Sean P. Powers, Ph.D.

Bio

Dr. Sean Powers currently serves as Chair of the Marine Sciences department at the University of South Alabama and is a Senior Marine Scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.  Dr. Powers research lab, personnel, and graduate student are located in the Shelby Center for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Dr. Powers grew up in New Orleans and received his Bachelors of Science at Loyola University and a Master of Science degree from the University of New Orleans.  He then moved to Texas to pursue his Ph.D. in biology and oceanography from Texas A&M University.  Dr. Powers joined the faculty at the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in 2003.

Dr. Powers’s research focuses on the ecology of marine fish and invertebrates, particularly those that support commercial and recreational fisheries. The ultimate goal of his research program is to provide scientifically sound information to direct conservation and restoration efforts of marine fisheries and habitats. He has published over 100  peer-reviewed scientific articles, many in leading journals in the field (Science, Ecology, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, PLOS One); Served as PI or Co-PI on over 28 million dollars in extramural grant funding; advised 14 graduate students (7 PhD. And 7 MS); and engaged a variety of groups including national non-governmental organization (NGOs), regional conservation and sportsman groups in an effort to develop sustainable management practices for marine resources. 

Research Interest

Two of the major problems impacting marine ecosystems are the overharvest of fisheries species and loss or degradation of marine biogenic habitats. According to current estimates, over 2/3 of the world's fisheries are fully or over-exploited with only 3 percent of overfished stocks recovering. While poor management strategies and destructive harvest practices have contributed greatly to this decline, natural and anthropogenic changes in environmental conditions have also affected fisheries. Chief among these latter factors is the destruction and/or degradation of important habitats for fish, particularly juvenile stages, resulting from coastal development, declining water quality, and pollution as well as natural perturbations.

The fisheries ecology lab conducts research on a wide range of species from oysters to sharks and in a variety of locations from Alabama to Alaska. Research projects conducted by Dr. Sean Powers, Dr. Bob Shipp, and Dr. Marcus Drymon, their graduate students and research associates in this research group are designed to (1) quantify the relationship between fisheries species and marine habitats and (2) determine the community and ecosystem level effects of overharvesting of marine fishes and shellfish. Because fishing pressure disproportionately targets higher trophic levels and larger individuals (i.e., fishermen want to catch the big fish) large, predatory species are particularly vulnerable to overharvest. These large predatory species can often exert a high degree of control on their prey populations (smaller fish and invertebrates) thus transmitting the effects of overharvesting throughout the food web and potentially affecting other economically important species (e.g., crabs, oysters, scallops). In the Fisheries lab, we perform experimentation and field surveys to detect and quantify the effects of changes in top-down control (predator to prey). From a marine resources management perspective, information on these types of effects as well as the response of fisheries species to habitat loss is critical for effective conservation and restoration of marine finfish and shellfish populations. 

Projects

• Greater Amberjack Acoustic Tagging
• Fish Movement and Habitat Use
• Great Red Snapper Count
• Fisheries-Independent Ecosystem Survey
• Artificial Reef Monitoring and Assessment
• Sheepshead Population Connectivity
• Effects of large-scale habitat modification on demersal fish and mobile invertebrates within Alabama’s Artificial Reef Zone
• Benthic Habitat Assessment Program (BHAP)
• Conservation and management of coastal spawning areas of yellowfin tuna in Galápagos and continental Ecuador
• Characterizing Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) Life History in the Northcentral Gulf of Mexico
• Evaluating Impacts of Climate Change on Flatfish Dominated Nursery Grounds
• Coastal Alabama Acoustic Monitoring Program (CAAMP)
• Establishing connectivity patterns of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) on regional oceanographic scales

Publications

• 2020

  Fodrie, F.J., K. L. Heck, Jr., C. F. T. Andrus, and S. P. Powers. Determinants of the nursery role of seagrass meadows in the sub-tropical Gulf of Mexico: inshore–offshore connectivity for snapper and grouper. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 647:135-147. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13403.

• 2019

  O’Connell, Martin & Peterson, Mark & Powers, Sean & Uzee-O’Connell, Ann & Anderson, E. & Hendon, J.. Assessing Nearshore Nekton Abundance, Substrate, and Environmental Conditions in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Are There Differences Among Three Adjacent Coastal Areas and Have There Been Changes over Three Decades (1986–2015)? Estuaries and Coasts. 10.1007/s12237-019-00632-z.

• Powers, S.P. and K. Anson. Compression and relaxation of fishing effort in response to changes in length of fishing season for red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. National Marine Fisheries Service. Fishery Bulletin. 117(1-2). doi:10.7755/FB.117.1.1.

