jcordell@u.washington.edu, 206-543-7532, FAX 206-685-7471
copepod biology/ecology, exotic invertebrates, estuarine restoration, crustacean taxonomy
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copepod biology/ecology, exotic invertebrates, estuarine restoration, crustacean taxonomy |
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Biology and Ecology of CopepodaAlthough they are crustaceans, copepods have been compared to insects, because, like their terrestrial counterparts, they have successfully occupied an astounding diversity of habitats and modes of life. In terms of their importance in marine food webs, the role of copepods cannot be overstated. By way of their conversion of detritus and phytoplankton into animal biomass, copepods form the first link between primary and secondary consumers. Many commercially important fish, including herring, anchovies, and rockfish feed on planktonic copepods through some or all of their life history stages. Benthic and epibenthic harpacticoid copepods often dominate the diets of juvenile flatfish and several species of Pacific salmon during their early life history. In our lab, we investigate which types of habitats are important in producing important fish prey copepods, and how human impacts affect those habitats. The Role of Exotic Invertebrates in Pacific Northwest EstuariesInvasions by exotic (also known as "nonindigenous" or "alien") species often have profound effects on ecosystems (evidenced by. zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and a similar clam in San Francisco Bay). A wide variety of other small invertebrates, including copepods, have established themselves in various estuarine habitats from San Francisco Bay to northern Washington State. Because Pacific Northwest estuaries are used extensively by juvenile pacific salmon and a variety of other fish and invertebrates, I am interested in understanding the ecological effects of these introduced invertebrates. Biological Functions of Restored Estuarine WetlandsMost of the tidal wetlands in the Pacific Northwest have been diked and used for agriculture and other development. This has meant a decrease in important rearing habitat for juvenile salmon and other wildlife. Recently, a number of local governments, resource agencies, and environmental groups have begun to restore these wetland habitats, using techniques such as dike-breaching and recreating natural landscapes. My research as a member of the Wetland Ecosystem Team has focused on measuring recolonization of these restored habitats by invertebrates and the juvenile salmon that feed on them, and in using the results to gauge the effectiveness of restoration techniques. Taxonomy of Small CrustaceansIn order to understand the ecology of any biological system, one must be able to identify the important plants and animals that make up that system. Unfortunately, taxonomy, the science of identifying and classifying organisms, has been neglected for many of the small invertebrates in recent years. I have spent much of my career collecting pertinent references and learning to identify small crustaceans such as copepods, amphipods, isopods, and cumaceans. This knowledge has been especially helpful in understanding the feeding ecology of small fish that feed on crustaceans, and on using abundance patterns and measures of diversity of these small animals in assessing ecological health of aquatic environments. |
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