of coral population dynamics in terms of disease events.

Representative Papers:
Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 13:438-443
Nature. 392:557- 558.
Bulletin of Marine Science. 61:485-490.

Philip Stoddard

Joel C. Trexler

Research Interests:
Animal communication from evolution to molecules, focusing on electric fish and songbirds (behavior, ecology, endocrinology, evolution, neurobiology, physiology).

Student Projects:
Reproductive behavior, signaling, and mate choice in electric fish; Effects of electric waveform on active electrolocation; Spectral tuning of sensory brain maps; Regulation of ion channel distribution in electricity-producing tissues; Endocrine regulation and energetics of electric signal waveforms; Estimation of auditory distance in songbirds.

Representative Papers:
Nature.400:254-256
Animal Behavior. 56: 467-477

Research Interests:
Population and Community Ecology; Life history patterns and phenotypic plasticity; Population Genetics and gene flow; Fish Ecology; Ecology of the Everglades.
Student Projects:
Predator-prey studies, population structure, food-web ecology, fish life history
Representative Papers:
Ecology 78:1370-1381;
Evolution 52:1781-1801


Bradley C. Bennett	Charles Bigger	Tim Collins
Research Interests: Neotropical ethnobotany; ecology of vascular epiphytes; flora and vegetation dynamics of southern Florida Student Projects: Representative Papers:	Research Interests: Comparative Immunology, Invertebrate pathology and disease, Invertebrate cytology, Histocompatibility and population genetics, Environmental influences on immunity. Student Projects: Marine mammal cytokines; Sponge immunity and pathology; Histopathology of gorgonian coral adaptive alloimmune response; Molecular genetic basis of the immunological responses of a gorgonian coral; Environmental influences on wound healing; Histocompatibility in gorgonian corals. Representative Papers: J. Invertebrate Pathology 76: 176-184 J. Invertebrate Pathology 73: 321-331 Biol. Bulletin 181: 127-134	Research Interests: The application of molecular data to address systematic and evolutionary questions, particularly within the Mollusca. Student Projects: Population biology of applesnails; Systematics of vermetid molluscs; Population genetics of conchs; Population genetics of Asian swamp eels RepresentativePapers: Nature 376:163-165. Systematic Biology 43(3):449-459 SystematicBiology 43(4):482-496 Nature 373:565-566


Maureen Donnelly	Kelsey R. Downum	James W. Fourqurean
Research Interests: Ecology and evolutionary biology of tropical amphibians and reptiles; declining amphibians in the Neotropics; restoration of alluvial forest in northeastern Costa Rica Student Projects: Status of a high elevation salamander in Costa Rica; Leaf-litter amphibians and reptiles in Peru; Ecology of Rana grylioin south Florida; Restoration of sea turtle nesting sites on the west coast of Florida. Representative Papers: Climatic Change 39:541-561 American Museum Novitates 3213:1-71 Am. Mus. Novitates 3172: 1-56	Research Interests: Phytochemistry , chemical/biochemical ecology of plant/insect and plant/pathogen interactions; environmental photobiology & UV effects on photosynthetic processes Phytochemistry chemical/biochemical ecology of plant/insect interactions; photobiology Representative Papers: Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2001, 17:1-5. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2001, 27:311-324	Research Interests: Biogeochemistry of the coastal ocean, Nutrient cycling in the marine environment , Primary productivity of aquatic systems; Seagrass physiological ecology, Ecosystem modeling Student projects: Relationships between land use and benthic habitat change in the Florida Keys, The importance of competition in structuring plant communities along a disturbance gradient, Nitrogen versus Phosphorus limitation of benthic environments in south Florida, Stable isotope investigations of food webs, Decomposition of mangrove and seagrass biomass along nutrient and salinity gradients, PAM fluorometry as an indicator of seagrass status, Environmental controls on sexual reproduction in seagrasses Representative papers: Limnology and Oceanography 46(5):1077-1090 Limnology and Oceanography. 46(6):1278-1286. Marine Biology 138:341-354. Aquatic Botany 71(3):217-232. Water Resources Research 36(7):1805-1822. Estuaries 22(2B):345-357.