• Scyphers, S.B., M.W. Beck, K.L. Furman, J. Haner, L. I. Josephs, R. Lynskey, A. G. Keeler, C.E. Landry, S.P. Powers, B. M. Webb, and J. H. Grabowski. A Waterfront View of Coastal Hazards: Contextualizing Relationships among Geographic Exposure, Shoreline Type, and Hazard Concerns among Coastal Residents. Sustainability, 11(23), 6687; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236687.

• Drymon, J.M., K. Feldheim, A.M.V. Fournier, E.A. Seubert, A.E. Jefferson, A.M. Kroetz, and S.P. Powers. Tiger sharks eat songbirds: reply. Ecological Society of America. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2870.

• Drymon, J.M., K. Feldheim, A.M.V. Fournier, E.A. Seubert, A.E. Jefferson, A.M. Kroetz, and S.P. Powers. Tiger sharks eat songbirds: scavenging a windfall of nutrients from the sky. Ecology: 100(9), e02728. doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2728.

• Drymon, J.M., P.T. Cooper, S.P. Powers, M.M. Miller, S. Magnuson, E. Krell and C. Bird. Genetic Identification of Species Responsible for Depredation in Commercial and Recreational Fisheries. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10292.

• Nelson, T.R. and S.P. Powers. Validation of species specific otolith chemistry and salinity relationships. Environmental Biology of Fishes. Vol. 102(5):801-815. doi.org/10.1007/s10641-019-00872-9.

• Jefferson, A., R.J. Allman, A.E. Pacicco, J.S. Franks, F.J. Hernandez, M.A. Albins, S.P. Powers, R.L. Shipp, and J.M. Drymon. Age and growth of gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) from a north-central Gulf of Mexico artificial reef zone. Bulletin of Marine Science. 95(2):177-195. doi.org/10.5343/bms.2018.0025.

• Livernois, M.C., F.J. Fodrie, K.L. Heck, and S. P. Powers. Emergent intraspecific multiple predator effects shape estuarine trophic dynamics across a gradient of habitat complexity. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 511 (120-128). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2018.12.004.

• Seubert, E.A., N.E. Hussey, S.P. Powers, J.F. Valentine, and J.M. Drymon. Assessing trophic flexibility of a predator assemblage across a large estuarine seascape using blood plasma stable isotope analysis. Food Webs. Volume 21. e00132. doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2019.e00132.

• 2018

  Sackett, D.K., M. Catalano. J.M. Drymon, S.P. Powers, and M. A. Albins. Estimating Exploitation Rates in the Alabama Red Snapper Fishery Using a High‐Reward Tag–Recapture Approach. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science. 10:536-549. doi:10.1002/mcf2.10049.

• Schrandt, M., S.P. Powers, F. S. Rickard, W. Thongda, and E. Peatman. Short-term low salinity mitigates effects of oil and dispersant on juvenile eastern oysters: A laboratory experiment with implications for oil spill response activities. PLOS One. 13(9): e0203485. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203485.

  

• Powers, S.P., J. M. Drymon, C.L. Hightower, T. Spearman, G.S. Bosarge, and A. Jefferson. Distribution and Age Composition of Red Snapper across the Inner Continental Shelf of the North‐Central Gulf of Mexico. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 147:791-805. DOI: 10.1002/tafs.10081.

• Thongda, W., H. Zhao, D. Zhang, L. N. Jescovitch, M. Liu, X. Guo, M. Schrandt, S.P. Powers, and E. Peatman. Development of SNP Panels as a New Tool to Assess the Genetic Diversity, Population Structure, and Parentage Analysis of the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Marine Biotechnology. 20(3):385-395. doi.org/10.1007/s10126-018-9803-y.

• Kenworthy, M.D., J.H. Grabowski, C.A. Layman, G.D. Sherwood, S.P. Powers, C.H. Peterson, R.K. Gittman, D.A. Keller, and F.J. Fodrie. Movement ecology of a mobile predatory fish reveals limited habitat linkages within a temperate estuarine seascape. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 75(11): 1990-1998. doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0308.

• Jackson, L.S., J.M. Drymon, T. R. Nelson, and S.P. Powers. Biotelemetry based estimates of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) post-release mortality in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fisheries Research. 208:239-246. doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.07.017.

• 2017

  Powers, S.P., J. H. Grabowski, h. Roman, A. Geggel, S. Rouhani, J. Oehrig, and M. Baker. Consequences of large-scale salinity alteration during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on subtidal oyster populations. Marine Ecology Progress Series. doi: 10.3354/meps12147.

• Powers, S.P., S. Rouhani, M.S. Baker, H. Roman, J. H. Grabowski, S.B. Scyphers, J.M. Willis, and M. W. Hester. Ecosystem services are lost when facilitation between two ecosystem engineers is compromised by oil. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 576:189-202. doi.org/10.3354/meps12201.

