Lines of Inquiry:
Physical Processes

Disturbance & Distribution

Substrate Mobility Framework

Measuring Disturbance

We quantify disturbance as substrate mobility—the interaction between fluid forcing and material strength—and test its role in structuring marine ecosystems.

Using new methods to measure substrate strength and manipulate material properties in situ, we compare community assembly across a shared disturbance gradient in systems from rocky reefs to the deep sea.

This work establishes a physically grounded, comparable measure of disturbance across marine environments which may constrain community distributions.

Foundation of Framework, Cramer & Katz 2020

Weathering as Restoration

Leveraging Disturbance

We investigate how chemical weathering alters substrate strength and reshapes processes that structure marine communities. By linking ocean acidification to changes in material properties, we test whether disturbance as weathering can mediate environmental change and guide ecosystem recovery. This work explores how modifying substrates can shift community assembly under future ocean conditions and expand the distribution of valuable ecosystems.

Controlling Fouling

Applying Disturbance

We expand the substrate mobility framework to help design marine coatings that prevent biofouling by disrupting the conditions required for attachment. If fouling communities can be inhibited through physical design, we can engineer surfaces that maintain effective disturbance at organism-relevant scales. This work translates ecological theory into practical strategies for managing biological growth on marine infrastructure without poisons or toxins.

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Lines of Inquiry:Physical Processes