Research

Photo: Manu San Félix / National Geographic Pristine Seas

My research examines marine biodiversity across variable and extreme environments, with a focus on how environmental conditions and habitat structure influence the distribution and vulnerability of marine communities. I have explored these questions across tropical coral reefs and deep-sea ecosystems, from warming and eutrophication experiments on shallow-water corals to habitats influenced by severe oxygen limitation and complex terrain in deep-sea ecosystems.

I combine field observations, marine imagery, habitat mapping and quantitative ecology to understand species-environment relationships and document biodiversity in poorly studied ecosystems. My work has included investigating cold-water coral communities across extreme oxygen gradients in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, examining habitat complexity in North Atlantic deep-sea communities, and establishing new biodiversity records for deep-water sharks, rays and chimaeras in the Galápagos.

Across these studies, I seek to improve our understanding of vulnerable marine ecosystems and strengthen the ecological baselines needed for monitoring, conservation and management.

Current Research Projects

Yellow Octocoral Garden Thriving in Extreme Anoxia near Isla del Coco, Costa Rica

Climate change-induced ocean warming, acidification, and oxygen loss pose significant threats to deep-sea coral habitats, yet species-specific tolerances remain largely understudied outside the North Atlantic and Pacific regions. This research describes the discovery of a dense, yellow octocoral garden dominated by a single species from the family Acanthogorgiidae thriving under near-anoxic conditions (0.5-3 µmol kg⁻¹) at the core of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) along the Cocos Ridge near Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Using habitat mapping combined with generalized additive modeling, environmental variables influencing coral abundance and distribution were identified. Findings highlight the capacity of certain octocoral species to persist in extreme low-oxygen conditions, providing critical insights into potential community shifts and resilience under future climate-driven ocean deoxygenation scenarios, particularly in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

Cold-water coral distribution across oxygen minimum zones in the Galapagos Islands and Isla del Coco, Eastern Tropical Pacific

Ocean warming drives the expansion of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), threatening cold-water coral (CWC) ecosystems. The Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) hosts prominent OMZs near globally significant marine protected areas such as the Galápagos Islands and Isla del Coco. Despite expected OMZ expansion, the distribution and resilience of CWCs in this region remain poorly understood. In September 2023, video transects, coral samples, and environmental data were collected using ROV SuBastian aboard the R/V Falkor (too) at multiple sites around both island regions. Preliminary results revealed significant differences in OMZ extent: approximately 160 m in the Galápagos versus 400 m near Isla del Coco, where oxygen approached 0 µmol/kg. Coral biodiversity decreased within severely hypoxic conditions, yet a single octocoral species dominated in near-anoxic waters at Isla del Coco. This study highlights distinct distribution patterns influenced by oceanographic variables, providing critical insights into coral resilience and informing marine conservation strategies in the ETP.

New Records of Deep-Sea Cartilaginous Fishes from the Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands, globally recognized for exceptional marine biodiversity, harbor a poorly explored deep-sea fauna. Recent surveys using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) have revealed multiple new records of deep-sea chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras), including previously unreported regional occurrences and potentially undescribed species. Given the vulnerability of many observed taxa to fisheries and environmental stressors globally, these findings are particularly important as the Galápagos Marine Reserve provides a unique, trawl-free environment for studying natural deep-sea communities. This research aims to document these new species records, characterize their ecological and depth distribution patterns, assess their conservation status, and provide insights to inform management and protection efforts within the region.