Ultimately, to understand the role that heterogeneity plays in marine animal interactions, comparitive work is necessary. I am comparing the foraging interactions of two groups of animals, three closely related species of fish and two species of marine mammals, to separate the effects of phylogeny and environmental pressures in structuring their responses to resource heterogeneity. This approach will allow the range of responses used by these animals in response to heterogeneity as well as potential convergence of these responses to be observed, highlighting general patterns. Comparing foraging on the Hawaiian near-shore scattering layer by deepwater snappers that are tied to the bottom with spinner dolphins that are tied to the surface is one way that I am pursuing this question. These species feed upon the same resource, in the same locations, but with very different physiological limitations, ecological constraints, and evolutionary histories. I am also comparing foraging between two related species, Hawaiian spinner dolphin and New Zealand dusky dolphin, both foraging on midwater micronekton but in different locations. This work is aimed at revealing the ecological constraints affecting the behavior and evolution of these two species and will allow me to examine the evolution of behavior in response to heterogeneous resource distributions. In the future, I plan to look at scattering layers in other locations and at other predators to provide a broader comparative perspective.

Active Research Projects