Max C.N. Castorani
Assistant Professor
I am a marine ecologist with primary interests in population and community ecology. Although projects in our research group are diverse, we are collectively interested in understanding patterns of biodiversity in coastal marine ecosystems such as kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and oyster reefs. Our studies combine long-term observations, experiments, and models to explain the abundance and distribution of species across a broad range of spatial scales. These efforts aim to advance fundamental knowledge in ecology and inform the conservation and management of coastal habitats and their associated wildlife.
Publications
- Long term ecological research and evolving frameworks of disturbance ecology.
In press.; BioScience; Gaiser, E.E. | D.M. Bell | M.C.N. Castorani | D.L. Childers | P.M. Groffman | R. Jackson | J.S. Kominoski | D.P.C. Peters | S.T.A. Pickett | J. Ripplinger | J.C. Zinnert. - Disturbance size and frequency mediate the coexistence of benthic spatial competitors.
2020; Ecology; Castorani, M.C.N. | M.L. Baskett. - Spatial variability in the resistance and resilience of giant kelp in southern and Baja California to a multiyear heatwave
2019; Frontiers in Marine Science; Cavanaugh, K.C. | D.C. Reed | T.W. Bell | M.C.N. Castorani | R. Beas-Luna. - Loss of foundation species: disturbance frequency outweighs severity in structuring kelp forest communities
2018; Ecology; Castorani, M.C.N. | D.C. Reed | R.J. Miller - Harnessing cross-border resources to confront climate change
2018; Environmental Science and Policy; Aburto-Oropeza, O. | Johnson, A.F. | Agha, M. | Allen, E.B. | Allen, M.F. |... - Fluctuations in population fecundity drive variation in demographic connectivity and metapopulation dynamics
2017; Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences; Castorani, M.C.N. | Reed, D.C. | Raimondi, P.T. | Alberto, F. | Bell, T.W. |... - Metabolomics Reveals Cryptic Interactive Effects of Species Interactions and Environmental Stress on Nitrogen and Sulfur Metabolism in Seagrass
2016; Environmental Science and Technology; Hasler-Sheetal, H. | Castorani, M.C.N. | Glud, R.N. | Canfield, D.E. | Holmer, M. - Native predator chemical cues induce anti-predation behaviors in an invasive marine bivalve
2016; Biological Invasions; Castorani, M.C.N. | Hovel, K.A. - Connectivity structures local population dynamics: A long-term empirical test in a large metapopulation system
2015; Ecology; Castorani, M.C.N. | Reed, D.C. | Alberto, F. | Bell, T.W. | Simons, R.D. |... - Light indirectly mediates bivalve habitat modification and impacts on seagrass
2015; Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology; Castorani, M.C.N. | Glud, R.N. | Hasler-Sheetal, H. | Holmer, M. - Invasive prey indirectly increase predation on their native competitors
2015; Ecology; Castorani, M.C.N. | Hovel, K.A. - Disturbance facilitates the coexistence of antagonistic ecosystem engineers in California estuaries
2014; Ecology; Castorani, M.C.N. | Hovel, K.A. | Williams, S.L. | Baskett, M.L. - Morphological phylogeny of the family Actinostolidae (Anthozoa:Actiniaria) with description of a new genus and species of hydrothermal vent sea anemone redefining the family Actinoscyphiidae
2008; Invertebrate Systematics; Rodríguez, E. | Castorani, C.N. | Daly, M.