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DUNTON, KENNETH H
No

Kenneth H Dunton

Professor
Department of Marine Science


Aquatic Plant Ecology, Coastal Ecosystem Processes
ken.dunton@utexas.edu

Phone: 361-749-6728

Office Location
S06

Postal Address
750 CHANNEL VIEW DR
PORT ARANSAS, TX 78373

Links

Dunton Lab: www.utmsi.utexas.edu/staff/dunton

BLE-LTER website: https://ble.lternet.edu/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dunton_lab

Education

Ph.D., University of Alaska (1985)
M.S., Western Washington University (1977)
B.S., University of Maine-Orono (1975)

Research Interests 

Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Coastal marine systems, from tropical to polar latitudes, play critical roles in the global cycling of carbon, habitats for commercially important species of fish and shellfish, and as a hydrological link between terrestrial and oceanic environments. Research in Dunton’s Lab evaluates aspects of ecosystem resilience, in particular how changes in regional climate are redefining plant species composition, carbon storage, and benthic community structure. A strong research focus is how the transfer of carbon to the benthos affects the food web structure of our lagoons, bays, and estuaries. We use stable isotopic signatures to identify the major sources of organic carbon that are assimilated by consumers and look for patterns of dependence across broad geospatial scales.

Aquatic Plant Physiological Ecology: Aquatic plants, including seaweeds (especially kelp), seagrasses, and emergent vascular plants all make major contributions to ecosystem productivity. Environmental factors (e.g. light, temperature, inorganic-C) ultimately play a significant role in regulating rates of carbon fixation, carbon storage, and ultimately, plant biomass. Our lab is particularly interested in the light and nutrient requirements for photosynthesis and growth and how environmental stressors regulate the overall productivity and distribution of these foundation species.  

Current funded projects include: 

In the Arctic, (1) studies that examine the linkages between watersheds and shelf ecosystems of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea to specifically address whether terrestrial subsidies of carbon from run-off and erosion are incorporated into Arctic lagoon and coastal food webs (see https://ble.lternet.edu, (2) the benthic community structure and trophic energetics of the Chukchi Sea ecosystem (see: http://arcticstudies.org/index.html and (3) the biology of an isolated Arctic kelp community in the Beaufort Sea (see: http://arcticstudies.org/boulderpatch/ 

In the Gulf of Mexico, (1) a coast-wide seagrass monitoring program in Texas
(see www.texasseagrass.org), (2) the development of indicators of seagrass condition and ecosystem function based on plant and water quality indices, and (3) the effect of drought and freshwater inflows on the production ecology of a subtropical estuarine marsh and mangrove systems based on measurements of in situ photosynthesis and respiration of emergent vascular plants.

K-12 Outreach activities: 

I direct long-term outreach programs that evolved from two successive NSF GK-12 grants. They include the Scientist in Residence program and the Kaktovik Oceanography Program. Graduate students coordinate and participate extensively in both programs. For additional details, see: https://utmsi.utexas.edu/visit/scientist-in-residence;

Selected Publications (for complete list see "Publications" tab) 

Cuddy, M. R. and K.H. Dunton. 2023. Seagrass isoscapes and stoichioscapes reveal linkages to inorganic nitrogen sources in the Lower Laguna Madre, western Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-023-01206-w

von Biela, V.R., S.M. Laske, A.S. Stanek, R.J. Brown, and K.H. Dunton. 2023. Borealization of nearshore fishes on an interior Arctic shelf over multiple decades. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16576

Ducklow, H., M. Cimino, K.H. Dunton, W.R. Fraser, R.R. Hopcroft, R. Ji, A. J. Miller, M.D. Ohman, and H.M. Sosik. 2022.  Marine pelagic ecosystem responses to climate variability and change. Bioscience 72 (9): 827–850. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biac050

Muth, A.M, A.L. Kelley, and K. H. Dunton. 2022. High-frequency pH time-series reveals pronounced seasonality in Arctic coastal waters.  Limnology and Oceanography 67(7): 1429-1442.  http://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12080

Muth, A.M, C. Bonsell, and K. H. Dunton. 2021. Inherent tolerance of extreme seasonal variability in light and salinity in an Arctic endemic kelp (Laminaria solidungula). Journal of Phycology 57: 1554-1562. DOI 10.1111/jpy.13187

Bonsell, C.E. and K.H. Dunton. 2021. Slow community development enhances abiotic limitation of benthic community structure in a High Arctic Kelp Bed. Frontiers in Marine Science 8:592295. DOI 10.3389/fmars.2021.592295

Congdon, V. M., C. Bonsell, M.R. Cuddy, and K. H. Dunton, 2019. In the wake of a major hurricane: differential effects on early vs. late successional seagrass species. Limnology and Oceanography Letters: DOI 10.1002/lol2.10112

Bonsell, C.E. and K.H. Dunton. 2018. Long-term patterns of benthic irradiance and kelp production in the central Beaufort Sea reveal implications of warming for Arctic inner shelves. Progress in Oceanography: 162: 160–170. DOI 10.1016/j.pocean.2018.02.016 

Wilson, S.S. and K.H. Dunton. 2018. Hypersalinity during regional drought drives mass mortality of the seagrass Syringodium filiforme in a subtropical lagoon. Estuaries and Coasts: 855-865. DOI 10.1007/s12237-017-0319-x

Dunton, K.H., J.M. Grebmeier, and J.H. Trefry. 2017. Hanna Shoal: An integrative study of a High Arctic marine ecosystem in the Chukchi Sea. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 144: 1-5, DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.09.001

McTigue, N.D. and K. H. Dunton. 2017. Trophodynamics of the Hanna Shoal Ecosystem (Chukchi Sea, Alaska): connecting multiple end-members to a rich benthic food web. Deep Sea Research II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 144: 175-189, DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.08.010

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2017. Plasticity in turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) flower production as a response to porewater nitrogen availability. Aquatic Botany 138: 100-106. DOI 10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.01.007

McTigue, N.D., P. Bucolo, Z. Liu, and K.H. Dunton. 2015. Pelagic-benthic coupling, food webs, and organic matter degradation in the Chukchi Sea: Insights from sedimentary pigments and stable carbon isotopes. Limnology and Oceanography 60:429-445.

Wilce, R.T and K.H. Dunton. 2014. The Boulder Patch (North Alaska, Beaufort Sea) and its benthic algal flora. Arctic 67 (1): 43-56. 

Schonberg, S.V., J.T. Clarke and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Distribution, abundance, biomass and diversity of benthic infauna in the northeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska: relation to environmental variables and marine mammals. Deep-Sea Research II 102: 144-163. 

Dunton, K.H., S.V. Schonberg, and L.W. Cooper. 2012. The ecology of coastal waters and estuarine lagoons of  the eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Estuaries and Coasts 35: 416-435. 

Dunton, K.H., T. Weingartner and E.C. Carmack. 2006. The nearshore western Beaufort Sea ecosystem: circulation and importance of terrestrial carbon in arctic coastal food webs. Progress in Oceanography 71: 362-378. 

Dunton, K.H., B. Hardegree, and T.E. Whitledge. 2001. Response of estuarine marsh vegetation to inter-annual variations in precipitation. Estuaries 24(6A):851-861.

Lee, K.-S. and K.H. Dunton. 1999. Inorganic nitrogen acquisition in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass): development of whole-plant nitrogen budget. Limnology and Oceanography 44(5): 1204-1215. 

Dunton Lab 2022 label

 

Publications (Ken Dunton)

Updated August 2022

PUBLICATIONS IN PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS

Reynolds, D. J., V. R. von Biela, K. H. Dunton, D. C. Douglas, and B. A. Black. Sclerochronological records of environmental variability and bivalve growth in the Pacific Arctic. Progress in Oceanography. In press.

Ducklow, H., M. Cimino, K.H. Dunton, W.R. Fraser, R.R. Hopcroft, R. Ji, A. J. Miller, M.D. Ohman, and H.M. Sosik. 2022.  Marine Pelagic Ecosystem Responses to Climate Variability and Change. Bioscience. In press.

