Giant Sea Bass (Stereolepis gigas) are the largest bony fish in the kelp forests of southern California. After suffering severe population declines due to overfishing, they were protected, and are now showing signs of recovery. During my PhD, I studied the trophic and movement ecology of these fish.

Trophic Ecology
Prior to this study, little empirical evidence existed about the trophic ecology of adult Giant Sea Bass. Broadly, they were thought to be high-level generalist predators that forage in the kelp forest. We used stable isotope analysis and gut content observations to characterize the trophic role of Giant Sea Bass, finding that while they rely heavily on kelp-based food webs they often feed on prey associated with adjacent sandy bottom habitats.

You can read the full study here.

Movement Ecology
La Jolla, CA is home to at least one historic Giant Sea Bass spawning site and a vibrant kelp forest community, parts of which are encompassed by two separate marine protected areas (MPAs) and highly trafficked fishing grounds. We used acoustic telemetry to analyze the movements of Giant Sea Bass in La Jolla as they relate to spatial protections, seasonal spawning activity, and connectivity to other regional receiver arrays.

You can read the full study here.
Check out the PeerJ Spotlight Blog Post on this study here.