• Powers, S. P., C. H. Peterson, J. Cebrian and K. L. Heck.. Response of nearshore ecosystems to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (An Introduction to a Theme Section) Marine Ecology Progress Series 576: 107-110

  

• Heck, K. L., J. Cebrian, S. P. Powers, N. Geraldi, R. Plutchak, D. Byron and K. Major. . Ecosystem Services Provided by Shoreline Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico: An Experimental Assessment Using Live Oysters. In Bilkovic, D. M., Mitchell, M. M., La Peyre, M. K. and Toft, J. D. (eds). Living Shorelines: The Science and Management of Nature-Based Coastal Protection. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, pp. 401- 420

  

• 2016

  Sharma, S., Goff, J., Moody, R., McDonald, A., Byron, D., Heck, K.L., Powers, S.P., Ferraro, C., Cebrian, J.. Effects of Shoreline Dynamics on Saltmarsh Vegetation PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0159814

  

• 2015

  Scyphers, S.B., S.P. Powers and K.L. Heck, Jr.. Ecological value of submerged breakwaters for habitat enhancement on a residential scale. Environmental Management 55:383-390.

  

• Zu Ermgassen, P.S., J. H. Grabowski, J. R. Gair, and S. P. Powers. Quantifying benefits of conservation and restoration of biogenic habitats: Converting oyster reefs to fish and mobile invertebrate production. Journal of Applied Ecology

  

• Kroetz, A.M. and S. P. Powers.. Eating between the lines: functional feeding response of bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo). Environmental Biology of Fish 98: 655-661.

  

• Schrandt, M., S. P. Powers and J.F. Mareska.. Habitat use and fishery dynamics of a heavily exploited coastal migrant, Atlantic Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus). North American Journal of Fisheries Management 35: 352-363.

  

• Scyphers, S.B., T.C. Gouhier, J.H. Grabowski, M.W. Beck, J. Mareska and S.P. Powers. Natural shorelines promote the stability of fish communities in an urbanized coastal system. PLOS One 10(6): e0118580.

  

• Schrandt, M.N., and S.P. Powers.. Facilitation and dominance in a schooling predator: foraging behavior of Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) PLOS One 10(6): e0130095.

  

• Scyphers, S.B., J.S. Picou, and S.P. Powers.. Participatory conservation of coastal habitats: the importance of understanding homeowner decision making to mitigate cascading shoreline degradation. Conservation Letters 8: 41-49.

  

• Baggett. L. P., S. P. Powers, R.D. Brumbaugh, L. Coen, B. DeAngelis, J. Greene, B. Hancock, S. Morlock, B. Allen, D. Breitburg, D. Bushek, J. H. Grabowski, R. Grizzle, T. Grosholz, M. La Peyre, M. Luckenbach, K. McGraw, M. F. Piehler, S. Westby, et al.. Guidelines for evaluating performance of oyster habitat restoration. Restoration Ecology, In press.

  

• Ajemian, M.A. and S. P. Powers. Seasonality and ontogenetic habitat partitioning of Cownose Rays in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries and Coast, In press.

  

• Kroetz, A. M., S.P. Powers, J.M. Drymon, and K. Park.. Anthropogenic modifications to a barrier island influence Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) movements in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Animal Biotelemetry, 3: 38

  

• Scyphers, S. B., S. P. Powers, J. M. Drymon, C. W. Martin, R. H. McMichael, Z. H Schobernd, P. J. Schofield, and R. L. Shipp.. The role of citizens in detecting and responding to a rapid marine invasion. Conservation Letters, DOI: 10.1111/conl.12114

  

• Aven, A.M., R. H. Carmichael, M. J. Ajemian, S. P. Powers.. Addition of passive acoustic telemetry mitigates lost data from satellite-tracked manatees. Marine and Freshwater Research. 66:371-374

  

• Sharma, S., J. Goff, R. Moody, A. McDonald, D. Byron, K. L. Heck, S. P. Powers, C. Ferraro & J. Cebrian.. Do restored oyster reefs benefit seagrasses? An experimental study in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Restoration Ecology doi: 10.1111/rec.12329

  

• 2014

  Park, K., S. P. Powers, G. S. Bosarge, and H. S. Jung.. Plugging the leak: Barrier island restoration following Hurricane Katrina enhances larval retention and improves salinity regime for oysters in in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

• Scyphers, S.B., J.S. Picou, and S.P. Powers.. Participatory conservation of coastal habitats: the importance of understanding homeowner decision making to mitigate cascading shoreline degradation. Conservation Letters, doi: 10.1111/conl.12114.