Danielson, S.L., J.M. Grebmeier, K. Iken, C. Berchok, L. Britt, K.H. Dunton, L. Eisner, E. Farley, A. Fujiwara, D. Hauser, M. Itoh, T. Kikuchi, S. Kotwicki, K.J. Kuletz, C.W. Mordy, S. Nishino, C. Peralta-Ferriz, R.S. Pickart, P.S. Stabeno, K.M. Stafford, A.V. Whiting, and R. Woodgate. Monitoring Alaskan Arctic shelf ecosystems through collaborative observation networks. Oceanography. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2022.119

Filbee-Dexter. K. et al. 2022. Kelp carbon sink potential decreases with warming due to accelerating decomposition. PLOS Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001702

Muth, A.M, A.L. Kelley, and K. H. Dunton. 2022. High-Frequency pH Time-Series Reveals Pronounced Seasonality in Arctic Coastal Waters.  Limnology and Oceanography 67(7): 1429-1442.  DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12080

Muth, A.M, C. Bonsell, and K. H. Dunton. 2021. Inherent tolerance of extreme seasonal variability in light and salinity in an Arctic endemic kelp (Laminaria solidungula). Journal of Phycology 57: 1554-1562. DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13187

Baker K.D., C.T.E. Kellogg, J.W. McClelland, K.H. Dunton KH and B.C. Crump. 2021. The genomic capabilities of microbial communities track seasonal variation in environmental conditions of Arctic lagoons. Frontiers in Microbiology 12:601901. DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2021.601901

Bonsell, C.E. and K.H. Dunton. 2021. Slow community development enhances abiotic limitation of benthic community structure in a High Arctic Kelp Bed. Frontiers in Marine Science 8:592295. DOI 10.3389/fmars.2021.592295

Darnell, K. M., B. T. Furman, K. L. Heck, D. Byron, L. Reynolds, and K. H. Dunton. 2021. Seed reserve hot spots for the sub-tropical seagrass Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries and Coasts 44:339–351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00808-y

Krause-Jensen, D., P. Archambault, J. Assis, I. Bartsch, K. Bischof, K. Filbee-Dexter, K. H. Dunton, O. Maximova, S.B. Ragnarsdóttir, M.K. Sejr, U. Simakova, V. Spiridonov, S. Wegeberg, M.H.S. Winding, and C.M. Duarte. 2020. Imprint of climate change on pan-Arctic marine vegetation. Frontiers in Marine Science 10.617324. https://doi.org/10.3389/FMARS.2020.617324

Muth, A.M, A. J. Esbaugh and K. H. Dunton. 2020. Physiological responses of an Arctic crustose coralline alga (Leptophytum foecundum) to variations of salinity and pH. Frontiers in Plant Science 11: 1272. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01272

Osland, M.J., R. H. Day, C. T. Hall, L. C. Feher, A. R. Armitage, J. Cebrian, K. H. Dunton, et al. 2020. Temperature thresholds for black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) freeze damage, mortality and recovery in North America: Refining tipping points for range expansion in a warming climate. Journal of Ecology 108(2): 654-665. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13285

C. J. Patrick, L. Yeager, A. R. Armitage, F. Carvallo, V. M. Congdon, K. H. Dunton, M. Fisher, A. K. Hardison, J. D. Hogan, J. Hosen, X. Hu, B. Kiel Reese, S. Kinard, J. S. Kominoski, X. Lin, Z. Liu, P. A. Montagna, S. C. Pennings, L. Walker, C. A. Weaver, and M. Wetz. 2020. A System Level Analysis of Coastal Ecosystem Responses to Hurricane Impacts. Estuaries and Coasts 43:943–959.  DOI 10.1007/s12237-019-00690-3.

Kellogg, C.T.E., J.W. McClelland, K.H. Dunton and B.C. Crump. 2019. Strong seasonality in Arctic estuarine microbial food webs. Frontiers in Microbiology 10:2628. DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02628

Congdon, V. M., C. Bonsell, M.R. Cuddy, and K. H. Dunton, 2019. In the wake of a major hurricane: differential effects on early vs. late successional seagrass species. Limnology and Oceanography Letters: DOI 10.1002/lol2.10112

Windham-Myers, L., W.-J. Cai, S. R. Alin, A. Andersson, J. Crosswell, K. H. Dunton, et al. 2018: Chapter 15: Tidal wetlands and estuaries. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report [Cavallaro, N., G. Shrestha, R. Birdsey, M. A. Mayes, R. G. Najjar, S. C. Reed, P. Romero-Lankao, and Z. Zhu (eds.)]. 2018. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 596-648, https://doi.org/10.7930/SOCCR2.2018.Ch15.

Bonsell, C. E. and K.H. Dunton. 2018. Long-term patterns of benthic irradiance and kelp production in the central Beaufort Sea reveal implications of warming for Arctic inner shelves. Progress in Oceanography: accepted

Wilson, S. S. and K.H. Dunton. 2018. Hypersalinity during regional drought drives mass mortality of the seagrass Syringodium filiforme in a subtropical lagoon. Estuaries and Coasts: in press. DOI 10.1007/s12237-017-0319-x

Dunton, K.H., J.M. Grebmeier, and J.H. Trefry. 2017. Hanna Shoal: An integrative study of a High Arctic marine ecosystem in the Chukchi Sea. Deep-Sea Research Part II. DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.09.001

Young, J.K., Black, B.A., Clarke, J.T., Schonberg, S.V., Dunton, K.H. 2017. Abundance, biomass and caloric content of Chukchi Sea bivalves and association with Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) relative density and distribution in the northeastern Chukchi Sea. Deep-Sea Research Part II. DOI 10.1016/j.

Fox, A.L., Trefry, J.H., Trocine, R.P., Dunton, K.H., Lasorsa, B.K., Konar, B., Ashjian, C.J., Cooper, L.W. 2017. Mercury Biomagnification in Food Webs of the Northeastern Chukchi Sea, Alaskan Arctic. Deep-Sea Research Part II. DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.020

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2017. Plasticity in turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) flower production as a response to porewater nitrogen availability. Aquatic Botany: in press.

McTigue, N.D. and K. H. Dunton. 2017. Trophodynamics of the Hanna Shoal Ecosystem (Chukchi Sea, Alaska): connecting multiple end-members to a rich benthic food web. Deep-Sea Research II. DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.08.010.

Hardison, A.K., N.D. McTigue, W.S. Gardner, and K.H. Dunton. 2017. Arctic shelves as platforms for biogeochemical activity: nitrogen and carbon transformations in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Deep-Sea Research II. DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.08.004

Bishop, K. A., J. W. McClelland, and K.H. Dunton 2017. Freshwater contributions and nitrogen sources in a south Texas estuarine ecosystem: a time-integrated perspective from stable isotopic ratios in the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Estuaries and Coasts 40: 1314-1324, DOI 10.1007/s12237-017-0227-0

Montagna, P.A., A. L. Sadovski, S.A. King, K.K. Nelson, T.A. Palmer, and K.H. Dunton. 2017. Modeling the effect of water level on the Nueces Delta marsh community. Wetlands Ecology and Management 25:731-742. DOI 10.1007/s11273-017-9547-x

Harris, C.M., J. W. McClelland, T. L. Connelly, B. C. Crump, and K. H. Dunton. 2017. Hydrology and geomorphology modulate salinity and temperature regimes in eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea lagoons. Estuaries and Coasts 40(1): 50-62, DOI 10.1007/s12237-016-0123-z.

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2016. Reproductive phenology of the subtropical seagrasses Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) and Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Botanica Marina: 59(6): 473–483.

McTigue, N.D., W.S. Gardner, K.H. Dunton, and A.K. Hardison. 2016. Biotic and abiotic controls on co-occurring denitrification, anammox, and DNRA in shallow Arctic shelf sediments. Nature Communications 7:13145.

Mohan, S.D., T. L. Connelly, C. M. Harris, K.H. Dunton, and J. W. McClelland. 2016. Seasonal trophic linkages in Arctic marine invertebrates assessed via fatty acids and compound-specific stable isotopes. Ecosphere 7(8): 1-21, DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1429.

McDonald, A. M., P. Prado, K. L. Heck, J. W. Fourqurean, T. A. Frankovich, K. H. Dunton, and J. Cebrian. 2016. Seagrass growth, reproductive, and morphological plasticity across environmental gradients over a large spatial scale. Aquatic Botany 134: 87–96.

Churchwell, R.T., S.J. Kendall, A.L. Blanchard, K.H. Dunton, and A.N. Powell. 2016. Natural disturbance shapes benthic intertidal macroinvertebrate communities of High Arctic river deltas. Estuaries and Coasts 36 (3): 798-814. DOI 10.1007/s12237-015-0028-2

Gil, M. A., ·B. Renfro, B.Figueroa‑Zavala, I. Penié, and K.H. Dunton. 2015. Rapid tourism growth and declining coral reefs in Akumal, Mexico. Marine Biology 162 (11): 2225-2233. DOI 10.1007/s00227-015-2748-z

Connelly, T.L, J.W. McClelland, B. C. Crump, C. T. E. Kellogg, K. H. Dunton. 2015. Seasonal changes in quantity and composition of suspended particulate organic matter in lagoons of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series: 527: 31-45.

Darnell, K.M., Booth, D. M. Booth, E.W. Koch and K. H. Dunton. 2015. The interactive effects of water flow and reproductive strategies on seed and seedling dispersal along the substrate in two sub-tropical seagrass species. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 471:30-40.

