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Message From Dr. Ann Bucklin, Head of Marine Sciences    wmv   mov

 

I am a Research Associate Professor of Marine Sciences with a joint appointment in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. I also serve as the Science Director of the National Undersea Research Center.  My research focuses on the ecology and conservation of fishes. This work has allowed me to participate as scientist or chief-scientist on 37 major research cruises and a multitude of day trips in the northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Caribbean Sea, South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Sea of Cortez, and in the equatorial Pacific. I have also participated in research expeditions to Lake Baikal in Russia and Lakes Victoria and Malawi in the Rift Lake Valley of East Africa.

For the past 25 years, I have conducted studies to define how variation across underwater landscapes mediate the distribution and abundance of fishes, understand the linkages between habitat level processes and population-community dynamics, and develop methods for monitoring habitat dynamics. From an applied science perspective, I have focused on understanding the environmental impacts of fishing and on developing a scientific basis for using marine reserves as a conservation tool in outer continental shelf regions.

My basic approach to fieldwork has been to use the same types of techniques underwater that wildlife biologists use on land. That is, making direct underwater observations to study how individual animals react to variations in nature. I have used scuba, research submersibles, remotely operated vehicles, and autonomous vehicles for this work. While studies in the field are used primarily to quantify patterns in nature, laboratory experiments are used to develop a mechanistic understanding of processes and collect data on rates of particular interactions (e.g., how habitat variability mediates rates of predation and predator recognition of prey). Computer modeling is then be used to extrapolate results to population and regional scales. 

I serve on a number of panels and committees that are focused on marine resource management and conservation and I am involved in several outreach initiatives that are targeted at informing the public about marine conservation issues.
 

Research Projects
Seafloor Habitat Recovery Monitoring Project at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Sanctuaries Program

Deep-water Connections: Probing the Southern Limits of Distribution of North Atlantic Deep-Sea Coral Communities - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Exploration and Research

A Mobile Bentho-Pelagic Observatory to Support Fisheries and Ecosystem Management - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Linking Marine Biodiversity to Ecosystem Management Goals in the Gulf of Maine Region - Sloan Foundation
 

Current Students
Kari Heinonen - Ph.D. Student
Alison Tamsett - M.Sc. Student
 

Publications

Auster, P.J. and J.S. Link.  2009.  Compensation and recovery of feeding guilds in a northwest Atlantic shelf fish community.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 382:163-172.

 

Auster, P.J., J. Godfrey, A. Watson, A. Paquette and G. McFall.  2009.  Behavior of prey links midwater and demersal piscivorous reef fishes.  Neotropical Icthyology 7:109-112.

 

Moore, J.A. and P.J. Auster.  In press.  Commensalism between juvenile cusk eels and pancake urchins on western North Atlantic seamounts.  Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 

 

Auster, P.J. and J. Lindholm.  In press.  Variation in social foraging by fishes across a coral reef landscape.  Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium.

 

Auster, P.J., R. Fujita, S.R. Kellert, J. Avise, C. Campagna, B. Cuker, P. Dayton, B. Heneman, R. Kenchington, G. Stone, G. Notarbartolo di Sciara and P. Glynn.  2008.  Developing an ocean ethic: science, utility, aesthetics, self-interest and different ways of knowing.  Conservation Biology 23:233-235.

 

Auster, P.J.  2008.  Predation strategies of Atlantic trumpetfish in midwater.  Neotropical Ichthyology 6:289-292.

 

Stoner, A.W., C.H. Ryer, S.J. Parker, P.J. Auster and W.W. Wakefield.  2008.  Evaluating the role of fish behavior in surveys conducted with underwater vehicles.  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65:1230-1243.

 

Auster, P.J.  2008.  Variation in search and predatory attack behaviors of shark mackerel Grammatorcynus bicarinatus.  Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88:847-849.

 

Moore, J., P. Auster, D. Calini, K. Heinonen, K. Barber and B. Hecker.  2008.  The false boarfish Neocyttus helgae in the western North Atlantic.  Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 49:31-41.

 

Auster, P., J. Lindholm, M. Plourde, K. Barber and H. Singh.  2007.  Camera configuration and use of AUVs to census mobile fauna.  Marine Technology Society Journal 41(3):15-18.

 

Waller, R., L. Watling, P. Auster and T. Shank.  2007.  Anthropogenic impacts on the Corner Rise Seamounts, NW Atlantic Ocean.  Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.  87:1075-1076.

 

Auster, P.J.  2007.  Linking deepwater corals and fish populations.  Bulletin of Marine Science  81(Supplement 1):93-99. 

 

Lindholm, J., P.J. Auster, and A. Knight.  2007.  Site fidelity and movement of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) at deep boulder reefs in the western Gulf of Maine. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 342: 239–247.

 

Cook, R. and P. Auster.  2007.  A bioregional classification for the continental shelf of northeastern North America for conservation analysis and planning based on representation.  Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series NMSP-07-03.  U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD. 14 pp.

 

Auster, P.J., R. Clark and R.E.S. Reed.  2006.  Chapter 3.  Marine fishes.  p. 89-229 in: An Ecological Characterization of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region: Oceanographic, Biogeographic, and Contaminants Assessment.  National Center for Coastal Ocean Science, NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland.  NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 45.