Javier Francisco-Ortega	Evelyn Gaiser	Walter Goldberg
Research Interests: Molecular markers in plant conservation, plant evolution and plant systematic studies; Molecular systematic studies with cycads and palms. Student Projects: Origin and systematics of the Galapagos Island endemic genus Darwiniothamnus (Asteraceae);Conservation genetics and restoration ecology of Jacquemontia reclinata (Convolvulaceae);Molecular phylogeny study of the Macaronesian genus Bystropogon (Lamiaceae) Representative Papers: Systematic Botany 24: 249-2	Research Interests: Aquatic community ecology, algal biology, Everglades periphyton, Paleoecology of lakes and wetlands, Diatom taxonomy Student Projects: Representative Papers: Diatom Research 15: 75-130. Journal of Paleolimnology 20: 71-90	Research Interests: Coral biology, especially cell biology and skeletogenesis; coral reef ecology. Student Projects: Effects of turbidity on coral growth, structure and properties of black coral skeleton, calcium and calcification in spicule formation. Representative Papers: Bulletin of Marine Science 57: 548-556. MarineBiology156:655-662. The Biological Bulletin (Woods Hole)192:1-16. Nature 392: 557-558.


Suzanne Koptur	David Kuhn	David Lee
Research Interests: Plant-herbivore interactions and pollination; Extrafloral nectary-mediated interactions between insects and plants. Student Projects: Pollination in pine rockland fragments; Population biology of Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis in the Lower Keys; Mosquito pollination in the Everglades; Restoration of pine rockland in the Lower Keys; Reproductive biology of Amorpha crenulata; Interaction of pollination and herbivory in Centrosema virginiana; Phenology and ecophysiology of trees of the Keys; Pollination and breeding system of Jacquemontia reclinata; Microhabitat variation and reproductive biology of Jacquemontia reclinata Representative Papers: American Midland Naturalist 140 (2):393-396 B iotropica 30(2): 179-189.	Research Interests: Biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics of fungi. Student Projects: Representative Papers: Exp. Mycol. 12:180-194, 1988. Phytopathology 78:961-966, 1988. Phytopathology 80:602-606, 1990.	Research Interests: Evolution and adaptation in tropical forest plants, functional ecology; tropical forest ecology, especially India and Southeast Asia; Adaptations to extreme shade; leaf optical properties. Student Projects: Ecology of aquatic macrophytes in the Everglades Representative Papers: Biotropica 19:161-166. J. Trop.Ecol. 4:281-292. Biotropica 19:40-49.


Steve Oberbauer	Jennifer H. Richards	Laurie Richardson
Research Interests: Plant physiological ecology: photosynthesis and cell-water relations of tropical forest and arctic tundra plants. Student Projects: Effects of increased season length on plant phenology, community composition, productivity, and ecosystem carbon fluxes in Alaskan tundra: implications for climate warming; Climatic Controls of Tropical Rainforest Productivity; Current and future carbon budgets of tropical rainforest: a cross scale analysis. Representative Papers: Global Change Biology 6:357-369. American Journal of Botany 87:447-455. Journal of Tropical Forest Science11:132-147	Research Interests: Ecology of aquatic macrophytes in the Everglades; Evolution of plant mating systems Student Projects: Effects of hydroperiod on algal mat communities; Nutrient dynamics of bladderworts Representative Papers: Richards, J.H. In press. Bladder function in Utricularia purpurea Walter: is carnivory important? American Journal of Botany.	Research Interests: The biology, ecology and etiology of coral diseases, including identification and characterization of coral microbial pathogens, and the effects of coral disease on the reef. Student Projects: Microbial physiology of pathogens associated with black band disease of corals and coral plague; microbial ecology of coral disease pathogens; microbial ecology of coral disease pathogens; microbial motility patterns (phototaxis and chemotaxis); Chemical microenvironments associated with coral pathologies and microbial pathogen metabolism (micrelectrodes); Reef studies of coral population dynamics in terms of disease events. Representative Papers: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 13:438-443 Nature. 392:557- 558. Bulletin of Marine Science. 61:485-490.


Philip Stoddard	Joel C. Trexler
Research Interests: Animal communication from evolution to molecules, focusing on electric fish and songbirds (behavior, ecology, endocrinology, evolution, neurobiology, physiology). Student Projects: Reproductive behavior, signaling, and mate choice in electric fish; Effects of electric waveform on active electrolocation; Spectral tuning of sensory brain maps; Regulation of ion channel distribution in electricity-producing tissues; Endocrine regulation and energetics of electric signal waveforms; Estimation of auditory distance in songbirds. Representative Papers: Nature.400:254-256 Animal Behavior. 56: 467-477	Research Interests: Population and Community Ecology; Life history patterns and phenotypic plasticity; Population Genetics and gene flow; Fish Ecology; Ecology of the Everglades. Student Projects: Predator-prey studies, population structure, food-web ecology, fish life history Representative Papers: Ecology 78:1370-1381; Evolution 52:1781-1801