• Scyphers, S. B., J. S. Picou, R. D. Brumbaugh, and S. P. Powers.. Integrating societal perspectives and values for improved stewardship of a coastal ecosystem engineer.

• Kroetz, A.M. and S. P. Powers.. Eating between the lines: functional feeding response of bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo).

• Ajemian, M. J. and S. P. Powers.. Towed -float satellite telemetry tracks large -scale movement and habitat connectivity of myliobatid stingrays.

• Scyphers SB, Powers SP, Akins JL, Drymon JM, Martin CW, Schobernd ZH, Schofield PJ, Shipp RL, Theodore TS.. The role of citizens in detecting and responding to a rapid marine invasion. Conservation Letters. DOI 10.1111/conl.12127.

  

• Drymon JM, Powers SP, Ajemian MJ.. Dynamic habitat use of young bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary.

  

• 2013

  Kim, C.-K., K. Park, and S.P. Powers. Establishing restoration strategy of eastern oyster via a coupled biophysical transport model.

  

• Scyphers, S.B., F. J. Fodrie, F.J. Hernandez, Jr., S. P. Powers and R. L. Shipp.. Venting and reef fish survival: Perceptions and participation rates among recreational anglers in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

• Scyphers, S.B. and S.P. Powers. Context -dependent Effects of a Marine Ecosystem Engineer on Predator -prey Interactions.

• Hernandez, F.J., Jr., L. Carassou, W.M. Graham, and S.P. Powers. Evaluation of the Taxonomic Sufficiency Approach For Ichthyoplankton Community Analysis.

• Powers SP, Hernandez FJ, Condon RH, Drymon JM, Free C.. Novel pathways for injury: direct, sublethal and indirect effects of the Deepwater Horizon explosion on pelagic Sargassum communities.

  

• Moody, R. M., J. Cebrian, S. M. Kerner, K. L. Heck, S. P. Powers and C. Ferraro.. Effects of shoreline erosion on salt -marsh floral zonation.

  

• Powers SP, Fodrie FJ, Scyphers SB, Drymon JM, Shipp RL, Stunz W.. Gulf -wide decreases in the size of large coastal sharks documented by generations of fishermen.

  

• Drymon, J.M, L. Carassou, S.P. Powers, M. Grace, J. Dindo, and B. Dzwonkowski. Multiscale analysis of Factors That Affect the Distribution of Sharks Throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

  

• 2012

  zu Ermgassen, P., M. Spalding, B. Blake, L. Coen, B. Dumbauld, S. Geiger, J. Grabowski, R. Grizzle, M. W. Luckenbach, K. McGraw, W. Rodney, J. Ruesink S. P. Powers, and R. Brumbaugh. Historical ecology with real numbers: Past and present extent and biomass of an imperiled estuarine habitat.

• Grabowski, J. H., R. D. Brumbaugh, R. Conrad, A. G. Keeler, J. Opaluch, C. H. Peterson, M. F. Piehler, S. P. Powers, and A. R. Smith.. Economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by oyster reefs.

• Ajemian, M. and S. P. Powers. Habitat specific feeding patterns in cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

• Ajemian, M. and S. P. Powers. Foraging effects of cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) along barrier islands of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

• Ajemian, M., S. P. Powers, T.J.T. Murdoch. Estimating the Potential Impacts of Large Mesopredators on Benthic Resources: Integrative Assessment of Spotted Eagle Ray Foraging Ecology in Bermuda.

• Peterson, C. H., S. S. Anderson, G. N. Cherr, R. F. Ambrose, S. Anghera, S. Bay, M. Blum, R. Condon, T. A. Dean, M. Graham, M. Guzy, S. Hampton, S. Joye, J. Lambrinos, B. Mate, D. Meffert, S. P. Powers, P. Somasundaran, R. B. Spies, C. M. Taylor, R. Tjeer. Forum: A Tale of Two Spills: Novel Science and Policy Implications of an Emerging New Oil Spill Paradigm.

• Fodrie, F. J., M. C. Brodeur, B. J. Toscano, and S. P. Powers.. Friend or Foe: conflicting demands and conditional risk taking by opportunistic scavengers.

• Carassou L., F. J. Hernandez, S. P. Powers and W. M. Graham.. Cross -shore, seasonal, and depth -related structure of the ichthyoplankton assemblages in coastal Alabama.

• Powers SP, Hightower CL, Drymon JM, Johnson M.. Age composition and distribution of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in offshore waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico: an evaluation of a stock under a federal harvest moratorium.

  

• Drymon, J.M., Powers, S.P., Carmichael, R.H.. Trophic plasticity in the Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 95:21-35.

