I use food web ecology, parasite ecology, and spatial ecology to gain mechanistic understanding of ecosystem processes and inform management issues concerning habitat fragmentation, species loss or gain, and changing climate. My work has a strong foundation in natural history and field ecology.
In past research, I sought to uncover the roles of parasites in kelp forest ecosystems. Kelp forests are dynamic and productive ecosystems, known for strong trophic interactions. Parasites may take advantage of these trophic pathways to complete their life cycles, and have important roles in these food webs. Because parasites utilize in tact food chains to complete their life cycles, parasite diversity may be tightly linked to ecosystem health and food webs stability. I am also interested in the interactions of organism with structurally complex habitats over a range of spatial scales. My past work has demonstrated that spatial structure of habitat influences recruitment of marine fishes and some invertebrates. Other invertebrates, however, seem to respond to forces over larger scales. |
CONTACT INFO:
Dana Morton, PhD [email protected] Download a copy of my CV Google Scholar Publication List Research Gate Profile |
News
Dana spoke with the UCSB Current about the kelp forest food web:
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Dana was interviewed KEYT, NewsChannel 3-12 about the hoodwinker sunfish that washed up near UCSB, March 5, 2019:
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