McTigue, N.D. P. Bucolo, Z. Liu, and K.H. Dunton. 2015. Pelagic-benthic coupling, food webs, and organic matter degradation in the Chukchi Sea: Insights from sedimentary pigments and stable carbon isotopes. Limnology and Oceanography 60: 429-445.

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2015. Consumption of turtle grass seeds and seedlings by crabs in the western Gulf of Mexico. Marine Ecology Progress Series: 520: 153-163.

Wilce, R.T. and K.H. Dunton. 2014. The Boulder Patch (North Alaska, Beaufort Sea) and its benthic algal flora. Arctic 67 (1): 43-56.

Dunton, K.H., J.M. Grebmeier, and J. H. Trefry. 2014. The benthic ecosystem of the northeastern Chukchi Sea: an overview of its unique biogeochemistry and biological characteristics. Deep-Sea Research II 102:1-8.

Schonberg, S.V., J.T. Clarke and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Distribution, abundance, biomass and diversity of benthic infauna in the northeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska: relation to environmental variables and marine mammals.  Deep-Sea Research II 102:144-163.

McTigue, N.D. and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Trophodynamics and organic matter assimilation pathways in the northeast Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Deep-Sea Research II 102: 84-96.

Trefry, J.H., R.P. Trocine, L.W. Cooper, and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Trace metals and organic carbon in sediments of the northeastern Chukchi Sea. Deep-Sea Research II 102: 18-31.

Souza, A.C., W.S. Gardner, and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Rates of nitrification and ammonium dynamics in northeastern Chukchi Sea shelf waters. Deep-Sea Research II 102: 68-76.

Souza, A.C., I.-N. Kim, W.S. Gardner, and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Dinitrogen, oxygen, and nutrient fluxes at the sediment-water interface and bottom water physical mixing on the eastern Chukchi Sea shelf. Deep-Sea Research II 102: 77-83.

Stachelek, J. and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Freshwater inflow requirements for the Nueces Delta, Texas: Spartina alterniflora as an indicator of ecosystem condition. Texas Water Journal 4(2): 62-73.

Wilson, C.J., P.S. Wilson, and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Seagrasses provide an acoustic refuge for estuarine fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 472: 117-127.

Rasser, M.K., N.W. Fowler, and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Elevation and plant community distribution in a microtidal salt marsh of the Western Gulf of Mexico. Wetlands 33(4): 575-583.

Trefry, J.H., K.H. Dunton, R.P. Trocine, S.V. Schonberg, N.D. McTigue, E.S. Hersh, and T.J. McDonald. 2013. Chemical and biological assessment of two offshore drilling sites in the Alaskan Arctic. Marine Environmental Research 86: 35-45.

Wilson, C.J., P.S. Wilson, and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Assesing the low frequency acoustic characteristics of Macrocystis pyrifera, Egregia menziessi, and Laminaria solidungula". Journal of the Acoustical Society of America: 133 (6). 3819-3826. DOI: 10.1121/1.4802637

Wilson, C.J., P.S. Wilson, and K.H. Dunton. 2012. An acoustic investigation of seagrass photosynthesis. Marine Biology 159: 2311-2322.

McClelland, J.W., R.M. Holmes, K.H. Dunton, and R.W. Macdonald. 2012. The Arctic Ocean Estuary. Estuaries and Coasts 35:353-368.

Dunton, K.H., S.V. Schonberg, and L.W. Cooper. 2012. The ecology of coastal waters and estuarine lagoons of the eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Estuaries and Coasts 35: 416-435.

Wilson, J.W., P.S. Wilson, C.A. Greene, and K.H. Dunton. 2010. Seagrass leaves in 3-D: using computed tomography and low-frequency acoustics to investigate the material properties of seagrass tissue.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 395:128-134.

Iken, K., B. Bluhm, and K. Dunton.  2009.  Benthic food-web structure under differing water mass properties in the southern Chukchi Sea.  Deep-Sea Research II 57:71-85.

Gómez, I., A. Wulff, M.Y. Roleda, P. Huovinen, U. Karsten, L. Quartino, K.H. Dunton, and C. Wiencke.  2009.  Light and temperature demands of marine benthic microalgae and seaweeds in polar regions.  Botanica Marina 52: 593-608.

Wiencke, C., I. Gómez, and K.H. Dunton.  2009.  Phenology and seasonal physiological performance of polar seaweeds.  Botanica Marina 52: 585-592.

Miller, H., P. Neale, K. Dunton.  2009.  Biological weighting functions for UV inhibition of photosynthesis in the kelp Laminaria hyperborea (Phaeophyceae).  Journal of Phycology 45: 571-584.

Wilson, P.S. and K.H. Dunton.  2009.  Laboratory investigation of the acoustic response of seagrass tissue in the frequency band 0.5-2.5 kHz.  Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 125(4): 1951-1959.

Forbes, M.G., H.D. Alexander, and K.H. Dunton.  2008.  Effects of pulsed riverine versus non-pulsed wastewater inputs of freshwater on plant community structure in a semi-arid salt marsh.  Wetlands 28(4): 984-994.

Martin, R.S., C.P. Onuf and K.H. Dunton.  2008.  Assessment of propeller and off-road vehicle scarring in seagrass beds and wind-tidal flats of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.  Botanica Marina 51:79-91.

Wilson, P.S. and K.H. Dunton.  2007.  Seagrass acoustics: results of an experimental laboratory investigation.  Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics p. 383-390.

Aumack, C.F., K.H. Dunton, A.B. Burd, D.W. Funk, and R.A. Maffione.  2007.  Linking light attenuation and suspended sediment loading to benthic productivity within an arctic kelp bed community.  Journal of Phycology 43:853-863.

Mutchler, T., K.H. Dunton, A. Townsend-Small, S Fredriksen, and M. Rasser.  2007.  Isotopic and elemental indicators of nutrient sources and status of coastal habitats in the Caribbean Sea, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.  Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science 74:449-457.

Miller, H.L. and K.H. Dunton.  2007.  Stable isotope (13C) and O2 micro-optode alternatives for measuring photosynthesis in seaweeds.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 329:85-97.

Dunton, K.H., T. Weingartner and E.C. Carmack.  2006.  The nearshore western Beaufort Sea ecosystem: circulation and importance of terrestrial carbon in arctic coastal food webs.  Progress in Oceanography 71:362-378.

Forbes, M.G. and K.H. Dunton.  2006.  Response of a subtropical estuarine marsh to local climatic change in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.  Estuaries and Coasts 29:1242-1254.

Kopecky, A.L. and K.H. Dunton.  2006.  Variability in drift macroalgal abundance in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in two seagrass dominated estuaries in the western Gulf of Mexico.  Estuaries and Coasts 29:617-629.

Wiencke, C., M.N. Clayton, I. Gómez, K. Iken, U.H. Lüder, C.D. Amsler, U. Karsten, D. Hanelt, K. Bischof, and K. Dunton.  2006.  Life strategy, ecophysiology and ecology of seaweeds in polar waters.  Review of Environmental Science and Biotechnology DOI 10.1007/s11157-006-0001-4.

Alexander, H.D. and K.H. Dunton.  2006.  Treated wastewater as an alternative freshwater source in a hypersaline salt marsh: impacts on salinity, inorganic nitrogen, and emergent vegetation.  Journal of Coastal Research 22:377-392.

Lamote, M. and K.H. Dunton.  2006.  Effects of drift macroalgae and light attenuation on chlorophyll fluorescence and sediment sulfides in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum.  J. Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 334:174-186.

Jacob, U., T. Brey, I. Fetzer, S. Kaehler, K. Mintenbeck, K. Dunton, K. Beyer, U. Struck, E.A. Pakhomov, and W.E. Arntz.  2006.  Towards the trophic structure of the Bouvet Island marine ecosystem.  Polar Biology 29:106-113.

Dunton, K.H., J.L. Goodall, S.V. Schonberg, J.M. Grebmeier, and D.R. Maidment.  2005.  Multi-decadal synthesis of benthic-pelagic coupling in the western arctic: role of cross-shelf advective processes.  Deep-Sea Research II 52:3462-3477.

Kaldy, J.E., K.H. Dunton, J.L. Kowalski, and K.-S. Lee.  2004.  Factors controlling seagrass revegetation onto dredged material deposits: a case study in lower Laguna Madre, Texas.  Journal of Coastal Research 20(1):292-300.

Alexander, H.D. and K.H. Dunton.  2002.  Freshwater inundation effects on emergent vegetation of a hypersaline salt marsh.  Estuaries 25(6B):1426-1435.

Raven, J.A., A.M. Johnston, J.E. Kubler, R. Korb, S.G. McInroy, L.L. Handley, C.M. Scrimgeour, D.I. Walker, J Beardall, M.N. Clayton, M. Vanderklift, S. Fredriksen, and K.H. Dunton.  2002.  Seaweeds in cold seas: evolution and carbon acquisition.  Annals of Botany 90:525-536.

