Demopoulos, A.W.J., B. Fry., C.R. Smith. 2007. Food-web structure in exotic and native mangroves: a Hawaii-Puerto Rico comparison, Oecologia. 153:675-686.
Amanda Demopoulos, Ph.D.
Biography
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Biological Oceanography, Department of Oceanography, UH Manoa, August 2004
Thesis Title: “Aliens in Paradise: a comparative assessment of introduced and native mangrove benthic community composition, food-web structure, and litter-fall production”
Advisor: Craig R. Smith
M.S., Biological Oceanography, Department of Oceanography, UH Manoa, December 2000
Thesis Title: “Evaluation of excess 234Th activity in sediments as an indicator of food quality for deep-sea deposit feeders"
Advisor: Craig R. Smith
B.S., Oceanography-Biological emphasis (Minor: Chemistry), College of Oceanography, University of Washington, June 1996
RESEARCH
Amanda Demopoulos' research program spans from coastal wetlands to deep-sea environments, where she examines benthic invertebrate community structure and function, including food webs, and impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on benthic ecosystem health. Demopoulos is a principal investigator within the USGS Lophelia II project and chief scientist for the USGS Mid-Atlantic Canyons OCS project, and both projects fall under the USGS DISCOVRE program.
Research interests include: Biodiversity, community ecology, and food-web structure of benthic communities; Coastal wetlands ecology and restoration; Consequences of species invasion to ecosystem health; Impacts of climate change (e.g., increased storm severity, sea-level rise) on coastal ecosystem function; Animal-plant-sediment-geochemical interactions; Life histories and dispersal of marine invertebrates; Patterns of recruitment and succession of benthic invertebrates; Fate of terrestrial and marine organic matter inputs through nearshore food webs and ecosystems.
BACKGROUND
Professional Experience
2007-Present Research Ecologist (Benthic), US Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Gainesville, FL.
2004-2006 Postdoctoral Scholar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
2004-2005 Co-Investigator, Typhoon impact assessment on mangrove ecosystems, UCSD, UH Manoa.
2003-2004 Sea Grant Research Trainee, UH Manoa.
2002 Co-Investigator, Micronesian Mangrove Habitat Assessment, USDA Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry and UH Manoa.
1999-2004 Graduate Research Assistant-Lead Scientist, Hawaiian mangrove research program, Sea Grant, UH Manoa.
1999-2003 Graduate Research Fellow-Lead Scientist, NOAA/National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Puerto Rico.
1997-1999 Graduate Research Assistant, Age Dependent Mixing in Deep-Sea Sediments Program, NSF, UH Manoa.
1996 Research Student, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), SIO, UCSD.
Teaching and Advising
2007-present Courtesy Assistant Professor, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida
2006 Lecturer, Life in the Ocean (ENVI 121), Department of Marine Science and Environmental Studies, University of San Diego.
2005 Advisor, Erin Mullen, UC LEADS Program, UCSD.
1999-2006 Invited Lecturer, Benthic Ecology (OCE 628-2-3 lectures/labs per annum), UH Manoa. Designed and presented course lectures and labs on mangrove ecology and invasion biology.
2004 Invited Lecturer, Communication of Research Results (OCN 490), Dept. of Oceanography, UH Manoa
2003 Co-instructor, Benthic Ecology (OCE 628-taught 50 % of the course) Lectured and discussed topics on benthic feeding and dispersal modes, community patterns, data manipulation, environmental sampling, pollution gradients, zonation and biogeography, mangrove ecology and invasion biology. Students participated in discussion sessions relating to above topics.
2003-2006 Co-Supervisor, Bryan Nakahara, M.S. Student, Dept. of Oceanography, UH Manoa
2002-2003 Co-Advisor, Kauaoa Fraiola, University of Hawaii-Hawaiian Internship Program (UH-HIP), UH Manoa.
2001 Co-Advisor, Lauren Crawford, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, UH Manoa
1999-2004 Supervisor, undergraduate laboratory and field technicians, UH Manoa
1999 Co-Advisor, Mikhail Blikshteyn, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, UH Manoa
Research Cruises
Accumulated 360 days of ship time, including 10 submersible dives.
