Randall Hughes has wrapped her Saint Joseph Bay salt marsh research. What has she learned about diversity and the health and productivity of the ecosystem?
Randall
Randall
Dr. Randall Hughes is an ecologist and marine biologist focusing on the causes and consequences of species and genetic diversity in coastal systems. She has conducted experimental work on plants and animals in seagrasses, salt marshes, oyster reefs, and kelp forests. The common thread throughout these activities is a long-standing interest in generating information that can enhance the effectiveness of conservation and management decisions.
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Oyster Reef Ecology | On the ReefWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small
Can crabs hear? (Revisited, with answers!)
by Randallby RandallPredatory fish living around oyster reefs make a lot of noise. Dr. Randall Hughes set out to discover the effect of these sounds on oyster eating mud crabs.
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Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
Seagrass Wrack in the Salt Marsh – Blessing or Curse?
by Randallby RandallCan some disturbances be beneficial? So is Seagrass wrack in the salt marsh a destroyer, or provider of nutrients and habitat?
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Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
Black Mangroves: Strangers in a St. Joe Bay Marsh
by Randallby RandallCould marshes in St. Joseph Bay be changing? Dr. Randall Hughes investigates the increasing black mangrove population of the SJB salt marsh.
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Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the GrassWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small
Diversity- Getting by With a Little Help From (Salt) Marsh Friends
by Randallby RandallFiddler crabs are cute, but they have purpose, too. Dr. Randall Hughes looks at combinations of plant and animal species that make for a healthy salt marsh.
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Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
The Many Personalities of Salt Marsh Cordgrass
by Randallby RandallIt’s hard to see, but marsh cordgrass plants have their own personalities. Genetic diversity may benefit the salt marsh and the critters that rely on it.
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Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
How Can We Prevent Salt Marsh Die-Off?
by Randallby RandallMarshes are as productive a habitat as oyster reefs, and just as vulnerable to drought. Randall Hughes looks at what makes a salt marsh resistant to loss.
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Oyster Reef Ecology | On the ReefWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small
Can crabs hear? (A testament to the benefits of collaboration)
by Randallby RandallRandall Hughes and David Kimbro study what makes mud crabs too scared to eat oysters. A partnership with WFSU-TV set this research on a surprising new path.
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Salt Marsh Ecology | In the GrassWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small
Crown Conchs- Friend or Foe?
by Randallby RandallThe crown conch is the Jekyll and Hyde of coastal ecosystems. Dr. Randall Hughes clarifies why the predatory snail might be a friend or foe to the salt marsh.
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Oyster Reef Ecology | On the Reef
Tile 2.0- Perfecting the Oyster Spat Tile Experiment
by Randallby RandallAs the David Kimbro lab deploys a spat (young oyster) tile experiment in Apalachicola Bay to monitor the health of its beleaguered reefs, Dr. Randall Hughes explains how these experiments have become a key tool in her and David’s oyster research.