Raven, J.A., A.M. Johnston, J.E. Kubler, R. Korb, S.G. McInroy, L.L. Handley, C.M. Scrimgeour, D.I. Walker, J Beardall, M. Vanderklift, S. Fredriksen, and K.H. Dunton. 2002.  Mechanistic interpretation of carbon isotope discrimination by marine macroalgae and seagrasses.  Functional Plant Biology 29:355-378.

Major, K.M. and K.H. Dunton.  2002.  Variations in light-harvesting characteristics of the seagrass, Thalassia testudinum: evidence for photoacclimation.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 275:173-189.

Dunton, K.H. and S.V. Schonberg.  2002.  Assessment of propeller scarring in seagrass beds of the south Texas coast.  Journal of Coastal Research 37:100-110.

Dunton, K.H., B. Hardegree, and T.E. Whitledge.  2001.  Response of estuarine marsh vegetation to interannual variations in precipitation.  Estuaries 24(6A):851-861.

Dunton, K.H.  2001.  δ15N and δ13C measurements of Antarctic peninsular fauna: trophic relationships and assimilation of benthic seaweeds.  American Zoologist 41(1):99-112.

Burd, A.B. and K.H. Dunton.  2001.  Field verification of a light-driven model of biomass changes in the seagrass Halodule wrightii.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 209:85-98.

Lee, K.-S. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Diurnal changes in pore water sulfide concentrations in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum beds: the effects of seagrasses on sulfide dynamics. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 255:201-214.

Major, K.M. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Photosynthetic performance in Syringodium filiforme: seasonal variation in light-harvesting characteristics.  Aquatic Botany 68:249-264.

Dunton, K.H. and S.V. Schonberg.  2000.  The benthic faunal assemblage of the Boulder Patch kelp community.  In: The Natural History of an Arctic Oil Field.  J.C. Truett and S.R. Johnson (eds.), p.371-397.  New York: Academic Press.

Lee, K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Effects of nitrogen enrichment on biomass allocation, growth, and leaf morphology of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 196:39-48.

Kaldy, J.E. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Above- and below-ground production, biomass and reproductive ecology of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) in a subtropical coastal lagoon.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 193:271-283.

Whitledge, T.E., D.A. Stockwell, E.J. Buskey, K.H. Dunton, G.J. Holt, S.A. Holt, and P.A. Montagna.  1999.  Persistent brown tide bloom in Laguna Madre, Texas.  In: The Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem.  H. Kumpf, K. Steidinger, K. Sherman (eds.), p. 338-359.  London: Blackwell Science.

Buskey, E.J., K.H. Dunton, and P.L. Parker.  1999.  Variations in stable carbon isotope ratio of the copepod Acartia tonsa during the onset of the Texas brown tide.  Estuaries 22(4):995-1003.

Kaldy, J.E., N. Fowler and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Critical assessment of Thalassia testudinum (Turtle grass) aging techniques: implications for demographic inferences.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 181:279-288.

Kaldy, J.E. and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Ontogenetic photosynthetic changes, dispersal and survival of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) seedlings in a sub-tropical lagoon.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 240:193-212.

Lee, K.-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Inorganic nitrogen acquisition in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum: development of whole-plant nitrogen budget.  Limnology and Oceanography 44(5):1204-1215.

Lee, K.-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Influence of sediment nitrogen -availability on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum.  Marine Biology 134:217-226.

Herzka, S.Z. and K.H. Dunton.  1998.  Light and carbon balance in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum: evaluation of current production models.  Marine Biology 132:711-721.

Cooper, L.W., T.M. Beasley, X.-L. Zhao, C. Soto, K.L. Vinogradova, and K.H. Dunton.  1998. Marine algae as historical indicators of the transport of nuclear fuel re-processing wastes from mid-to-high latitudes in the Atlantic Ocean.  Marine Biology 131:391-399.

Herzka, S.Z. and K.H. Dunton.  1997.  Seasonal photosynthetic patterns in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in the western Gulf of Mexico.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 152:103-117.

Henley, W.J. and K.H. Dunton.  1997.  Effects of nitrogen supply and continuous darkness on growth and photosynthesis of the arctic kelp, Laminaria solidungula.  Limnology and Oceanography 42(2):209-216.

Lee, K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1997.  Effects of in situ light reduction on the maintenance, growth and partitioning of carbon resources in Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 210:53-73.

Lee, K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1996.  Production and carbon reserve dynamics of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, USA.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 143:201-210.

Dunton, K.H.  1996.  Photosynthetic production and biomass of the subtropical seagrass Halodule wrightii along an estuarine gradient.  Estuaries 19:436-447.

Czerny, A.B. and K.H. Dunton.  1995.  The effects of in situ light reduction on the growth of two subtropical seagrasses, Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii.  Estuaries 18:418-427.

Dunton, K.H. and P.K. Dayton.  1995.  The biology of high latitude kelp.  In: Ecology of Fjords and Coastal Waters.  H.R. Skjoldal et al. (eds.), p. 499-507.  Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Henley, W.J. and K.H. Dunton.  1995.  A seasonal comparison of carbon, nitrogen and pigment content in Laminaria solidungula and L. saccharina (Phaeophyta) in the Alaskan Arctic.  J. Phycology 31:325-331.

Kaldy, J.E., K.H. Dunton, and A.B. Czerny.  1995.  Variation in macroalgal species composition and abundance on a rock jetty in the northwest Gulf of Mexico.  Botanica Marina 38:519-527.

Tomasko, D.A. and K.H. Dunton.  1995.  Primary productivity in Halodule wrightii: a comparison of techniques based on daily carbon budgets.  Estuaries 18:271-278.

Dunton, K.H.  1994.  Seasonal growth and biomass of the subtropical seagrass Halodule wrightii in relation to continuous measurements of underwater irradiance.  Marine Biology 120:479-489.

Dunton, K.H. and D.A. Tomasko.  1994.  In situ photosynthesis in the seagrass Halodule wrightii in a hypersaline tropical lagoon.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 107:281-293.

Golikov, A.N., S.Y. Gagaev, V.V. Galtzova, and K.H. Dunton.  1994.  The ecosystems, flora and fauna of the Chaun Bay of the East-Siberian Sea.  In: Exploration of the Fauna of the Seas.  O.A. Scarlotto (ed.), vol. 57(55):4-111.  St. Petersburg: Russian Academy of Sciences.

Dunton, K.H.  1992.  Arctic biogeography: the paradox of the marine benthic fauna and flora.  Trends Ecol. and Evol. 7(6):183-189. (INVITED)

Dunton, K.H., S.V. Schonberg, L.R. Martin, and G.S. Mueller.  1992.  Seasonal and annual variations in the underwater light environment of an arctic kelp community.  In: Diving for Science.  L.B. Cahoon (ed.), p. 83-92.  Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual Scientific Diving Symposium.  Costa Mesa, CA: Amer. Acad. Underwater Sci.

Sellman, P.V., A.J. Delaney, E.J. Chamberlain, and K.H. Dunton.  1992.  Seafloor temperature and conductivity data from Stefansson Sound, Alaska.  Cold Reg. Sci. Tech. 20:271-288.

Dunton, K.H.  1990.  Growth and production in Laminaria solidungula: relation to continuous underwater light levels in the Alaskan High Arctic.  Marine Biology 106:297-304.

Dunton, K.H.  1990.  Production ecology of Ruppia maritima L. s. l. and Halodule wrightii Aschers. in two subtropical estuaries.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 143:147-164.

Dunton, K.H., L.R. Martin, and R.H. Day.  1990.  Effects of diesel fuel arctic on photosynthesis and pigment levels in antarctic marine algae following the Bahia Paraiso fuel spill.  Antarctic Journal of the U.S. 25(5):177-179.

Kennicutt, M.C., et al., (K.H. Dunton).  1990.  Oil spillage in Antarctica.  Environ. Sci. Technol. 24(5):620-624.

Dunton, K.H., S.M. Saupe, A.N. Golikov, D.M. Schell, and S.V. Schonberg.  1989.  Trophic relationships and isotopic gradients among arctic and subarctic marine fauna.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 56:89-97.

Dunton, K.H. and C. Jodwalis.  1988.  Photosynthetic performance of Laminaria solidungula measured in situ in the Alaskan High Arctic.  Marine Biology 98:277-285.

Dunton, K.H. and D.M. Schell.  1987.  Dependence of consumers on macroalgal (Laminaria solidungula) carbon in an arctic kelp community: d13C evidence.  Marine Biology 93:615-625.

Dunton, K.H. and D.M. Schell.  1986.  Seasonal carbon budget and growth of Laminaria solidungula in the Alaskan High Arctic.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 31:57-66.

Dunton, K.H.  1985.  Growth of dark-exposed Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamour. and Laminara solidungula J. Ag. (Laminariales: Phaeophyta) in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 94:181-189.

