Coastal Ecology and Conservation Lab

A project and paper I worked on with a group of spectacular undergraduates, who participated in UCLA’s Marine Biology Quarter to Mo’orea French Polynesia, has been accepted in Marine Ecology Progress Series. More info to come when the article is available online.

Bergman J*, Dang BN*, Tabatabaee MM*, McGowan MM*, Fong CR, Bittick SJ, & Fong P. In press. Nutrients induce and herbivores maintain thallus toughness, a structural anti-herbivory defense in Turbinaria ornata. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Travelled to Honolulu for the 13th International Coral Reefs Symposium to present my poster titled: “BOLSTERED PHYSICAL DEFENSES UNDER NUTRIENT ENRICHED CONDITIONS MAY FACILITATE A MACROALGAL SPECIES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC”

Download the poster here

Rachel J. Clausing, Sarah Joy Bittick, Caitlin R. Fong, and Peggy Fong

Sediments influence accumulation of two macroalgal species through novel but differing interactions with nutrients and herbivory

Published online in Coral Reefs: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-016-1477-1?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst

The online, non copy-edited version of my newest paper from Journal of Ecology is available:

“Bostered physical defences under nutrient enriched conditions may facilitate a secondary foundational algal species in the South Pacific” 

You can also see the accepted draft version here.

DCIM100GOPRO

DCIM100GOPRO

I just had a paper accepted in the Journal of Ecology! http://www.journalofecology.org/view/0/index.html

Please check back as it will likely be published online soon.

Article details:

Bittick SJ, Clausing RJ, Fong CR, & Fong P. In press. Bolstered physical defences under nutrient enriched conditions may facilitate a secondary foundational algal species in the South Pacific. Journal of Ecology, accepted January 2016.

Welcome to my website! Content is still in progress but check out my publications and curriculum vitae.

About me:

Ph.D. candidate in the lab of Peggy Fong
University of California Los Angeles
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Expected degree completion, June 2016

I am a marine community ecologist with interests in human impacts on trophic structure, species diversity, and overall community dynamics.