Joshua Manning

Phd in biological sciences

STEM Chateaubriand Fellowship

Hometown: Orono, ME

 

My experiences as a graduate student at FSU have all been great! I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to pursue my passion for coral reef ecology as part of this amazing community. I look forward to networking with the broader graduate community at FSU as a member of the Fellows Society. It will be great to hear about the experiences and research of graduate students in other departments and to discuss my research with a broader audience.

Educational Background

I earned a BSc in Marine Science (concentration in Marine Biology) from The University of Maine in 2013 and a MSc in Biology from California State University, Northridge in 2017.

Research and teaching interests, or professional field 

As a community ecologist, I am broadly interested in the effects of global change (e.g., climate change) on species interactions and the structure of ecological communities. I am particularly interested in the role of social behavior and movement in mediating the responses of animals to environmental change and how social interactions may affect population and community dynamics. I am also a passionate natural historian and I believe that observation of the natural world is an important component of scientific inquiry. For my PhD dissertation, I have used natural history observations of parrotfishes on coral reefs to inform a rigorous research program that aims to generate a more holistic understanding of parrotfish ecology. My research investigates the effects of social interactions on parrotfish space use, and their influence on how and where parrotfishes graze on coral reefs. I am particularly interested in how individual parrotfishes affect the assembly of coral and algal communities at small spatial scales within defended territories.

Future plans/aspirations

My plan is to continue in academia and obtain a faculty position at a major research institution. I would like to continue to conduct research grounded in ecological theory and informed by natural history that can be applied to the conservation of marine ecosystems. Remaining connected to a major research institution will also allow me to continue to actively engage in the mentorship of young scientists (both undergraduate and graduate), something that I have really enjoyed as a graduate student.