Teaching

Natural history of marine invertebrates

Research in my lab is focused on exploring the biology of marine invertebrates. I am particularly interested in the symbioses between hermit crabs and commensal polychaete worms, barnacles and parasitic isopods. Hermit crabs are important members of marine habitats where they typically use empty gastropod shells for protection. Through their use of shells, hermit crabs provide a substrate for diverse communities of symbionts. Although there are over 850 described species of hermit crabs, approximately less than 25% of these species have been examined for symbionts. My investigations involve taxonomic work to expand our knowledge of the biodiversity of these groups and research to fill in the wide gaps in our understanding of their natural history.

Research

Publications

CV

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