Oct 2013 Nautilus/Hercules ROV; Puerto Rico marine hazards, seamounts- 15 days
Aug 2013 Okeanos Explorer/D2 ROV; NE US Atlantic Canyons, Seamount – 18 days
June 2013 Nautilus/Hercules ROV; Deep-sea Coral Communities, Oil-Spill Impacts-14 days
May 2013 Ron Brown/Jason II ROV; Deep-sea Coral Communities, Atlantic Canyons-28 days
Aug/Sept 2012 Nancy Foster/Kraken ROV, Deep-sea Coral Communities, Atlantic Canyons-30 days
Oct/Nov2011 Holiday Chouest; Deep-sea Coral Communities-Oil Spill Impact-21 days
Dec. 2010 Atlantis/Alvin HUV; Deep-sea Communities-Oil Spill Impact – 9 days
Oct/Nov 2010 Ron Brown/Jason II ROV; Deep-Coral Communities, Gulf of Mexico – 21 days
Sept/Oct 2010 Cape Hatteras/Kraken ROV, Deep-sea Coral Communities, Gulf of Mexico – 13 days
Jul/Aug 2010 Chief Scientist, Nancy Foster/Global Explorer ROV; Deep-Coral Communities, GOM-18 days
Dec. 2009 Cape Hatteras, Deep-sea Coral Communities, SEUS, Cape Lookout – 9 days
Sept. 2009 Seward Johnson/Johnson Sea Link; Deep-Coral Communities, Gulf of Mexico-12 days
Aug./Sept. 2009 Ron Brown/Jason II ROV; Deep-Coral Communities, Gulf of Mexico – 25 days
Aug. 2009 Seward Johnson/Johnson Sea Link, Deep-Coral Communities, SEUS, Cape Canaveral – 12 days
Oct. 2008 Nancy Foster/SeaEYE Falcon DR ROV; Deep-Coral Communities, Gulf of Mexico – 18 days, collected sediment push cores located in proximity to deep-coral community.
Aug. 2007 Cape Hatteras; Chemosynthetic Communities, Gulf of Mexico – 21 days, collected organisms, sediments and hard substrates associated with seep communities.
Nov. 1999 Lawrence Gould; Drake Passage, Antarctic Peninsula – 22 days, sampled Antarctic shelf for benthic fauna and sediments for chemical analysis.
Oct. 1999 Atlantis/DSV Alvin; Southern California Borderland Basins – 7 days, collected organisms and sediments associated with organic food falls (e.g., dead whales), using sediment corers and submersible.
July 1998 Atlantis/DSV Alvin; Juan de Fuca Hydrothermal Vents – 19 days, sampled bacteria, other microorganisms associated with hydrothermal vents and ODP bore holes.
June 1998 Atlantis/DSV Alvin; Southern California Borderland Basins – 7 days, collected organisms and sediments associated with organic food falls.
April 1998 New Horizon; Southern California Borderland Basins – 8 days, collected sediments for macro- and meiobenthos, Th-234 analysis, and various sediment parameters for food quality assessment using multiple corer, box corer, and sediment collections.
Aug. 1997 Atlantis/DSV Alvin; Santa Catalina Basin – 5 days, sampled deep-sea sediment for benthos, Th-234 analysis, various sediment parameters for food quality assessment.
June 1997 New Horizon; Southern California Borderland Basins – 8 days, sampled deep-sea sediment benthic organisms and various sediment parameters for food quality assessment.
Professional Memberships
2004-2013 American Association for the Advancement of Science
2003-2013 Ecological Society of America
2002-2013 American Society of Limnology & Oceanography
2002-2013 Estuarine Research Federation
2002-2003 UH Commission on the Status of Women-Substitute Graduate Student Representative
1997-2004 Oceanography Department Graduate Student Organization, UH Manoa (1998-1999 President)
1995-1996 Women in Oceanography, University of Washington
Science and Products
May 6, 2016
Deep-sea canyons are complex environments encompassing a range of benthic habitats, including soft sediments along the axis of the canyon, and hard substrates along the canyon walls.
April 15, 2016
The MC252 oil spill introduced hydrocarbons, dispersants, and drilling muds into the Gulf of Mexico, potentially adversely affecting the seafloor environment surrounding the spill site.
