My research explores the effects of climate and climate change on the physiology and ecology of marine organisms. Specifically, I use thermal engineering techniques, including a combination of field work, remote sensing and mathematical modeling, to explore the ways in which the environment determines the body temperatures of coastal marine animals such as mussels and seastars. I use similar techniques to examine the impacts of temperature and water flow on corals. A major goal of this approach (funded by NASA, NOAA and NSF) is to predict where the effects of climate change are likely to be the most severe, a method of ecological triage. To date my work has centered primarily on tropical coral reefs in Florida, the Caribbean and Central America (Belize), and on temperate rocky intertidal systems in the United States and Europe, but recent work funded by the NOAA Ecofore Program has expanded to include salt marsh ecosystems throughout the U.S.

Our work has shown some surprising results, and has suggested that our expectations of where to look for the effects of climate change in nature can be more complex than previously anticipated. For example, our research has shown that along the Pacific coast of the U.S., animal temperatures at sites in Oregon and Washington can be as hot or hotter than sites much farther to the south in California, due to the complex interaction of climate and tides in the region. As a result, we should not necessarily expect to see mortality at the southern ends of species range boundaries, but also at these hot spots. This complexity suggests that unless we know where and when to look for impacts of climate change, many early impacts could go unnoticed.

My students and I also work with local teachers to develop educational materials relevant to national science standards, and to bring the excitement of science to the classroom. We regularly include teachers as part of our research program, and I am actively involved in the South Carolina chapter of the National Marine Educators Association.