  

• 2011

  Hernandez, FJ, L Carassou, S Muffleman, SP Powers, WM Graham.. Comparison of two plankton net mesh sizes for ichthyoplankton collection in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

• Ajemian, M.J., Dolan, D., Graham, W.M. and S.P. Powers.. First evidence of elasmobranch predation by a waterbird: stingray consumption by the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias).

• Cowan, J.H., Jr., C.B. Grimes, W.F. Patterson III, C.J. Walters, A.C. Jones, W.J. Lindberg, D.J. Sheehy, W.E. Pine III, J.E. Powers, M.D. Campbell, K.C. Lindeman, S.L. Diamond, R. Hilborn, H.T. Gibson, and K.A. Rose.. Red snapper management in the Gulf of Mexico: science - or faith -based?

  

• Scyphers, S. B., S. P. Powers, K. L. Heck, Jr., and D. Byron.. Oyster reefs as natural breakwaters mitigate shoreline loss and facilitate fisheries.

• Geraldi, N. R. and S. P. Powers.. Subtle changes in prey foraging behavior have cascading effects in a shallow estuary.

• Carassou, L., B. Dzwonkowski, F.J. Hernandez, S.P. Powers, K. Park, W.M Graham, and J. Mareska. Environmental influences on juvenile fish abundances in a river -dominated coastal system.
  

• Dzwonkowski, B., K. Park, H.K. Ha, W.M. Graham, F.J. Hernandez, and S.P. Powers. Hydrographic variability on a coastal shelf directly impacted by estuarine discharge.

  

• 2010

  Brown, H., M. C. Benfield, S. F. Keenan, and S. P. Powers.. Movement patterns and home ranges of a pelagic marine carangid (Caranx crysos) around a petroleum platform complex.

• Johnson, M.W., S.P. Powers, C.L. Hightower, and M.D. Kenworthy.. Age, growth, mortality, and diet composition of vermillion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) from the Mississippi Bight Fishery.

• Toscano, B.J., F.J. Fodrie, S.L. Madsen and S.P. Powers.. Multiple prey effects: agnostic behaviors between prey species enhances consumption by their shared predator.

• Fodrie, F.J., Heck, KL Jr., Powers SP, Graham, WM and KL Robinson.. Climate -related, decadal -scale assemblage changes of seagrass -associated fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

  

• Hernandez, F.J., Jr., S.P. Powers and W.M. Graham.. Seasonal variability in ichthyoplankton abundance and assemblage composition in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Alabama.

• Kim, C.-K., K. Park, S.P. Powers, W.M. Graham, and K.M. Bayha. Oyster larval transport in coastal Alabama: dominance of physical transport over biological behavior in a shallow estuary.

• B.F. Reynolds, S.P. Powers, and M.A. Bishop.. Application of acoustic biotelemetry to assess quality of created habitats for demersal fish: residency, site fidelity and movement of rockfish and lingcod in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

• M.A. Bishop, B.F. Reynolds, and S.P. Powers.. An in situ, individual based approach to quantify connectivity of marine fish: Ontogenetic movements and residency of lingcod.

• Drymon JM, Powers SP, Dindo J, Dzwonkowski B, Henwood T.. Distribution of sharks across a continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

  

• Plutchak, R. R., K. Major, J. Cebrian, C. D Foster, M. E. Miller, A. Anton, K. L Sheehan, K. L. Heck, Jr. and S. P. Powers. Impacts of Oyster Reef Restoration on Primary Productivity and Nutrient Dynamics in Tidal Creeks of the North Central Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries and Coasts 33: 1355 -1364.

  

• 2009

  Johnson, M.W., S. P. Powers, J. Senne and K. Park.. Assessing the in situ tolerance of oysters under moderate hypoxic regimes: implications for oyster reef restoration.

• Gregalis, K. C., M. W. Johnson, and S. P. Powers.. Restored oyster reef location and design affect responses of resident and transient fish, crab and shellfish species in Mobile Bay, AL.

• Powers, S.P.. Effects of density and water flow on early survivorship and growth of northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria).

• Powers, S. P., C. H. Peterson, J. H. Grabowski, and H. S. Lenihan.. Evaluating the success of constructed oyster reefs in no -harvest sanctuaries: implications for restoration.

• Geraldi, N. R., S. P. Powers, K. L. Heck, Jr., and J. Cebrian.. Can habitat restoration be redundant? Response of mobile fishes and crustaceans to oyster reef restoration in marsh tidal creeks.

  

• 2008

  Fodrie, F. J., M. D. Kenworthy and S. P. Powers.. Unintended facilitation between marine consumers generates enhanced mortality for their shared prey.

