|
Behavioral and Community EcologyAs benthic ecologists, our research aims to understand the 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. We use experiments and models to identify the mechanisms underlying the ecological and evolutionary outcomes of species interactions to explore the potential effects of climate change and environmental variability on individuals, populations, and coupled social-ecological systems.
|
Predator-Prey 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 what, 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 trophic efficiency can have major consequences for biodiversity and food web stability. With new funding from NSF, we will explore how the predation risk effects operate within and across generations to shape prey population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem function.
|
|
|
Climate Change Vulnerability and ResilienceHow are marine species responding to climate change, and how might these responses impact the livelihoods of people and communities that relying on marine fisheries and ecosystems? We collaborate with oceanographic modelers and social scientists to understand how the resilience of coupled social-ecological systems is linked to the ecological vulnerability of targeted marine species. Current projects sponsored by NOAA OAR's Ocean Acidification Program and a 2024 NMFS Research Set-Aside Award in partnership with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation are exploring how scallop energetics and functional traits respond to warming, ocean acidification, food availability, and predator distributions. See also: UConn Today, NOAA
|
Benthic Ecology of Long Island SoundLong Island Sound boasts diverse and dynamic ecological communities along its shores and at its depths. These communities are highly dynamic, frequently changing in their species composition, size, and location depending on available habitat. Knowing where these key habitats are located and understanding their biodiversity and connectivity is critical to inform restoration, management, and marine spatial planning in Long Island Sound and beyond. We are developing a larval transport model for Eastern oysters in Long Island sound to understand reef connectivity and identify important larval source populations. As part of the Long Island Sound Mapping and Research Collaborative, we are continuing to characterize seafloor habitats and benthic communities throughout the Sound while developing web-based tools to improve stakeholder access to spatial data and data products and to support decision-making in the region.
|
|
|
Intertidal MacroecologyHow 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. We 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 ConservationDespite 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 and community members, we are currently conducting experiments to identify the cause(s) of marsh loss in a southern New England estuary. 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.
|
|
All photographs and content copyright Catherine Matassa 2025.