Dunton, K.H.  1984.  An annual carbon budget for an arctic kelp community.  In: The Alaska Beaufort Sea: Ecosystems and Environments.  P. Barnes, D. Schell, and E. Reimnitz (eds.), p. 311-326.  Orlando: Academic Press.

Dunton, K.H., E. Reimnitz, and S.V. Schonberg.  1982.  An arctic kelp community in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea.  Arctic 35(4):465-484.

BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS (peer-reviewed)

Nolan, M., R. Churchwell, J. Adams, J. McClelland, K.D. Tape, S. Kendall, A. Powell, K. Dunton, D. Payer, and P. Martin. 2011. Predicting the Impact of Glacier Loss on Fish, Birds, Floodplains, and Estuaries in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In Observing, Studying, and Managing for Change, C. N. Medley, G. Patterson, and M. J. Parker (eds), pp. 49–54. Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2011- 5169.

Wiencke C, I. Gomez, and K. Dunton. 2011. Phenology and seasonal physiological performance of polar seaweeds. In: Biology of Polar Benthic Algae, C. Wiencke (ed.), pp. 181-194 (Ch 9), Walter de Gruyter GmBh & Co. Berlin/New York.

Gomez I, A. Wulff, M. Y. Roleda, P. Huovinen, U. Karsten, M.L. Quartino, K. Dunton, C. Wiencke. 2011. Light and temperature demands of benthic microalgae and seaweeds in polar regions. In: Biology of Polar Benthic Algae, C. Wiencke (ed.), pp. 195-220 (Ch 10), Walter de Gruyter GmBh & Co. Berlin/New York.

Dunton, K.H., S.V. Schonberg, and D.W. Funk.  2009.  Interannual and spatial variability in light attenuation: evidence from three decades of growth in the arctic kelp, Laminaria solidungula.  In: Smithsonian at the Poles: Contributions to International Polar Science. Krupnick et al. (eds.), pp. 271-284, Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, Washington, D.C.

Mutchler, T., R.F. Mooney, S. Wallace, L. Podsim, S. Fredriksen, and K.H. Dunton. 2010.  Origins and fate of inorganic-nitrogen from land to coastal ocean on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.  In: Coastal Lagoons: Critical Habitats of Environmental Change. Kennish, M.J. and H.W. Paerl (eds.), pp. 283-305, CRC Press, Boca Raton.

Mateo, M.A., J. Cebrián, K. Dunton, and T. Mutchler.  2006.  Carbon Flux in Seagrass Ecosystems.  In: Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation.  Larkum, A.W.D., et al (eds.), pp. 159-192, Springer, Berlin.

Dunton, K.H. and L. Cooper.  2005.  Feedbacks associated with sea-level rise along Arctic coasts.  In: Coastal Fluxes in the Anthropocene.  Crossland, et al (eds.), pp. 52-53.  Springer, Berlin.

AWARDS AND HONORS

2016 Ramón Margalef Award for Excellence in Education, Association for the Sciences in Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)

2015 President’s Award for Conservation and Environmental Stewardship, Coastal Bend Bays Foundation

2013 Director’s Excellence Award, USF&WS, Alaska Region 7.

2012 Outreach Award, College of Natural Sciences, UT-Austin

2011 Department of the Interior Appointee: Bureau at Ocean Management, OCS Scientific Committee

2009 National Honor Society, Induction Ceremony Speaker, Port Aransas High School

2008 Department of the Interior Appointee: Minerals Management Service, OCS Scientific Committee

2007 Commencement Speaker, Port Aransas High School

2005 Teaching Excellence Award, College of Natural Sciences, UT-Austin

2003 Outreach Award, College of Natural Sciences, UT-Austin

2000 Teaching Excellence Award, College of Natural Sciences, UT-Austin

1999 Antarctica Service Medal of the United States of America, National Science Foundation

1996 Station Leader, Palmer Station, NSF (OPP), Antarctica

1996 Jerry McDonald Good Citizen Award, Port Aransas 1990 Antarctic Service Medal of the United States of America 1990 National Academy of Sciences, Exchange Scientist, Soviet Union

1985 National Academy of Sciences, Exchange Scientist, Soviet Union

PRINCIPLES OF ESTUARINE ECOLOGY - MNS f352 AND 152L (FIELD LAB)

A Department of Marine Science upper division undergraduate course. Summer session course offered in even numbered years. Detailed course information for registered students available on Blackboard.

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Dr. Ken Dunton (749-6744)

Textbooks:

Estuarine Ecology (2nd Edition).  John W. Day, Jr. et al.

Wiley-Blackwell. 2013

ISBN 978-0-471-75567-8

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Grading:

Attendance - 10%  Presentation - 25%  Reading Quizzes - 25%  Lecture Exam - 20%  Final Exercise - 20%    

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Some Objectives of the Course

◦To investigate the general ecological principles that govern the productivity and diversity of estuaries, including their physiography, hydrography, plant and animal community structure and chemistry.

◦To recognize the role of organisms in aquatic food webs, and in particular, to understand the ultimate fate and utilization of organic material as it is transported and transformed within estuarine systems.

◦To have a knowledge of the various measurements, tools, and techniques used by marine scientists to address questions and testable hypotheses relating to estuarine ecology.

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MARINE ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS - MNS 481C

Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Instructors:  Dr. Ed Buskey (x794) and  Dr. Ken Dunton (x744)

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Textbooks

Miller - Biological Oceanography

Mann and Lazier - Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems

Alongi - Coastal Ecosystem Processes

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Objectives of the Course

The purpose of this class is to provide a graduate level introduction to Biological Oceanography, Coastal Oceanography and Physical Oceanography for students planning on research in Biological and Chemical aspects of marine Science. The first half of the course will concentrate on open ocean processes (Buskey) and the second half will focus on coastal processes (Dunton). The class format will include lecture (3.0 hrs) and discussion sections (1 hr per week). Each student will be responsible for leading two discussion sections. For each, the student will compile a reference list of research articles on the topic and choose a paper for the class to read and discuss. The student will give a 15-20 minute introduction to the topic, and lead the discussion of the paper. 

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Grading

Your grade in this class will be based on your performance on two exams (a mid-term and a final exam), on two class presentations and several quizes.

Exams: Each exam will be a combination of objective and essay questions.  Essays will be graded on content, organization and clarity of communication.  The grades will be based on a numerical scale from 0 - 100.  This scale can be adjusted up on a curve with the mean class score representing a B, at our option.  If you must miss an examination due to unavoidable circumstances, you must notify the instructor at least 24 hours of the exam.  Exams must be made up as soon as possible.

Quizzes: Several short unannounced quizzes will be given during the course.  Material covered in previous classes and assigned reading are fair game.

Presentations/Discussions: Your grade will be based on the quality of the reading list you prepare, the quality of your short presentation and both your leading of discussions and participation in discussions lead by others.

Final Grade:

2 Examinations: 50%

2 Oral Presentations, Class Discussions: 20%

 Quizzes: 30%

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MARINE ECOLOGY - MNS 384J

A Department of Marine Science graduate course for students interested in any aspect of ecology. Taught simultaneously in Austin and Port Aransas via video link.  Registered students are advised to consult Blackboard for detailed and up-to-date course information.  

Instructors:  Dr. Ken Dunton (x744)

Textbooks

Bertness, M.D., S.D. Gaines, M.E. Hay.  2000.  Marine Community Ecology.  Sinauer Associates, Inc.

ISBN 0-87893-057-4

Monday and Wednesday 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM  (3 contact hours/week)

Video Conference Room ACES 3.336

Objectives of the Course

The purpose of this class is to provide graduate level inquiry- based instruction on the contemporary principles of marine ecology.  The course format consists of a weekly background lecture on a specific topic followed by a student led discussion based on readings from the primary literature on the selected topic.  Lectures are planned on Mondays with the respective discussion section on Wednesday of the same week.  The course uses a thematic approach and is divided into two major parts following the outline of the textbook.  The first half of the course concentrates on processes, and the second half on community types.

Student Class Presentations

Students will be asked to lead two discussion (lecture) sections. For each, the student is required to select one research paper for the class to read and discuss. The student will provide a one-page review that summarizes the significance of the paper in the context of existing knowledge on the selected topic. This review must be posted on the course Web page by the date and time of the corresponding Wednesday lecture. In class, the student will give a maximum 20-minute overview that integrates the most important aspects of the paper, and lead a critical and interactive discussion. Because of the balance between the number of students and number of Wednesday meetings, a majority of Wednesday sessions will include two joint presentations.  When two students are scheduled to present, they must work together to choose two interrelated papers for the discussion (e.g. opposing viewpoints on a single topic, alternative theories, comparison of analogous communities from geographically distant regions, etc.).  Each student will be expected to make at least one joint presentation.  Student presenters are expected to:

a) provide a comprehensive summary the main points of the papers;

b) state the significance or importance of the papers;

c) provide a critical assessment of the paper (does the data presented support the findings?), and;

d) elicit class participation.

