Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep-sea wood falls

Another new paper out from the McClain Lab! McClain, C. R., Bryant, S. R. D., Hanks, G., & Byrnes, J. (2023). Disentangling mechanisms of species–energy relationships in experimental deep‐sea wood falls. Ecosphere, 14(10), e4667. A multitude of hypotheses have been invoked to explain increases in richness with increases in energy availability. Experiments Read more…

Researcher’s study sheds light on marine biodiversity, ecological links between land and sea

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette released this statement about our new paper out in Ecology.   McClain, C. R., Boolukos, C. M., Bryant, S. R. D., & Hanks, G. (2023). Sunken trees in the deep sea link terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Ecology, e4168. A study led by a University of Louisiana at Read more…

Ph.D. Student River Bryant Has Amazing Publication Year

Soon to be Dr. Bryant had an amazing year with three first author publications bases on her Ph.D. thesis research! Bryant, S.R. and McClain, C.R. 2022. Functional space expansion driven by transitions between advantageous traits across a deep-sea energetic gradient. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. 289:20221302 Bryant, S.R.. and Read more…

The macrofaunal metropolis in the sediments around the first‐ever deep‐sea alligator fall

A new paper led by Ph.D. student, River Bryant! Bryant, S. R., Nunnally, C., Hanks, G. & McClain, C. R. (2022). The macrofaunal metropolis in the sediments around the first-ever deep-sea alligator fall. Marine Ecology, 43, e12707. https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12707 The maintenance of high diversity in deep-sea sediments is often hypothesized to be a result of heterogeneity in disturbance and carbon Read more…

Toward a Conceptual Understanding of β-Diversity in the Deep-Sea Benthos

I along with my former Ph.D. advisor, Michael Rex, have recently published a comprehensive review of species turnover and diversity in the deep-sea benthos. We review patterns and causes of β-diversity in the deep-sea benthos at different spatial scales and for different body sizes. Changes in species composition occurring with depth are Read more…