Ocean Recoveries Lab
Organismal mechanisms of resilience: climate stress, wound healing, and thermal limits
We test how temperature, injury, and physiology shape performance—from individual thresholds to ecosystem recovery.
Our research vision
We study organismal thresholds and repair—thermal tolerance, metabolic limits, and wound healing—to explain when individuals recover and how those mechanisms scale to populations and ecosystems.
By pairing field experiments with lab assays and quantitative models, we identify the physiological bottlenecks—and leverage points—for climate adaptation and restoration.
Thermal Limits & Climate Stress
Temperature-dependent metabolism and performance (CTmax, acclimation) shaping survival and interactions under warming.
Wound Healing & Regeneration
Rates and trajectories of tissue repair after lesions; how mutualists and cleaning alter recovery.
Physiology–Behavior Links
How warming reshapes foraging, predation, and mutualism—linking energetics to interaction strength.
Decision-Relevant Physiology
From thresholds to tools: translating organismal metrics into monitoring and restoration guidance.
Featured projects
Coral wound healing trajectories
Field assays quantify repair rates and the role of guardians/housekeepers in speeding recovery.
Learn more
Thermal tolerance & acclimation
Lab ramping & field validation link CTmax/acclimation to growth, survival, and behavior.
Learn more
Metabolism & interaction strength
Temperature–metabolism links predict shifts in predation and mutualist services under warming.
Learn more
Mutualists & fertilization
Fish associates fertilize and defend corals—boosting growth and recovery after stress.
Learn moreThermal limits shape interactions.
Metabolic scaling predicts temperature-dependent predation and mutualist services.
Mutualists accelerate healing.
Guardians/housekeepers defend and clean lesions, improving recovery trajectories.
Fertilization boosts growth.
Coral-dwelling fishes subsidize corals with nutrients that raise performance after stress.
Physiology informs management.
Organismal thresholds translate to decision tools for monitoring and restoration triage.
Publications & highlights
The metabolic underpinnings of temperature-dependent predation
Mechanistic link between temperature, metabolism, and interaction strength.
Fertilization by coral-dwelling fish promotes coral growth
Mutualist fishes subsidize corals via nutrient inputs, enhancing performance.
Strong evidence for an intraspecific metabolic scaling of performance
Performance and energetics framework relevant to thermal tolerance.
Integrating oceans into climate policy
Policy pathways for climate-smart conservation with organismal implications.
Get involved
Collaborate on lab & field experiments, join the lab, or co-develop tools for climate-smart restoration.