April 15, 2016
Deep-sea coral habitats are complex ecosystems at the landscape and local level. While these systems may harbor substantial levels of biodiversity, they remain inadequately investigated.
April 5, 2016
Seamounts may be biodiversity hotspots, oases, islands, and centers for endemism in the deep sea. USGS and partners explore these possibilities within the Greater and Lesser Antilles Transition Zone.
March 22, 2016
Marine reserves and protected areas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico encompass a variety of tropical ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds, but questions remain regarding how effective these areas are at preserving and protecting the habitats and species they encompass. USGS and collaborators address this question by examining the biodiversity and food web dynamics of the fish and invertebrates that reside in connected tropical ecosystems.
Year Published: 2017
Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses
Mesopelagic fishes represent an important component of the marine food web due to their global distributions, high abundances and ability to transport organic material throughout a large part of the water column. This study combined stable isotope (SIAs) and gut content analyses (GCAs) to characterize the trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in...
McClain-Counts, Jennifer P.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Ross, Steve W.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
View Citation
McClain Counts, J.P., Demopoulos, A.W., and Ross, S.W., 2017, Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses: Marine Ecology, v. 38, no. 4, art. e12449, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maec.12449.
Year Published: 2017
Host-dependent differences in resource use associated with Anilocra spp. parasitism in two coral reef fishes, as revealed by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses
The role of parasites in trophic ecology is poorly understood in marine ecosystems. Stable isotope analyses (SIA) have been widely used in studies of trophic ecology, but have rarely been applied to study the role of parasites. Considering that some parasites are associated with altered host foraging patterns, SIA can help elucidate whether...
Welicky, Rachel; Demopoulos, Amanda W. J.; Sikkel, Paul C.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Southeast
View Citation
Welicky, R.L., Demopoulos, A.W.J., and Sikkel, P.C., 2017, Host-dependent differences in resource use associated with Anilocra spp. parasitism in two coral reef fishes, as revealed by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses: Marine Ecology, v. 38, no. 2, art. e12413, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maec.12413.
Year Published: 2017
Demersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean
Recent investigations of demersal fish communities in deep (>50 m) rugged habitats have considerably increased our knowledge of the factors that influence the assemblage structure of fishes across mesophotic to deep-sea depths. Although habitat types influence deepwater fish distribution, whether different rugged seafloor features provide...
Quattrini, Andrea M.; Demopoulos, Amanda W. J.; Singer, Randal; Roa-Varon, Adela; Chaytor, Jason D.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
View Citation
Quattrini, A.M., Demopoulos, A.W.J., Singer, R., Roa-Varon, A., and Chaytor, J.D., 2017, Demersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean: Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, In Press Available Online, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2017.03.009.
Year Published: 2016
Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep-sea coral-associated sediment communities
Cold-water corals support distinct populations of infauna within surrounding sediments that provide vital ecosystem functions and services in the deep sea. Yet due to their sedentary existence, infauna are vulnerable to perturbation and contaminant exposure because they are unable to escape disturbance events. While multiple deep-sea coral...
Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Bourque, Jill R.; Cordes, Erik E.; Stamler, KatherineAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
View Citation
Demopoulos, A.W.J., Bourque, J.R., Cordes, E., and Stamler, K.M., 2016, Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep-sea coral-associated sediment communities: Marine Ecology Progress Series, v. 561, p. 51-68, https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11905.
Year Published: 2016
Ectoparasitism on deep-sea fishes in the western North Atlantic: In situ observations from ROV surveys
A complete understanding of how parasites influence marine ecosystem functioning requires characterizing a broad range of parasite-host interactions while determining the effects of parasitism in a variety of habitats. In deep-sea fishes, the prevalence of parasitism remains poorly understood. Knowledge of ectoparasitism, in particular, is limited...
Quattrini, Andrea; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Year Published: 2016
Growth rates and ages of deep-sea corals impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The impact of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill on deep-sea coral communities in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is still under investigation, as is the potential for these communities to recover. Impacts from the spill include observation of corals covered with flocculent material, with bare skeleton, excessive mucous production, sloughing...
Prouty, Nancy G.; Fisher, Charles R.; Demopoulos, Amanda W. J.; Druffel, Ellen R. M.
