Kea Payton - team leader

Team Debris is part of the Marine Ecology Creative Inquiry lead by Kea Payton. Hard corals have long been the foundation for the structural complexity of coral reef communities. The recent loss of hard corals in the Caribbean has resulted in a significant loss of rugosity. However, the increased accumulation of anthropogenic marine debris has increased the diversity of substrates and structures that may serve as alterative habitats for reef cryptofauna. Team Heat seeks to understand the patterns of cryptofauna use of marine debris and to estimate the potential costs and benefits of marine debris removal on biomass, species richness, diversity, and evenness of the cryptofauna community. This includes understanding the motives and actions of individuals and organizations that participate in marine debris removal programs.

LUKE STOEBER - team leader

Team Rubble is part of the Marine Ecology Creative Inquiry lead by Luke Stoeber. Coral reefs of the Caribbean are quickly degrading with the loss of live hard corals. This is particular the case for reefs previously dominated by branching corals which have been largely lost to disease and thermal stress. In their place, coral rubble habitats have been increasing a substrate which supports the reef cryptofauna community. Team Rubble examines the abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness of cryptofauna communities in relation to other reef functions such as nutrient-macroalgae relationships, or the abundance of invertebrate feeding reef fishes. Understanding the separate benefits of live branching corals versus branching coral rubble structure to reef community interactions and processes is essential to understand future reef dynamics. 

Sarah Rider - team leader

Team Reef is part of the Conservation of Marine Resources Creative Inquiry led by Sarah Rider.​ This team plans to study how coral reef restoration influences cryptobenthic biodiversity. The team is excited about the prospect of improving baseline understanding of cryptobenthic species in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and studying how cryptobenthic communities change over time as reefs are restored. Research will focus on seven “Mission: Iconic Reefs” that are included in an ongoing restoration effort led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Carysfort Reef, Horseshoe Reef, Cheeca Rocks, Sombrero Key, Newfound Harbor, Looe Key, and Eastern Dry Rocks. While methods are still under development, the team plans to use a combination of SCUBA-based reef transect surveys and Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS).

mICHAEL cHILDRESS - leader

Team Lobster is part of the Marine Ecology Creative Inquiry led by Michael Childress. Caribbean spiny lobsters are one of the most important commercial fisheries in the US and a major source of economic benefit to the Florida Keys. Our research seeks to understand the behaviors and behavioral plasticity of juvenile lobsters as they navigate the anthropogenic impacts of the Florida Keys, primarily a massive trap fishers that captures uses juveniles as bait for adults, and the loss of critical habitat (sponges and corals) that lobster depend on to avoid predation. Through a combination of visual surveys and acoustic telemetry, we track the habitat use of juvenile lobsters to better understand their resiliency to habitat loss and intense fishing pressure.

TARA cRONIN - team leader

Team Crayfish is part of the Climate Change Symbiosis Creative Inquiry led by Tara Cronin. The team conducts research seeking to determine the impacts of climate warming on symbiotic relationships by using crayfish-branchiobdellid symbiosis as a model system. We are currently working on a mark recapture study of two local crayfish species in streams, as well as conducting experiments to determine the thermal performance and limits of crayfish and branchiobdellids. Additionally, we are working on behavioral trials to determine how temperature and branchiobdellids impact crayfish behavior. Our hope is to build a model to predict the impacts of climate warming on symbiotic relationships. Funding provided by a Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund grant the American Museum of Natural History.

CAMILLE WHITE -TEAM leader

Team Heat is part of the Conservation of Marine Resources Creative Inquiry led by Camille White. Team Heat is focused on understanding the impact of rising ocean temperatures on coral reef communities. We study how these temperature changes affect energy flow and trophic interactions within reefs, particularly through the relationship between reef fish and corals. Our research delves into specific interactions, such as those between parrotfish and coral, to explore how these dynamics shift with warming waters. By examining these changes, we
aim to predict future conditions and assess the resilience of coral reefs in a warming world, providing crucial insights for conservation strategies and ecosystem management.

Dr. Michael Childress
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation 
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0314
​864.985.2384

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