Understanding, Restoring, and Scaling Ocean Resilience
Science and community partnerships to help coral reefs and kelp forests recover.
We integrate ecosystem dynamics, conservation with communities, and quantitative methods to guide funders and partners toward actions with outsized impact.
Pillar 1
Marine Ecosystem Dynamics & Resilience
At a glance: We study how kelp and corals build habitat, how species interactions (e.g., lobster–urchin) drive change, and what pushes reefs across tipping points—and how to pull them back.
Key Research Areas (What this means)
- Foundation species & habitat: kelp & corals build homes → stability.
- Species interactions & food webs: predators, prey, and mutualists (cleaners, "bodyguards," fertilizers).
- Disturbance & tipping points: storms/bleaching; material legacies can favor algae.
- Function & nutrients: detritus in kelp; fish recycle nitrogen that boosts coral growth.
Representative Publications (with outcomes)
- Stier & Osenberg (2024). How fishes and invertebrates impact coral resilience. Current Biology — practical guidance to harness "CAFI" services.
- Stier & Osenberg (2024). Coral guard crabs. Current Biology — natural, low-cost coral defense.
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Kopecky et al. (2023). Material legacies degrade resilience. Ecology
- Detmer et al. (2022). Fish fertilization promotes coral growth. J. Theor. Biol.
- DiFiore & Stier (2023). Body size & lobster–urchin interaction strength. J. Animal Ecology
- Lamy et al. (2020). Foundation species promote stability. Ecology
- Stier et al. (2014). Larval dispersal drives trophic structure. Nat. Comm.
- Curtis et al. (2023). 3D photogrammetry improves coral estimates. Coral Reefs
Pillar 2
Conservation Science & Human Dimensions
At a glance: We co-design solutions with agencies and communities—testing what works (spillover), setting thresholds for action, and reducing conflict so decisions stick.
Key Research Areas
- MPAs & fisheries: benefits to wildlife and nearby fishers; measure spillover.
- Recovery strategies: synchronize predator–prey recovery when it outperforms single-species efforts.
- Human impacts & SES: cities and behavior changes can cascade through ecosystems.
- Stakeholders & policy: align perceptions, lower participation costs, co-produce decisions.
- Restoration & climate: science-based methods to restore biodiversity and store carbon.
Representative Publications (with outcomes)
- Lenihan et al. (2021). Spillover benefits to the spiny lobster fishery. Sci. Reports — evidence used by California stakeholders to communicate MPA benefits.
- Okamoto et al. (2020). Spatial exploitation creates cryptic collapses. Ecological Applications
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Samhouri et al. (2017). Synchronized predator–prey recovery. Nat. Ecol. Evol.
- Levin et al. (2020). The Rashomon Effect. BioScience
- Lynham et al. (2016). Participation costs & policy inertia. Marine Policy
- Dundas et al. (2020). Oceans in climate policy. Conservation Letters
- Ingeman et al. (2019). Ocean recoveries. Science
- Stier et al. (2022). Monitoring precision & collapse risk. Proc. B
Pillar 3
Ecological Theory & Quantitative Methods
At a glance: We build simple, powerful models and tools—paired with new measurements (e.g., 3D imaging)—so managers can forecast, test "what-ifs," and scale solutions.
Key Research Areas
- Theory: mutualisms, food webs, species–area rules explain why some reefs bounce back while others stall.
- Methods: Bayesian models, SEM, MSE.
- Experiments & data: field/lab studies; 3D photogrammetry for accurate growth & diversity; physiology & functional responses.
- Data systems: ILTER observatories; long-term comparable data with robotics/ML/-omics potential.
Representative Publications (with outcomes)
- Stier & Osenberg (2024). Mutualisms & coral resilience. Current Biology
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Detmer et al. (2021). Disturbance to a foundation species structures communities. Ecology
- Detmer et al. (2022). Dynamic bioenergetic model of symbiosis. J. Theor. Biol.
- Csik et al. (2023). Temperature-dependent predation (Bayesian). Frontiers in Marine Science
- Okamoto et al. (2020). Analytical/Bayesian/numerical metapopulation models. Ecological Applications
- Holt et al. (2021). Food webs & the species–area relationship. Book chapter
- Curtis et al. (2023). Photogrammetry for growth & diversity. Coral Reefs
