Areas of Specialization

Biophysical modeling; larval dispersal and population connectivity; larval behavior, navigation, and environmental signals; larval ecology and taxonomy

Research Interests

In coral reef ecosystems, marine populations established among a naturally fragmented habitat are more or less connected by the migration of individuals, typically during the larval phase, carrier of parental population genes. One of the most significant questions facing marine ecology today is thus to understand the spatial structure of populations and how changes in the environment may affect population connectivity, persistence and biodiversity in general. Primary interests of the Paris' Lab are in the physical-biological interactions during this critical early life history phase, developing biophysical modeling approaches to characterize larval dispersion, the major factors influencing their spatial and temporal recruitment variability, and population connectivity. How larval behavior coupled with physical oceanography establishes patterns of dispersal and in turn affects survival and recruitment is of particular interest. While there has been a wealth of research in the field of animal navigation, marine larvae has been largely overlooked. Thus, numerical modeling is complemented by field experiments and innovative in situ methods to observe orientation in larvae and the related cues.

Research in the Paris' Lab is focussing on projects that can contribute to a mechanistic understanding of larval dispersion at all scales and have applications in conservation biology. Significant applications of this research are the optimization of MPA networks, the spread of invasive species and diseases in the marine environement, and the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.

Lab Members

Dr. Claire B. Paris-Limouzy

Dan Holstein, (PhD Candidate)

Andrew Kough, (PhD Candidate)

Erica Staaterman, (PhD Candidate, NSF Fellowship)

Cedric Guigand, Senior Research Associate

Research Projects

Navigation in coral reef fish larvae: OWNFOR & DISC (Dirfting In Situ Chamber)

See the web page of this project and the Hermon Slade Foundation.

Population Connectivity: Connectivity Modeling System (CMS)

see the Connectivity Modeling System, the Bahamas Complexity Project, and other coastal modeling projects.

Connectivity of disease in marine ecosystems

See news on this project

River runoff and coastal circulation: Whatershed ananlysis for the Mesoamerican reef

See the web page of this project.

Fish Larval Taxonomy

Download the damselfish chapter of this identification guide. Related links: A photographic web guide to the larvae of coral reef fish

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Other Students

Karlisa Callwood, RSMAS-MAF (PhD Candidate)

Xaymara M. Serrano, RSMAS-MBF (PhD Candidate)

Dr. Johnathan Kool (University of Miami, PhD 2008); ARC Center of Excellence

Dr. Jean-Olivier Irisson (University of Perpignan, France, PhD 2008); Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche

Dr. Erwan Roussel (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, France, PhD 2007);

Dr. Carrie Kappel (Sanford University, PhD 2006); National Center for Ecological Analyses and Synthesis (NCEAS)

Dr. Manuel Perez-Perez (CINVESTAV, Mexico, PhD 2004); Instituto National de Pesca CRIP