• Gregalis, K. C., S. P. Powers and K.L. Heck, Jr.. Restoriation of oyster reefs along a bio -physical gradient in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

• Cebrian, J., C. D. Foster, R. Plutchak, K. Sheehan, A. Anton, M. Miller, K. Major, K. L. Heck, Jr. and S. P. Powers. The impact of Hurricane Ivan on the primary productivity and metabolism of marsh tidal creeks. Aquatic Ecology 42:391 -404.

  

• 2007

  Powers, M. J., H. C. Summerson, C. H. Peterson, and S. P. Powers.. Macroalgal growth on bivalve aquaculture netting enhances nursery habitat for mobile invertebrates and juvenile fishes.

• Myers, R. A., J. Buam, T. A. Sheperd, S. P. Powers and C. H. Peterson.. Cascading effects of the loss of apex predatory sharks from the coastal ocean.

• Kline, T.C., Woody, C.A., Bishop, M.A., Powers, S.P., and E.E. Knudsen.. Assessment of marine -derived nutrients in the Copper River Delta, Alaska, using natural abundance of the stable isotopes of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon. In: Sockye salmon ecology, evolution, and management (C.A.Woody, ed.).

• Coen, L. D., Mike, R. D. Brumbaugh, D. Bushek, R. Grizzle, M. W. Luckenbach, M. H. Posey, S.P. Powers, and S. G. Tolley.. AS WE SEE IT: Ecosystem services related to oyster restoration.

• Powers, S.P., Bishop, M.A., Moffitt, S. and G.H. Reeves.. Variability in freshwater, estuarine and marine residence of sockeye salmon (Onchorhyncus nerka) within the Copper and Bering River Deltas. In: Sockye salmon ecology, evolution, and management (C.A.Woody, ed.).

• 2006

  Powers, S.P., Bishop, M.A., Grabowski, J.H., and C.H. Peterson.. Distribution of the invasive bivalve Mya arenaria L. on intertidal flats of southcentral Alaska.

• Bishop, M.J., Powers, S.P., Porter, H.J., and C.H. Peterson.. Benthic biological effects of seasonal hypoxia in a eutrophic estuary predate rapid coastal development.

• 2005

  Powers S. P., C. H. Peterson, R. R. Christian , E. Sullivan, M. J. Powers, M. Bishop and C. P. Buzzelli.. Effects of eutrophication on bottom habitat and prey resources of demersal fishes.

• 2004

  Grabowski, J.H., C.H. Peterson, S.P. Powers, D. Gaskill, and H.C. Summerson.. Growth and survivorship of non -native (Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea ariakensis) vs. native (Crassostrea virginica) oysters.

• Grabowski, J.H. and S.P. Powers.. Habitat complexity mitigates trophic transfer on oyster reefs.

• 2003

  Sperduto, M., S.P. Powers, and M. Donlan.. Scaling restoration actions to achieve quantitative enhancement of loon, seaduck, and seabird populations.

• Grabowski, J.H., S.P. Powers and M. Hooper.. Identification and incorporation of growth and survival bottlenecks in economic models of Hard Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) mariculture.

• Powers, S. P., J. Grabowski, C.H. Peterson, and W.J. Lindberg.. Estimating enhancement of fish production by offshore artificial reefs: uncertainty exhibited by divergent scenarios.

• Peterson, C. H., J. H. Grabowski, and S. P. Powers.. Estimated enhancement of fish production resulting from restoring oyster reef habitat: quantitative valuation.

• Grabowski, J.H., S.P. Powers, C.H. Peterson, M.J. Powers, and D.P. Green.. Consumer ratings of non -native (Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea ariakensis) vs. native (Crassostrea virginica) oysters.

• 2002

  Buzzelli, C.P., R.A. Luettich Jr., S.P. Powers, C.H. Peterson, J.E. McNinch, J.L. Pinckney, and H.W. Paerl.. Estimating the spatial extent of bottom -water hypoxia and habitat degradation in a shallow estuary.

• Borsuk, M. E., S. P. Powers and C. H. Peterson.. A survival model of the effects of bottom -water hypoxia on the population density of an estuarine clam (Macoma balthica).

• Powers, S. P. and C. H. Peterson.. Intertidal benthic resources of the Copper River Delta, Alaska.

• Powers, S. P. and J. N. Kittinger.. Hydrodynamic mediation of predator -prey interactions: differential patterns of prey susceptibility and predator success explained by variation in water flow.

• 2001

  Wetzel, M. A., Fleeger, J. W. and S. P. Powers.. Effects of hypoxia and anoxia on meiofauna: A review with new data from the Gulf of Mexico.

• Peterson, C. H., F. J. Fodrie, H.C. Summerson and S. P. Powers.. Site -specific and density -dependent extinction of prey by schooling rays: generation of a population sink in top -quality habitat for bay scallops.

