M.S. Thesis Project:

I am studying the swimming capabilities of larval and juvenile rockfishes (Sebastes spp.). My research goals include: 

• Evaluating how Sebastes spp. swimming capabilities change throughout ontogeny.
• Discovering the maximum swimming speeds of these fishes to investigate their potential to behaviorally influence dispersal during pelagic early life stages.
• Determining if there is a maternal effect on larval swimming performance by using startle swimming speeds to compare relative larval fitness between broods of different aged mothers.
• Comparing swimming performance in rockfish species with different life histories and body forms.
• Using otoliths to examine if there is a relationship between the rate of daily growth in the pelagic phase and overall swimming capability.

This research is in collaboration with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, in Santa Cruz.