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Publications

• deGouw JA, A.M. Middlebrook, C. Warneke, R. Ahmadov, E.L. Atlas, R. Bahreini, D.R. Blake, C.A. Brock, J. Brioude, D.W. Fahey, F.C. Fehsenfeld, J.S. Holloway, M. Le Henaff, R.A. Lueb, S.A. McKeen, J.F. Meagher, D.M. Murphy, C.B. Paris , D.D. Parrish, A.E. Perring, I.B. Pollack, A.R. Ravishankara, A.L. Robinson, T.B. Ryerson, J.P. Schwarz, J.R. Spackman, A. Srinivasan, L.A. Watts. (2011) Organic Aerosol Formation Downwind From the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Science March
• Butler IV MJ, Paris CB , Goldstein JS, Matsuda H, Cowen RK (2011) Behavior constrains the dispersal of long-lived spiny lobster larvae, submitted to Mar Ecol Prog Ser
• Kool JT, Paris CB, Barber PH, Cowen RK (2011) Connectivity and the development of population genetic structure in Indo-West Pacific coral 12 reef communities, Global Ecology and Biogeography February 22
• Mumby PJ, Elliott I, Eakin M, Skirving W, Paris CB , Edwards HJ, Enrı´quez S, Iglesias-Prieto R, Cherubin LM, Stevens JR (2010) Reserve design for uncertain responses of coral reefs to climate change doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01562.x09]
• Pelc RA, Warner RR, Gaines SD, Paris CB (2010) Detecting larval export from marine reserves, PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907368107
• Irisson J-O, Paris CB , Guigand C, Planes S (2010) Vertical distribution and ontogenetic ‘migration’ in coral reef fish larvae, Limnology and Oceanography 55(2): 909–919 isson_Guigand_Paris2009LOM.pdf">pdf]
• Kool JT, Paris CB, Andrefouet S, Cowen RK (2009) Complex migration and the development of genetic structure in subdivided populations: and example from Caribbean coral reef ecosystems, Ecography 32: 1-10on/Irisson_Guigand_Paris2009LOM.pdf">pdf]
• Irisson J-O, Guigand C, Paris CB (2009) Detection and quantification of marine larvae orientation in the pelagic environment, Limn & Ocenogr Methods 7:664-672 [pdf]
• Feshwater DW, Hines A, Oarham S, Wilkbur A, Sabaoun M, Woodhead J, Akins L, Purdy B, Whitfield PE, Paris CP (2009) Mitochondrial control region sequence analyses indicates dispersal from the US East Coast as the source of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans in the Bahamas, Marine Biology DOI 10.1007/s00227-009-1163-8 [pdf]
• Steneck RS, Paris CB , Arnold SN, Butler M, Ablan Lagman MC, Alcala AC, McCook LJ, Russ GR, Sale PF (2009) Thinking and managing outside the box: coalescing connectivity networks to build region-wide resilience in coral reef ecosystems. Theme Section: Larval connectivity, resilience and the future of coral reefs, Coral Reefs, DOI 10.1007/s00338-009-0470-3[pdf]
• Munday PL, Leis JM, Lough JM,Paris CB , Kingsford MJ, Berumen ML, Lambrechts J (2009) Climate change and coral reef connectivity. Theme Section: Larval connectivity, resilience and the future of coral reefs, Coral Reefs, DOI 10.1007/s00338-008-0461-9[pdf]
• Botsford LW, White JW, CoVroth M-A, Paris CB , Planes S, Shearer TL, Thorrold SR, Jones GP (2009) Measuring connectivity and estimating resilience of coral reef metapopulations in MPAs: matching empirical efforts to modelling needs. Theme Section: Larval connectivity, resilience and the future of coral reefs, Coral Reefs, DOI 10.1007/s00338-009-0466-z[pdf]
• Paris CB , Cherubin LM (2008) River-reef connectivity in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Coral Reefs,[pdf]
• Bustamente G, Paris CB (2008) World Heritage Sites and marine population connectivity, In: Caribbean Connectivity: Implications for marine protected area management. Grober-Dunsmore R and Keller B (eds), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Marine Sanctuary Program, NMSP-08-07, Silver Spring, MD, 102-117
• Cherubin LM, Kuchinke C, Paris CB (2008) Ocean circulation and terrestrial runoff dynamics in the Mesoamerican region from ocean color data and numerical model climatology, Coral Reefs,[pdf]
• Paris CB, Guigand CM,Irisson J-O, Fisher R, DAlessandro E (2008) Orientation With No Frame of Refernce (OWNFOR), In: Caribbean Connectivity: Implications for marine protected area management. Grober-Dunsmore R and Keller B (eds), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Marine Sanctuary Program, NMSP-08-07, Silver Spring, MD, Marine Sanctuary Conservation Series, p. 54-64