• Powers, S. P., D. E. Harper, Jr. and N. N. Rabalais.. Effect of large -scale hypoxia/anoxia on supply -settlement relationships of benthic invertebrate larvae.

• 2000

  Powers, S. P. and C. H. Peterson.. Conditional density dependence: The flow trigger to expression of density -dependent emigration in bay scallops.

• Grabowski, J.H., S.P. Powers and M. Hooper.. Balancing tradeoffs between predator protection and associated growth penalties in aquaculture of northern quahogs, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758): a comparison of two common grow -out methods. Journal of Shellfish Research, 19 (2): 957 -962.

• Grabowski, J.H., S.P. Powers and M. Hooper.. Balancing tradeoffs between predator protection and associated growth penalties in aquaculture of northern quahogs, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758): a comparison of two common grow -out methods. Journal of Shellfish Research, 19 (2): 957 -962.

• 1998

  Powers, S. P.. Larval supply -settlement relationships in an estuarine fouling community.

• 1991

  Hauber D. P., White, D. A., S. P. Powers and F. R. DeFrancesch.. Isozyme variation and correspondence with unusual infrared reflectance patterns in Phragmites australis (Poaceae).

Who We Are

Primary Investigators: 
Dr. Sean Powers, Ph. D, Texas A&M Univ., 1997; M.S., Univ. of New Orleans, 1992; B.S., Loyola Univ., 1990; Professor and Chair of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama 
email: spowers@disl.org 
    
Dr. Bob Shipp, Ph.D, Florida State Univ., 1970; M.S., Florida State Univ., 1966; B.S., Spring Hill College, 1964; Professor Emeritus, University of South Alabama
email: rshipp@southalabama.edu

Current Lab Members:

	Name	Position	Education
	Crystal Hightower	Lab Manager	M.S. Univ. of South Alabama; B.S. Univ. of North Alabama
	Dr. Mark Albins	Research Associate	Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, M.S. Cal State, Fullerton, B.A., Univ. California, Berkeley
	Dr. Jeffrey Plumlee	Post Doctorate	B.S., Texas A&M University; M.S., Texas A&M University; Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
	Adam Jung	M.S. Student
	Justin McDonald	Research Assistant	M.S., University of South Alabama
	Manuel Coffill-Rivera	Ph.D. Student	B.S., Florida Gulf Coast University; M.S., Mississippi State University
	Monica Powers	Project Lead: Shipp Red Snapper Tagging Program	M.S., Univ. North Carolina, Chapel Hill
	Jackie Wilson	Research Technician
	Trey Spearman	Benthic Habitat Manager; Project Lead: Fisheries Independent Survey Trawl	M.S., University of South Alabama, B.S., Auburn University
	Dylan Kiene	Ph.D. Student
	Deepa Shrestha	Research Data Management Specialist	M.S., University of South Alabama; B.S. University of South Alabama

Former Interns:

2022
Hailey Smith
Anna Hill
Cole Bagget
Natalie Munich
Bethany Kiley

2021
Cory Sanko- Wildlife Tech at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Josef Schuster- Biological Scientist I, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Alyssa Tuner
Abbey Woodard- Naturalist at Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm

2020
Jade Carver, M.S. student Louisiana State University
Elizabeth Greenheck, M.S. student University of Southern Mississippi
Joseph O'Brien, Technician at Rutgers University
Christian Walker, M.S. student Louisiana State University

2019
Cidia Dominique, M.S. student University of North Carolina
Leo Hijikata
Emily Shallow, M.S. student Lousiana State University
Steven Stang, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

2018
Kevin Anderson
Aubrey Foulk, Ph.D. student Northeastern University 
Mitchell Lovell, M.S. student Lousiana State University
John Whitinger, M.S. student Northern Michigan University

2017
Jacob Eagleton
Andrew Fuehring
Ed Kim, M.S. student University of South Alabama
Kelly Nichols
Locke Revels
Desaray Swanson

2016
Kyle Hafstad
Oliver Ho
Michelle Louie 
Brandy Malbrough
Lauren Still, Marine Fisheries Lab, University of Florida
Trish Vosburg 

2015
Jaylyn Babitch, M.S. student University of Louisiana, Lafayette
Cody Eggenberger, M.S. student Florida International University
George Jarvis, M.S. student California State University, Northridge
Mariah Livernois, M.S. student University of South Alabama

2014
Kihoto Gitonga
Chester Lindley, M.S. student Bren School, UCSB
Megann Santana, M.S. Troy University 

2013
Pavel Dimens, M.S.,Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Ph.D. grad student GCRL
Aaron Pilnick, National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD

