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This site highlights research on the fisheries ecology of tropical coastal and deep-water fishes. I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Guam, jointly appointed with the Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Program and the UOG Marine Laboratory. My work focuses on understanding the biology, ecology, and fisheries of coral reef and deep-water fish species across the tropical Indo-Pacific, with the aim of supporting sustainable management and climate-resilient food systems.
My research integrates field-based and quantitative approaches to investigate fish population dynamics, growth, reproduction, and mortality, and how these processes scale up to influence fisheries yield and resilience. A central theme of my work is linking climate change to fisheries outcomes—using long-term growth chronologies and thermal sensitivity analyses to forecast how ocean warming will alter fish life histories and harvest potential. I collaborate closely with managers, fishers, and community stakeholders to ensure that scientific results are translated into actionable strategies. Much of my work emphasizes co-developing solutions that incorporate ecological and economic perspectives, so that fisheries management remains both scientifically rigorous and socially relevant. Across the Indo-Pacific, my projects span coral reef, coastal, and deep-water ecosystems, with ongoing funding to support monitoring, capacity building, and adaptive management strategies. Before returning to the University of Guam, I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Australian Institute of Marine Science in Perth, Western Australia, where I studied climate-driven variation in coral reef fish growth. I also served as a supervisory research scientist at NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, where I advanced fisheries monitoring and assessment frameworks for U.S. Pacific territories. I completed my PhD in 2015 at James Cook University’s College of Marine and Environmental Sciences and the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Townsville, Australia, focusing on large-scale patterns of reef fish demography and their implications for management. Research interests:
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