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Grading

The final course grade will be based on two discussion topics, the reviews, quizzes, and class participation/attendance as follows:

Discussion Topics:     20% each

Written Reviews:       10% each

Class Participation/Attendance:   10%

Quizzes (6):     30%    

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MARINE BOTANY (MAYMESTER-MEXICO) MNS 352D

Instructor:  Dr. Kenneth Dunton (ken.dunton@utexas.edu) Phone: 361-471- 6744 (Marine Science, Port Aransas) Co-Instructors: Drs. Stein Fredriksen (Norway), Deana Erdner, Mike Gill, Philip Bucolo, and Luiz Rocha TA: Sara Wilson

This course is entirely focused on the ecology of Caribbean coral reef and seagrass communities of the Yucatan Peninsula with special emphasis on the marine vegetation. Our research and learning goal is to understand the effect of anthropogenic inputs of inorganic-nitrogen on tropical seagrasses, algal turfs, and the overall coral reef/coastal ecosystem. NOTE: No University of Texas at Austin student, faculty, or staff can be required to travel to a Restricted Region (http://world.utexas.edu/risk/restrictedregions). Any participation in travel to a Restricted Region is strictly voluntary, and the particpant assumes full responsibility for all risks associated with this travel.

Course Description: Restricted enrollment; contact the department for permission to register for this course. Prerequisites: Upper division standing; Biology 311D; and of the following courses: Biology 322, 324,328, Marine Science 320, 352C; and three additional semester hours of coursework in biology. Field work includes a 19-day field trip to Akumal, Mexico from mid- May to early June. For additional information and detailed syllabus, contact Ken Dunton.




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Dunton Lab 2022 label 

Graduate Research Assistants and Research Topics

Berit Batterton (M.S.) Lavaca River Delta Marsh Assessment. b.batterton@utexas.edu

Kyle Capistrant-Fossa (Ph.D. Candidate) Past, Present, Future Trends of Texas' Seagrass Meadows as Blue Carbon Sinks. kyle.capistrantfossa@utexas.edu

Daniel Fraser (M.S.) Arctic benthic infaunal communities. 
danielfraser@utexas.edu 

Briana Martinez (M.S.) Variable freeze response of marsh and mangrove communities: A biogeochemical and ecologoical assessment. briana.martinez@utexas.edu

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Research Associates

  • Kimberly R. Jackson, Research Scientist Assistant

  • Susan V. Schonberg, M.S., Research Associate

  • Lisa Smykla, Research Assistant 

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Undergraduate Student Research

Mona Birgisson, Research for credit, Spring 2022

Arden Evans, Research for credit, Spring 2021

Daniel Fraser, Research for credit, Spring 2019

Remedy Rule, Research for credit, Fall 2018

Lauren Heymann, Plan II Thesis and Research for credit, Spring and Fall 2015

Sarah Douglas, Plan II Thesis, Fall 2014

Riley Egger, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring 2014

Samantha Setta, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring 2014

Victoria Congdon, UT Austin, Research for credit, 2012-2013

Molly Mikan, University of Colorado - Denver, NSF-REU Intern, Summer 2009

Kristin Golman, Trinity University, NSF-REU Intern, Summer 2008

Alison James, Bord College, NSF-REU Intern, Summer 2008

Brittany Haney, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring 2008

Travis Bartholomew, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring and Summer 2008

Michael Gil, UT Austin, Research for credit, Fall 2007 and Spring 2008

Melissa Madison, UT Austin, Research for credit, Fall 2007

Amanda Padilla, UT Austin, Research for credit, Summer 2004

Adrienne Isaminger, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring 2003 - Spring 2005

Alegra Bartzat, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring 2002

Gabriel Vaughn, Southwestern University, Research for credit, Summer 2001

Cara Leverett, UT Austin, Research for credit, Spring/Summer 1998

Elissa Villines, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Research for credit, Summer 1996 - Summer 2002

Laura Saenz, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, NSF-REU Intern, Summer 1995

Carina Chiscano, UT Austin, Research for credit, Summer 1995

Sylvia Calderon, Western Washinton University, NSF-REU Intern, Summer 1994

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High School Science Internships

• Kelsey Cartwright, Port Aransas H.S., 2009-2010 (Project Title: Functionality of Naturally Created Wetlands)

• Sarah Armanovs, Port Aransas H.S., 2008 - 2009 (Project Title: A Comparison of Created Versus Natural Wetland Habitats)

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Previous Graduate Students

Christina Bonsell, Ph.D. 2019 email: cbonsell@utexas.edu

The Benthic Ecology of a High Arctic Kelp Community 

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Victoria Congdon, Ph.D. 2021  email: vmcongdon@utexas.edu

The Ecology of Seagrasses in the western Gulf of Mexico  

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Arley Muth, Ph.D. 2020  email: arley.muth@utexas.edu

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) in kelp beds of northern Alaska and southern Chile: functional roles, physiology, distribution and diversity
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Meaghan Cuddy M.S. 2018 email: meaghan.cuddy@utexas.edu 

Patterns in Isoscapes and N:P stoichioscapes of the dominant seagrasses (Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum) in the western Gulf of Mexico

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Hoang Minh "Thomas" Nugyen M.S. 2018 email: hm.thomas.nguyen@utexas.edu

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Benthic Bivalve’s Stable Isotopic Compositions in the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean

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Carolynn Harris, M.S. 2015. email: carolynn.harris@utexas.edu

Food Web Structure of the Nearshore Shelf of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea

Publications: 

Harris, C.M., N.D. McTigue, J.W. McClelland, and K.H. Dunton. 2018. Do high Arctic coastal food webs rely on a terrestrial carbon subsidy? Food Webs 15: e00081. DOI 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00081 

Harris, C.M., J. W. McClelland, T. L. Connelly, B. C. Crump, and K. H. Dunton. 2017. Hydrology and geomorphology modulate salinity and temperature regimes in eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea lagoons. Estuaries and Coasts 40(1): 50-62, DOI 10.1007/s12237-016-0123-z.

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Jordann Young, M.S. 2015. email: jkyoung@utexas.edu

Thesis: Abundance, biomass and caloric content of Chukchi Sea bivalves and influence of bivalve caloric distribution on Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) abundance and distribution in the northeastern Chukchi Sea.   

Publication: 

Young, J.K., B.A. Black, J.T. Clarke, S.V. Schonberg, and K.H Dunton. 2017. Abundance, biomass and caloric content of Chukchi Sea bivalves and association with Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) relative density and distribution in the northeastern Chukchi Sea. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 144: 125-141, DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.017 

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Sara Wilson, M.S. 2015. email: sara.wilson@utexas.edu

Thesis: Patterns in seagrass coverage and community composition along the Texas coast: A three-year trend analysis. 

Wilson, S.S. and K.H. Dunton. 2018. Hypersalinity during regional drought drives mass mortality of the seagrass Syringodium filiforme in a subtropical lagoon. Estuaries and Coasts: 855-865. DOI 10.1007/s12237-017-0319-x 

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Kelly M. Darnell, Ph.D. 2014. email: kellymdarnell@utexas.edu

Water Institute of the Gulf Postdoctoral Researcher, Baton Rough, LA

Thesis: Understanding Factors that Control Seagrass Reproductive Success in Sub-Tropical Ecosystems.

Publications:

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2017. Plasticity in turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) flower production as a response to porewater nitrogen availability. Aquatic Botany 138: 100-106. DOI 10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.01.007 

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2016. Reproductive phenology of the subtropical seagrasses Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) and Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Botanica Marina: 59(6): 473–483.

Darnell, K.M., Booth, D. M. Booth, E.W. Koch and K. H. Dunton. 2015. The interactive effects of water flow and reproductive strategies on seed and seedling dispersal along the substrate in two sub-tropical seagrass species. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 471:30-40.

Darnell, K.M. and K.H. Dunton. 2015. Consumption of turtle grass seeds and seedlings by crabs in the western Gulf of Mexico. Marine Ecology Progress Series: 520: 153-163. 

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Nathan D. McTigue, Ph.D. 2014. email: Nathan.Mctigue@noaa.gov

National Research Council (NRC) Postdoctoral Researcher, National Ocean Service, Beaufort, N.C.

Thesis: Trophodynamics of the Benthic Food Webs in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska.

Publications: 

McTigue, N.D. and K.H. Dunton. 2017. Trophodynamics of the Hanna Shoal Ecosystem (Chukchi Sea, Alaska): connecting multiple end-members to a rich benthic food web. Deep Sea Research II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 144: 175-189, DOI 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.08.010 

McTigue, N.D., W.S. Gardner, K.H. Dunton, and A.K. Hardison. 2016. Biotic and abiotic controls on co-occurring denitrification, anammox, and DNRA in shallow Arctic shelf sediments. Nature Communications 7:13145. 