2012
Laura Stone, M.S., Mobile Baykeeper
Chris Free, Ph.D, Rutgers University

Fall 2011
Jennifer Chiu, graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Lab, California
Brian McKenna,Fisheries Biologist, Fairbanks Alaska
Mark Kirk 

Summer 2011
Jessica Hill, Hawaii Nature Hui
Jay Jackson, Payne Environmental Services 
Brian Klimek, M.S. student University of South Alabama

Fall 2010
Amanda Brown, graduate student at University of North Florida 
Suni Chutkan, Intern at NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Trey Spearman, M.S. University of South Alabama
Summer 2010
Neal Wepking, NOAA Fisheries Observer
Veronica Cruz
Evan Collins, graduate student at University of Georgia
Fall 2009
Nicholas Bawden
Luke Dodd, Ph.D student at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Kate Nixon, Knauss Fellow, Washington D.C
Summer 2009
Suzannah Leahy, James Cook University
Kevin Jagnandan, Ph. D student at University of California, Riverside 
Fall 2008 
Cora Ann Johnston, Ph.D,
Eleni Petrou, Research Fellow at Bocas del Toro Research Station, Panama 
Summer 2008
Ben Toscano, Ph.D,
James Swarthout

Fisheries Ecology Lab Alumni

Former Post Docs:

Dr. Kelly Boyle, 2017-2019, Current position is Assistant Professor, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA. Email: ksboyle@uno.edu 

J. Marcus to Current position: Assistant Extension Professor, MS State University, Biloxi, MS. Email: marcus.drymon@msstate.edu

Dr. F. Joel Fodrie, 2006 – 2008, Current position: Assistant Professor, Institute of Marine Sciences & Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC. Email: Jfodrie@unc.edu

Dr. Matthew J. Johnson, 2006 – 2008, Current position: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Biological Sciences Unit, New Orleans, LA. Email: matthew.johnson@boem.gov

Dr. Frank Hernandez, 2004 – 2006, Current position: Assistant Professor - Fisheries Oceanography and Ecology, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS. Email: Frank.hernandez@usm.edu

Former Students:

Ed Kim, M.S., 2022, Current Position: Assistant Scientist, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium in Boston, MA. Email: ekim@neaq.org

Frank D'Alonzo, M.S., 2020

Trey Spearman, M.S., 2015, Current position: Benthic Habitat Manager, Fisheries Ecology Lab, Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Email: TSpearman@disl.org

Dr. Andrea Kroetz, Ph.D., 2015, Current position: Fisheries Biologist, Riverside Technology, Inc., In support of NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Email: Andrea.Kroetz@noaa.gov

Dr. Meagan Schrandt, Ph.D., 2015, Current position: FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FWRI, St. Petersburg, FL. Email: Meagan.Schrandt@myfwc.com

Amanda Jefferson, M.S., 2017, Current position: Extension Associate, MS State University Coastal Research and Extension Center, Biloxi, MS. Email: aej279@msstate.edu

Mariah Livernois, M.S., 2018, Current position: PhD student TX A&M Galveston. Email: mlivernois@tamu.edu

Emily Seubert, M.S., 2018, Current position: Extension Associate, MS State University Coastal Research and Extension Center, Biloxi, MS. Email: es1683@msstate.edu

Dr. T. Reid Nelson, Ph.D., 2019, Current position: Post Doc, UC Santa Cruz & NOAA Fisheries, Santa Cruz, CA. Email: thomas.nelson@noaa.gov

Dr. Nate Geraldi M.S., 2006, Ph.D, University of Current position: Research Fellow School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Email: n.geraldi@qub.ac.uk

Kevan Gregalis, M.S., 2006, Current position: 

Dr. J. Marcus Drymon, Ph.D., 2010, Current Position: Research Assistant Professor, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. Email: MDrymon@disl.org

Brad Reynolds, M.S., 2009, Current position: Commercial fisherman, Cordova, AK. Email: breynolds@pwssc.org

Dr. Glen Miller, Ph.D., 2011, Current position: Instructor of Biological Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL. Email: MillerG@fit.edu

Dr. Matthew Ajemian, Ph.D., 2011, Current position: Assistant Research Professor, Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch. Email: majemian@fau.edu

Matthew Kenworthy, M.S., 2011, Current position: PhD student, University of North Carolina. Email: mkenwor@email.unc.edu

Dr. Steven Scyphers, Ph.D., 2012, Current position: NSF SEES Postdoctoral Fellow and Adjunct Faculty, Three Seas Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Email: S.Scyphers@neu.edu

Crystal LouAllen Hightower, M.S., 2013, Current position: Research Laboratory Manager Fisheries Ecology Lab, Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Email: CHightower@disl.org

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