[All-postdocs] Bioseminar Nicola Smith

[Ana M Velez]

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Biology Department Seminar
Thursday, March 10, 2022 - 12:00 Noon

Dr. Nicola S. Smith
Liber Ero Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries,
University of British Columbia, Canada, and Associate Editor for NeoBiota

Addressing the Challenges of Overexploitation and Invasive Species to Ocean Sustainability Under Global Change
Humans are changing Earth's natural and human systems at unprecedented rates. Major threats include overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change. My research aims to study these three global drivers of environmental change as they pertain to ocean sustainability, where our understanding of the effects of these stressors lags substantially behind the terrestrial biome. Using the Bahamas as a case study, I reconstruct historical marine fisheries catches up to more than 150 years ago. The results highlight that overexploitation has largely reduced the biomass and catches of the ecosystem, and progressively lowered the baselines for marine resource management. My works offer new insights into setting new management targets for policy actions. To understand the contributions of invasive species to changing marine ecosystems, I use a global meta-analysis to re-examine the 'invasion paradox', i.e., the conflicting pattern between experiments and observational studies as it relates to the relationship between species diversity and a community's vulnerability to invasions. I challenge a deeply held belief that differences in spatial scale between study types drive the paradox. Instead, I show that differences in the metric used to measure invasion susceptibility can also give rise to this contradictory pattern. Additionally, using the Indo-Pacific lionfish invasion on Caribbean coral reefs as a model system, I explore the concept of non-consumptive or 'fear' effects and the ability of native predators to limit the success of this notorious invader. My findings show that large-bodied groupers can induce behavioral changes in lionfish that may reduce invader foraging success. My current and proposed research is delving into the interactions between invasive species and climate change, and their impacts on ocean sustainability. The translation and mobilization of knowledge on invasive species and other environmental drivers generated from my research can be used to explore opportunities for effective ocean management.

Zoom: https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/j/91492959184 Meeting ID: 914 9295 9184
By dial: find your local number: https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/u/abGSXMyOO2
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