McTigue, N.D. P. Bucolo, Z. Liu, and K.H. Dunton. 2015. Pelagic-benthic coupling, food webs, and organic matter degradation in the Chukchi Sea: Insights from sedimentary pigments and stable carbon isotopes. Limnology and Oceanography 60: 429-445.

McTigue, N.D. and K.H. Dunton. 2014. Trophodynamics and organic matter assimilation pathways in the northeast Chukci Sea, Alaska. Deep-Sea Research II 102: 84-96.

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Karen Anne Bishop, M.S.; 2012, email: kbkalannie@gmail.com 

GK-12 Coordinator, Environmental Science Institute, UT-Austin.

Thesis: Freshwater Contributions and Nitrogen sources in a South Texas Estuarine Ecosystem: a Time-intergrated Story from Stable Isotope Ratios in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica). 

Bishop, K. A., J. W. McClelland, and K.H. Dunton 2017. Freshwater contributions and nitrogen sources in a south Texas estuarine ecosystem: a time-integrated perspective from stable isotopic ratios in the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Estuaries and Coasts. 40: 1314-1324, DOI 10.1007/s12237-017-0227-0 

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Joseph Jeremy Stachelek, M.S.; 2012, email: jstachel@sfwmd.gov

Research Assistant, South Florida Water Management District

Thesis: Freshwater Inflows in the Nueces Delta, TX: Impacts on Porewater Salinity and Estimation of Needs.

Publications:

Stachelek, J. and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Freshwater inflow requirement for the Nueces Delta, Texas: Spartina alterniflora as an indicator of ecosystem condition. Texas Water Journal 4(2): 62-73.

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Sarah Caitlin Wallace, M.S.; 2011, email: sarah0wallace@gmail.com

Academic Designer, McGraw-Hill Education

Thesis: Spatial and Temporal Variation in Trophic Structure of the Nueces Marsh, TX.

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Christopher James Wilson, Ph.D.; 2011, email: cjw32485@gmail.com

Meterology/Oceanography Officer, United States Navy

Dissertation: The Acoustic Ecology of Submerged Macrophytes.

Publications:

Wilson, C.J., P.S. Wilson, and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Seagrasses provide an acoustic refuge for estuarine fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 472:117-127.

Wilson, C.J., P.S. Wlson, and K.H. Dunton. 2013. Assesing the low frequency acoustic characteristics of Macrocystis pyrifera, Egregia menziessi, and Laminaria solidungula".Journal of the Acoustical Society of America:133 (6)/:3819-3826. DOI:10.1121/1.4802637

Wilson, C.J., P.S. Wilson, and K.H. Dunton. 2012. An acoustic inverstigation of seagrass photosynthesis. Marine Biology 159: 2311-2322.

Wilson, J.W., P.S. Wilson, C.A. Greene, and K.H. Dunton.2010. Seagrass leaves in 3-D: using computed tomography and low-frequency acoustics to investigate the material properties of seagrass tissue. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 395:128-134.  

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Michael Rasser, Ph.D.; 2009, email: mrasser@gmail.com

Marine Ecologist, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Department of the Interior

Dissertation: The role of Biotic and Abiotic Processes in the Zonation of Salt Marsh Plants in the Nueces River Delta, Texas.

Publications:

Rasser, M.K., N.W. Fowler, and K.H. Dunton, 2013. Elevation and plant community distribution in a microtidal salt marsh of the Western Gulf of Mexico. Wetlands 33(4): 575-583.

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Summer Martin (Langlois), M.S.; 2006, email: faithdaisy@yahoo.com

Coastal Resources Scientist, Coastal Protection and Resoration Authority (Louisiana)

Thesis: An assessment of Seagrass and Tidal Flat Recovery from Anthropogenic Physical Disturbance Events along the Padre Island National Seashore.

Publications:

Martin, R.S., C.P. Onuf and K.H. Dunton.  2008.  Assessment of propeller and off-road vehicle scarring in seagrass beds and wind-tidal flats of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.  Botanica Marina 51:79-91.

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Andrea Kopecky, M.S.; 2004, email: kopecky@hotmail.com

Staff Attorney, San Francisco Bay Keeper

Thesis:  Drift Macroalgal Abundance and Distribution in Relation to Biological Indicators in two Seagrass Dominated Texas Estuarine Systems.

Publications:

Kopecky, A.L. and K.H. Dunton.  2006.  Variability in drift macroalgal abundance in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in two seagrass dominated Texas estuaries.  Estuaries and Coasts, 29:617-629.

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Kelly Fellows, M.S.; 2004, email: kellyfellows@yahoo.com

Thesis:   Impacts of Human Disturbances on Seagrass Communities in the Padre Island National Seashore

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Craig Aumack, M.S.; 2003, email: aumackcr@gmail.com

Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern

Thesis:  Linking Water Turbidity and TSS Loading to Kelp Productivity Within the Stefansson Sound Boulder Patch.

Publications:

Aumack, C.F., K.H. Dunton, A.B. Burd, D.W. Funk, and R.A. Maffione.  2007.  Linking light attenuation and suspended sediment loading to benthic productivity within an arctic kelp bed community.  J. Phycology. 43:853-863.

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Harlan L. Miller, Ph.D.; 2002, email: lanny.miller@mac.com

Director of Aguaculture, Algenol, Inc.

Dissertation:  Photosynthetic Response of Scandinavian Kelp Forest to Stratospheric Ozone Depletion.

Publications:

Miller, H., P. Neale, K. Dunton. 2009. Biological weighting functions for UV inhibition of photosynthesis in the kelp Laminaria hyperborea (Phaeophyceae). Journal of Phycology 45: 571-584.

Miller, H.L. and K.H. Dunton.  (2007).  Stable isotope (13C) and O2 micro-optode alternatives for measuring photosynthesis in seaweeds.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 329:85-97.

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Megan Scanlin, M.S.; 2001, email: scanlin_megan@bah.com

Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

Thesis: Del15N and del13C Measurements of Trophic structure on Coral Reef Systems Within the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

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Heather Alexander, M.S.; 2000, email: heather.alexander@msstate.edu

Assistant Professor, Mississippi State

Thesis:  Effects of soil Salinity, Inorganic Nitrogen and Fresh Water Inflow on the Vegetation of a hypersaline Salt Marsh.

Publications:

Alexander, H.D. and K.H. Dunton.  2006.  Treated wastewater effluent as an alternative freshwater source in a hypersaline salt marsh: impacts on salinity, inorganic nitrogen, and emergent vegetation.  Journal Coastal Research, 22:377-392.

Alexander, H.D. and K.H. Dunton.  2002.  Freshwater inundation effects on emergent vegetation of a hypersaliine salt marsh.  Estuaries 25(6b): 1426-1435.

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Christine Weilhoefer, M.A.; 1998, email: paved@hotmail.com

Associate Professor, North Central College

Thesis: Effects of Freshwater Inflow, Salinity and Nutrients on Salt Vegetation in South Texas.

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Kun-Seop Lee, Ph.D.; 1998 Professor, Pusan National University (Korea)

Dissertation: Nitrogen Budget for the Seagrass Thalassia testudinum in the Western Gulf of Mexico.

Publications:

Lee, K.-S. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Diurnal changes in pore water sulfide concentrations in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum beds: the effects of seagrasses on sulfide dynamics.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 255:201-214.

Lee, K.-S. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Effects of nitrogen enrichment on biomass allocation, growth, and leaf morphology of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 196:39-48.

Lee K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Influence of sediment nitrogen availability on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum.  Marine Biology 134:217-226.

Lee, K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Inorganic nitrogen acquisition in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum: development of a whole-plant nitrogen budget.  Limnology and Oceanography 44(5):1204-1215.

Lee, K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1997.  Effects of in situ light reduction on the maintenance, growth and partitioning of carbon resources in Thalassia testudinum.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 210:53-73.

Lee, K-S. and K.H. Dunton.  1996.  Production and carbon reserve dynamics of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 143:201-210.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

James E. Kaldy, Ph.D., 1997: email: halophila@juno.com

Ecologist, US EPA Western Ecology Division

Dissertation: Production Dynamics, Reproduction Ecology and Demography of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) from the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas.

Publications:

Kaldy, J.E., K.H. Dunton, J.L. Kowalski, and K.-S. Lee.  2004.  Factors controlling seagrass revegetation onto dredged material deposits: a case study in Lower Laguna Madre, Texas.  Journal of Coastal Research 20(1):292-300.

Kaldy, J.E. and K.H. Dunton.  2000.  Above- and below- ground production, biomass and reproductive ecology of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) in a subtropical coastal lagoon.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 193:271-283.

