Mark Steele

Mark Steele
University of California Northridge

    The main goal of my research is to elucidate the causes of variation in abundance of organisms that live in open populations in order to understand and predict their dynamics and spatial patterns. I place particular emphasis on evaluating the relative importance of the various processes that determine patterns of abundance, population dynamics, and community structure. I have worked on reef fishes in temperate (southern California), subtropical (Gulf of California, Mexico), and tropical (Bahamas) systems, and also on estuarine fishes in southern California. Currently, I have three main research programs: (1) population dynamics and community structure of non-exploited reef fishes; (2) density dependence in commercially-exploited reef fishes and implications for fisheries management using marine protected areas; (3) and the ecology of estuarine fishes, particularly as related to wetland restoration projects.