• Paris CB, Perez-Perez M, Kool J, Aldana-Arnada D (2008) Segregation of conch (Strombus gigas) populations in Mexico, In: Caribbean Connectivity: Implications for marine protected area management. Grober-Dunsmore R and Keller B (eds), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Marine Sanctuary Program, NMSP-08-07, Silver Spring, MD, 71-88[pdf]
• Paris CB, Cherubin LM, Cowen RK (2007) Surfing, spinning, or diving from reef to reef: effects on population connectivity Mar Ecol Prog Ser, Aug 14 [pdf]
• Werner FE, Cowen RK, Paris CB (2007) Coupled biophysical models: Present capabilities and necessary developments for future studies of population connectivity, Oceanography, 20(3):54-69[pdf]
• Mumby P, Harborne A, Williams J, Kappel C, Brumbaugh DR, Micheli F, Holmes KE, Dahlgren CP, Paris CB, Blackwell PG (2007) Beyond trophic cascades: marine reserves facilitate coral recruitment, Proc Nat Acad Sci 104(20):8362-8367[pdf]
• Steneck R, Cowen RK, Paris CB, Srinivasan A (2006) Connectivity in Marine Protected Areas Science 313(5783):43-45
• Cowen RK, Paris CB, Srinivasan A (2006) Scaling connectivity in marine populations, Science 311:522-527 [zip]
• Baums I, Paris CB, Cherubin L (2006) A bio-oceanographic filter to larval dispersal in a reef-building coral, Limnol & Oceanogr 51(5)
• Ramos S, Cowen RK, Paris CB, Re P, Bordalo A (2006) Environmental forcing and larval fish assemblage dynamics in the Lima River Estuary (NW Portugal), J Plankton Res 28(3):275-286
• Paris CB, Cowen RK, Claro R, Lindeman KC (2005) Larval transport pathways from Cuban spawning aggregations (Snappers; Lutjanidae) based on biophysical modeling. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 296:93-106. [pdf]
• Paris CB, Sponaugle, S, Cowen RK, Rotunno T (2005) Pomacentridae, In: Richards, JW (ed) Early Stages of Atlantic Fishes, CRC Press, Boca Raton
• Lindeman KC, Richards WJ, Lyczkowski-Shultz J, Drass DM, Paris CB, Leis JM, Lara M, Comyns BH (2005) Lutjanidae: Snappers. In: Richards WJ (ed) Early Stages of Atlantic Fishes. CRC Press, Boca Raton
• Paris CB, Cowen RK (2004) Direct evidence of a biophysical retention mechanism for coral reef fish larvae. Limnology and Oceanography 49(6): 1964-1979 [pdf]
• Cowen RK, Sponaugle S, Paris CB, Fortuna JL, Lwiza KMM, Dorsey S. (2003) Impact of North Brazil Current rings on local circulation and coral reef fish recruitment to Barbados, West Indies. In: Interhemispheric water exchange, GJ Goni [ed.], Elsevier Oceanographic Series, Chap 17: 443-462. [pdf]
• Serafy JE, Cowen RK, Paris CB, Capo TR, Luthy SA (2003) Evidence of blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, spawning in the vicinity of Exuma Sound, Bahamas. Marine and Fresh Water Research 54:1-8 [pdf]
• Cowen RK, Paris CB, Olson DB, Fortuna JL (2003) The role of long distance dispersal in replenishing marine populations. Gulf and Caribbean Research 14(2):129-137. [pdf]
• Paris CB, Cowen RK, Lwiza KMM, Wang DP, Olson DB (2002) Objective analysis of three-dimensional circulation in the vicinity of Barbados, West Indies: Implication for larval transport. Deep Sea Research.49: 1363-1386. [pdf]
• Olson DB, Paris CB, Cowen RK (2001) Lagrangian biological models, p. 1437-1443. In: Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, J.H. Steele, K.K. Turekian, S.A. Thorpe Eds, Academic Press.
• Cowen RK, Lwiza KMM, Sponaugle S, Paris CB, Olson DB (2000) Connectivity of marine populations: Open or closed? Science 287: 857-859. [pdf]
• Graber HC. and Limouzy-Paris CB (1997) Transport patterns of tropical reef fish larvae by spin-off eddies in the Straits of Florida. Oceanography 10 (2): 68-71.
• Limouzy-Paris CB, Graber HC, Jones DL, Roepke AW, Richards WJ (1997) Translocation of larval coral reef fishes via sub-mesoscale spin-off eddies from the Florida Current. Bulletin of Marine Science, 60 (3): 966-983.
• Schultz DR, Arnold PI, Capos TR, Paris-Limouzy CB, Serafy JE, Richards WJ (1996) Immunologic methods for species identification of early life stages of lutjanid fishes from the western central Atlantic. PartI: Characterization of an interspecies protein. Fishery Bulletin 94: 734-742.
• Limouzy-Paris CB, McGowan MF, Richards WJ, Umaran JP, Cha SS (1994) Diversity of fish larvae in the Florida Keys: Results from SEFCAR. Bulletin of Marine Science 54 (3): 857-870.