Kaldy, J.E. and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Ontogenetic photosynthetic changes, dispersal and survival of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) seedlings.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 240:193-212.

Kaldy, J.E., N. Fowler, and K.H. Dunton.  1999.  Critical assessment of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) age determination: implications for demographic inferences.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 181:279-288

Kaldy, J.E., K.H. Dunton, and A.B. Czerny.  1995.  Variation in macroalgal species composition and abundance on a rock jetty in the northwest Gulf of Mexico.  Botanica Marina 38:519-527.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sharon Herzka, M.A.;1996

Research Professor, Department of Biological Oceanography, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada

Thesis: Photosynthetic Performance of the Seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay and Lower Laguna Madre, Texas.

Publications:

Herzka, S.Z. and K.H. Dunton.  1998.  Light and carbon balance in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum: evalutation of current production models.  Marine Biology 132: 711-721.

Herzka, S.Z. and K.H. Dunton.  1997.  Seasonal photosynthetic patterns in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in the western Gulf of Mexico.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 152:103-117

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J. Michael Dibble, M.A.; 1995

Thesis:

Inorganic Nitrogen Uptake by Two Kelp Species, Laminaria solidungula and Laminaria saccharina, in the Alaskan High Arctic.

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Andrew Czerny, M.A.; 1994; email: andrew.czerny@nitelog.com

Thesis: Growth and Photosynthetic Responses of Two Subtropical Seagrasses, Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii to in Situ Manipulations of Irradiance.

Publications:

Czerny, A.B. and K.H. Dunton.  1995.  The effects of in situ light reduction on the growth of two subtropical seagrasses, Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii.  Estuaries 18:418-427.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Richard Day, M.A.; 1990; email: richard_day@nbs.gov

Wetland Ecologist, USGS National Wetlands Research Center

Thesis: Growth Rates of Three Species of Mangroves Bordering Laguna de Terminos, Campeche,Mexico.

Publications:

Dunton, K.H., L.R. Martin, and R.H. Day.  1990.  Effects of diesel fuel arctic on photosynthesis and pigment levels in antarctic marine algae following the Bahia Paraiso fuel spill. Antarctic Journal of the U.S. 25(5):177-179

Former Postdoctoral Fellows

Philip Bucolo, 2012-2015
Tara Connelly, 2012-2014
Sang Rul Park, 2010-2012
Afonso Souza, 2010-2011
Troy Mutchler, 2004-2007
Margaret Forbes, 2004-2006
Stein Fredriksen, 2004-2005;2006,2007 (Oslo, Norway)
Morgane Lamote, 2003-2004
Kun-Seop Lee, 1998-2000
Kelly M. Machalek-Major, 1996-1998
William S. Hensley, 1991-1992
David A. Tomasko, 1989-1990

Dunton Lab 2012 label

Dunton Lab 2014 label

Dunton with airplane2

Last updated: 25 September 2024

Links:

Dunton Lab: www.utmsi.utexas.edu/staff/dunton

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dunton_lab

BLE-LTER website: https://ble.lternet.edu/

Texas Seagrass website: https://www.texasseagrass.org/

Western Arctic Shelf Projects, including Boulder Patch kelp community: http://arcticstudies.org/index.html

UTMSI graduate program: https://utmsi.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/admission-information

 

News for current and prospective graduate students:

Hello and thank you for expressing interest in the Department of Marine Science and in the studies conducted in my laboratory.

In answer to some frequently asked questions, I am happy to provide the following information. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly by e-mail if you need additional clarification on our program.

New students:  I normally accept one or two students for entry into my lab every Summer or Fall. I currently have two Ph.D. students and two M.S. students. To date, I have graduated 31 students (10 Ph.D. and 21 M.S.) who have worked with me in the Gulf of Mexico, Norway, the Arctic, and the Antarctic.

Financial support: I provide salary and tuition for graduate students under my supervision while they are enrolled as full-time students and remain in good standing. Students are paid as Teaching Assistants (TA) while in Austin for their first semester or two. Once they arrive in Port Aransas, they are appointed as Graduate Research Assistants (GRA). The current annual salary for students on either a TA or GRA is $34,611. In both cases, the cost of tuition is also paid for the student. The appointment includes full medical insurance for the employee paid by the university (about $350/month), which can be extended to the spouse and family members for an additional cost (dental can be added for about $30/month). Salaries are only subject to Federal Income Taxes (Texas does not have an Income Tax). In addition, graduate fellowships are also available to students enrolled in the Department of Marine Science. Once accepted into our program, Ph.D. students are expected to work with me to initiate or develop additional funding for their research.

Housing and cost of living: With respect to the cost of living, Austin ranks below the national average, but private housing in Port Aransas can be very high since it is a resort community. For this reason, UTMSI provides housing for students (and families and partners) for a very reasonable cost (e.g., shared 2-bedroom cottage, $525/person; one bedroom apartment, $850 include utilities; 3-bedroom apartment for family, $1350 include utilities).

Current research projects that are underway include:

1. Beaufort Sea Alaska, The Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER (Cycle II) (2023-2028). The second cycle of this exceptional multi-disciplinary project incorporates ecological, biological, physical, and chemical components of the first coastal LTER in the Arctic. The program is focused on the lagoon systems spanning across the Beaufort Sea coast. I am the Project Leader with co-team lead Jim McClelland, now at MBL at Woods Hole.  Funding Source: National Science Foundation (NSF). Graduate student lead: Mathea Kurtz-Shaw. Renewal funded! For more information see https://ble.lternet.edu; https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=191300&org=NSF&from=news. 

2. Beaufort Sea, Alaska (with Vanessa von Biela, USGS): Disturbance Driven Trophic Level Effects on Red-throated Loon Productivity in the Central Beaufort Sea (2020-2025).  Kelp presence is a primary biological habitat and attribute of interest in the central Beaufort Sea. The fishes of these unique habitats may serve as a refuge for many species that are important in loon diets. Stable isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen of loons and their prey may provide some greater insight into the importance of the Stefansson Sound kelp bed community. Funding Source: U.S. Geological Survey.

3. Beaufort Sea, Alaska: Arctic Kelp Communities in the Beaufort Sea: Sentinels of Long-Term Change (2020-2026). This project includes both open water and through-ice work. Funding source: Department of the Interior (BOEM). For more information see: http://arcticstudies.org/boulderpatch/

4. Southwestern Gulf Coast, Texas: A Coastwide High Resolution Seagrass Map for Texas and Landscape Monitoring and Biological Indicators for Seagrass Conservation (2011-2027). Our lab is directing the implementation of a state-wide seagrass monitoring program based on analyses of the water column and seagrass condition criteria specific to the major estuarine lagoon systems in Texas. Recent funding includes a supplement to use modern satellite imagery (Worldview 3) and open-source image classification algorithms to map the current extent and distribution of seagrasses on the Texas coast, particularly from Mission-Aransas Estuary to Port Isabel (97% statewide seagrass coverage). Funding sources: Mission-Aransas NERR, NPS (National Park Service), Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and the Texas General Land Office Coastal Management Program (GLO CMP). Graduate Student Leads: Kyle Capistrant-Fossa, Sofia Armada Tapia, and Anastasia Canu. For more information see: www.texasseagrass.org

5. South Texas Gulf Coast (with UT Advanced Research Lab): Acoustic Methods for Monitoring Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR), Based on Blue Carbon Burial in Seagrass Meadows (2024-2027). This newly funded project addresses how the net burial of carbon is related to net ecosystem productivity (NEP) as well as carbon that is imported and exported by various physical, chemical, and biological processes. Our proposed concept utilizes passive acoustic measurements (PAM) to monitor NEP over timescales exceeding one year with high temporal resolution. The method detects the acoustic signature of bubbles that are released from seagrass leaves when the surrounding water is supersaturated with oxygen. This research focuses on the design and testing of a system capable of long-term field deployment that uses sound to monitor seagrass biomass and productivity with significantly improved temporal resolution compared to traditional techniques. Our component employs dissolved oxygen measurements to estimate seagrass photosynthesis in relation to underwater irradiance. Funding sources: Department of Energy. No student assigned at this time.

6. South Texas Gulf Coast: Use of Historical Data to Assess Climate Change Effects on Marsh Vegetation: Nueces Delta (2023-present). The overarching goal of this work is to quantify the impacts of climatic drivers, namely drought and sea level rise, on the ecological integrity of the Nueces Delta. We will use a two-phase approach, focused on data exploration and mining and related field sampling (Task 2). The second year will involve mapping, data synthesis, analysis and outreach/education. Overall, this project contributes to our understanding of the quantitative relationships between the physical and biotic parameters that ultimately control marsh health, carbon burial, and resilience under climate change scenarios. Funding source: Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP). Graduate Student Leads: Berit Batterton and Margaret

Ecology

Marine Science

Marine Science Institute