Behavioral and Community Ecology

As benthic ecologists, our research aims to understand processes that structure marine communities.  In the Matassa Lab, we are particularly interested in the ways that the traits or behavior of individuals can scale up to shape community dynamics and ecosystem function. Our approach is to use manipulative field and laboratory experiments that address theory and identify the mechanisms underlying the ecological and evolutionary outcomes of species interactions.

The "Ecology of Fear"

The ecological consequences of predators scaring their prey can be seen in many systems, from wolves and elk to sharks and turtles.  On rocky shores, predatory green crabs cause prey dogwhelks to spend more time hiding in crevices and less time foraging on mussels and barnacles, resulting in a behavioral trophic cascade.  Prey foraging decisions and their cascading effects depend on a suite of physiological and environmental factors, each of which acts to shift how prey balance the costs and benefits of foraging.

Predation risk not only influences when and where prey choose to eat, but also affects how prey use the energy they consume.  For example, the presence of predatory crabs limits the ability of their dogwhelk prey to convert food into biomass, reducing the efficiency of energy transfer among trophic levels and producing "trophic heat." Risk effects on energy transfer, an important ecosystem function, can have major consequences for biodiversity and food web stability. ​

Intertidal Macroecology

How do large-scale environmental forces interact with local processes to control the distribution of species? Rocky intertidal communities spanning the Gulf of Maine (GoM) vary in their structure, dynamics, and productivity despite having the same suite of species.  Collaborations with theoretical ecologists, coastal oceanographers, larval ecologists, and biogeochemists are allowing us to examine how regional differences in benthic processes (thermal stress, consumer pressure) are driven by different patterns of population connectivity and recruitment in key species.  

Salt Marsh Ecology and Conservation

Salt marshes play multiple leading roles in coastal ecosystems.  Despite their high ecological, economic, cultural value, salt marshes are experiencing massive die-offs often driven directly or indirectly by human activities.  In cooperation with non-profit groups, we are currently conducting experiments to identify the cause(s) of marsh loss in southern New England.  It's not an easy task, but understanding the processes responsible for marsh die-off is necessary to slow or  reverse ongoing loss of this critical coastal habitat.  

Consumers in a Changing World

For ectotherms, behavioral responses to thermal stress and predation risk can be similar (e.g., seeking shelter). How might future changes in the climate alter the ability of consumers to manage multiple biotic and abiotic stressors behaviorally and/or physiologically? How might these stressors interact to shape the role of consumers in communities and ecosystems? Our work indicates that the effects of warming temperatures on risk-driven trophic cascades may depend on the location of consumers relative to their thermal or geographic range.     
All photographs and content copyright Catherine Matassa 2017,