Ocean Recoveries Lab
Understanding Coral Resilience in a Changing Ocean
We study the species interactions and ecological feedbacks that determine coral reef recovery and resilience.
Our research vision
Our lab investigates how corals interact with fishes, invertebrates, and their environment to uncover the bottlenecks to reef recovery.
By linking field experiments with cutting-edge quantitative analyses, we aim to inform restoration and conservation strategies worldwide.
Resilience & Recovery
How reefs bounce back after bleaching, storms, and disturbance—including the role of “material legacies.”
Mutualisms & Species Interactions
Fish and invertebrates that help—or harm—coral growth, and how context flips these effects.
Predators & Cascades
Trophic dynamics shaping communities, from mesopredators to lionfish and top-down control.
Restoration & Management
Applying science to design effective monitoring and interventions for reef recovery.
Featured projects
Field experiments in Moorea
Manipulating herbivores, mutualists, and disturbance legacies to identify recovery levers.
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Coral wound healing
Quantifying recovery trajectories and the role of guardians/housekeepers.
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Community assembly experiments
Testing how predation shapes mutualist diversity and coral performance.
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Global resilience meta-analyses
Challenging the remoteness hypothesis; identifying accessible resilient sites.
Learn moreRemote reefs aren’t always more resilient.
Reefs near people can rebound rapidly—shifting how we prioritize investment.
Guard crabs boost coral growth & survival.
Defense and housekeeping services accelerate recovery after damage.
Predator diversity can stabilize mutualists.
Balanced predation maintains high-quality partners for corals.
“Material legacies” can trap reefs.
Standing dead skeletons weaken herbivore control and favor macroalgae.
Publications & highlights
Remoteness does not guarantee resilience
Meta-analysis across reefs shows recovery can be strong near human populations—reframing conservation priorities.
Guardians & housekeepers: associates that protect corals
Crabs and other mutualists defend, clean, and subsidize corals—boosting survival and growth.
Predators as indirect allies
Predation can maintain mutualist diversity and improve coral outcomes—challenging simple cascade narratives.
Structure-retaining disturbances & recovery bottlenecks
Standing dead skeletons after bleaching/outbreaks reduce herbivore control and favor macroalgae.
Get involved
Collaborate on experiments and syntheses, join the lab, or support decision-relevant reef science.