 

Cook, R. and P. Auster. 2006. Developing alternatives for optimal representation of seafloor habitats and associated communities in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.  Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-06-02.  U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD. 24 pp. 

 

Auster, P.J. and K. Barber. 2006. Atlantic hagfish exploit prey captured by other taxa. Journal of Fish Biology. 68:618-621.

Auster, P.J., B. Semmens, and K. Barber. 2005. Pattern in the co-occurrences of fishes inhabiting the coral reefs of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 74:187-194.

Link, J., F. Almeida, P. Valentine, P. Auster, R. Reid, and J. Vitalano. 2005. The effects of area closures on Georges Bank. American Fisheries Society Symposium. 41:345-368.

Cook, R.R. and P.J. Auster. 2005. Use of simulated annealing for identifying essential fish habitat in a multi-species context. Conservation Biology 19:876-886.

Auster, P.J. 2005. Are deep-water corals important habitats for fishes? p. 747-760. In: A. Freiwald and J.M. Roberts (eds.) Cold-water Corals and Ecosystems, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. 

Watling, L. and P.J. Auster. 2005. Distribution of deepwater alcyonacea off the northeast coast of the United States. p. 279-296. In: A. Freiwald and J.M. Roberts (eds.) Cold-water Corals and Ecosystems, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. 

Auster, P.J., J. Moore, K. Heinonen, and L. Watling. 2005. A habitat classification scheme for seamount landscapes: assessing the functional role of deepwater corals as fish habitat. p. 761-769. In: A. Freiwald and J.M. Roberts (eds.) Cold-water Corals and Ecosystems, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. 

Lindholm, J., P. Auster, and P. Valentine. 2004. Role of a large marine protected area for conserving landscape attributes of sand habitats on Georges Bank (Northwest Atlantic). Marine Ecology Progress Series 269:61-68.

Auster, P.J., J. Lindholm, and P.C. Valentine. 2003. Variation in habitat use by juvenile Acadian redfish, Sebastes fasciatus. Environmental Biology of Fishes 68:381-389.

Auster, P.J., J. Lindholm, S. Schaub, G. Funnell, L.S. Kaufman, and P.C. Valentine. 2003. Use of sand wave habitats by silver hake. Journal of Fish Biology 62:143-152.

Lindholm, J. and P. Auster. 2003. Site utilization by Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in offshore gravel habitat as determined by acoustic telemetry: implications for the design of marine reserves. Marine Technology Society Journal 37(1):27-34.

Auster, P.J. 2002. Representation of biological diversity of the Gulf of Maine region at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Northwest Atlantic): patterns of fish diversity and assemblage composition. p. 1096-1125. Managing Protected Areas in a Changing World. S. Bondrup-Nielson et al. (eds.). Science and Management of Protected Areas Association, Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

NRC. 2002. Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat. National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. (co-author with 11 other panel members)

Auster, P.J. and J. Lindholm. 2002. Pattern in the local diversity of coral reef fishes versus rates of social foraging. Caribbean Journal of Science 38:263-266. 

Lindholm, J.B., P.J. Auster, M. Ruth, and L. Kaufman. 2001. Juvenile fish responses to variations in seafloor habitats: modeling the effects of fishing and implications for the design of marine protected areas.Conservation Biology 15:424-437.

Auster, P.J., K. Joy, and P.C. Valentine. 2001. Fish species and community distributions as proxies for seafloor habitat distributions: the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary example (Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Maine). Environmental Biology of Fishes 60:331-346.

Auster, P.J. 2001. Defining thresholds for precautionary habitat management actions in a fisheries context.North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21:1-9.

Auster, P.J. and N.L. Shackell. 2000. Marine protected areas for the temperate and boreal Northwest Atlantic: the potential for sustainable fisheries and conservation of biodiversity. Northeastern Naturalist7:419-434.

Auster, P.J., and R.W. Langton. 1999. The effects of fishing on fish habitat. p. 150-187. In: L. Benaka (ed.).Fish Habitat: Essential Fish Habitat and Rehabilitation. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. 

Lindholm, J., P.J. Auster, and L. Kaufman. 1999. Habitat mediated survivorship of 0-year Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Marine Ecology Progress Series 180:247-255.

Freese, L., P.J. Auster, J. Heifetz, and B.L. Wing. 1999. Effects of trawling on seafloor habitat and associated invertebrate taxa in the Gulf of Alaska. Marine Ecology Progress Series 182:119-126.

Moser, M.L., P.J. Auster and J.B. Bichy. 1998. Effects of mat morphology on large Sargassum-associated fishes: Observations from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and free-floating video camcorders.Environmental Biology of Fishes 51:391-398.

Peter J. Auster

National Undersea Research Center
Department of Marine Sciences
University of Connecticut
1080 Shennecossett Rd., Groton, CT 06340
Phone: (860) 405-9121
Fax: (860) 445-2969
email: peter.auster@uconn.edu
http://www.nurc.uconn.edu/BigMouthFishes/homepage/


      
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