About Us

 MARINE BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION OF MARINE RESOURCES 

Our lab studies the impact of climate change and habitat loss on the ecology of marine animals and how behavioral adaptations to habitat loss alters community interactions and structure. We use a combination of field surveys, manipulative experiments, acoustic telemetry, individual-based and dynamic statistical models to explore how changes in the environment drive changes in behavior and community interactions. Our discoveries help inform management strategies for fisheries and coral reef conservation in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESEARCH STUDY

Dr. Michael Childress is inviting you to volunteer for a research study. Dr. Childress is an Associate Professor at Clemson University conducting the study with Tokea Payton a PhD Candidate at Clemson University.

Study Purpose: Marine debris is manmade items that intentionally and accidentally end up in marine and coastal environments. It is established that marine debris is a worldwide issue. To solve this problem, we must understand what people know about marine debris, how it affects the local area, and what types of debris people are willing to pick up in their day-to-day lives and organized clean-up opportunities. This information will be used to inform educational and outreach tools that may be developed and improve the management of this issue.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW 

Keys Weekly: https://keysweekly.com/42/trash-stowaways-scientist-seeks-creatures-in-debris/

Childress Lab Website: http://childresslab.weebly.com 

Instagram: @marinelittercritter https://www.instagram.com/marinelittercritter/

Guest Blog Post: https://integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/changing-with-a-changing-world-b-i-m-s-guest-blog-by-tokea-payton/