Year Published: 2016
Insights into methane dynamics from analysis of authigenic carbonates and chemosynthetic mussels at newly-discovered Atlantic Margin seeps
The recent discovery of active methane venting along the US northern and mid-Atlantic margin represents a new source of global methane not previously accounted for in carbon budgets from this region. However, uncertainty remains as to the origin and history of methane seepage along this tectonically inactive passive margin. Here we present the...
Prouty, Nancy G.; Sahy, Diana; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Roark, E. Brendan; Condon, Dan; Brooke, Sandra; Ross, Steve W.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.Attribution: Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Southeast
View Citation
10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.023
Year Published: 2016
Hydrothermal vents and methane seeps: Rethinking the sphere of influence
Although initially viewed as oases within a barren deep ocean, hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities are now recognized to interact with surrounding ecosystems on the sea floor and in the water column, and to affect global geochemical cycles. The importance of understanding these interactions is growing as the potential rises for...
Levin, Lisa A.; Baco, Amy; Bowden, David; Colaco, Ana; Cordes, Erik E.; Cunha, Marina; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Gobin, Judith; Grupe, Ben; Le, Jennifer; Metaxas, Anna; Netburn, Amanda; Rouse, Greg; Thurber, Andrew; Tunnicliffe, Verena; Van Dover, Cindy L.; Vanreusel, Ann; Watling, LesAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Southeast
View Citation
Levin, L., Baco, A., Bowden, D., Colaco, A., Cordes, E., Cunha, M., Demopoulos, A.W., Gobin, J., Grupe, B., Le, J., Metaxas, A., Netburn, A., Rouse, G., Thurber, A., Tunnicliffe, V., Van Dover, C., Vanreusel, A., and Watling, L., 2016, Hydrothermal vents and methane seeps: rethinking the sphere of influence: Frontiers in Marine Science, Online Early, v. 3, p. 72-xx, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00072 or http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2016.00072/abstract.
Year Published: 2016
Macrofaunal communities associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin: A comparison among depth and habitat types
Hydrocarbon seeps support distinct benthic communities capable of tolerating extreme environmental conditions and utilizing reduced chemical compounds for nutrition. In recent years, several locations of methane seepage have been mapped along the U.S. Atlantic continental slope. In 2012 and 2013, two newly discovered seeps were investigated in...
Bourque, Jill R.; Robertson, Craig M.; Brooke, Sandra; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Southeast
View Citation
Bourque, J.R., Robertson, C.M., Brooke, S., and Demopoulos, A.W.J., 2016, Macrofaunal communities associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin: a comparison among depth and habitat types: Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Available Online Early, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2016.04.012.
Year Published: 2016
Diet of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in subtropical mangrove habitats in South Florida
Unique among turtles as the only exclusively estuarine species, the diamondback terrapin’s (Malaclemys terrapin) life history predisposes it to impacts from humans both on land and in the near-shore environment. Terrapins are found in salt marshes and mangroves along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. Whereas previous...
Denton, Mathew J.; Hart, Kristen M.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Oleinik, Anton; Baldwin, John N.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Southeast
View Citation
Denton, M.J., Hart, K.M., Demopoulos, A.W.J., Oleinik, A., and Baldwin, J.D., 2016, Diet of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in subtropical mangrove habitats in South Florida: Chelonian Conservation and Biology, v. 15, no. 1, p. 54-61, http://dx.doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1187.1.
Year Published: 2016
Impact of Deepwater Horizon Spill on food supply to deep-sea benthos communities
Deep-sea ecosystems encompass unique and often fragile communities that are sensitive to a variety of anthropogenic and natural impacts. After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, sampling efforts documented the acute impact of the spill on some deep-sea coral colonies. To investigate the impact of the DWH spill on quality and quantity of...
Prouty, Nancy G.; Swarzenski, Pamela; Mienis, Furu; Duineveld, Gerald; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Ross, Steve W.; Brooke, SandraView Citation
N.G. Prouty, P. Swarzenksi-Campbell, F. Mienis, G. Duineveld, A. Demopoulos, S.W. Ross,
and S. Brooke, 2015, Impact of Deepwater Horizon Spill on Food Supply to Deep-Sea Benthos
Communities: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Year Published: 2015
Exploration of the canyon-incised continental margin of the northeastern United States reveals dynamic habitats and diverse communities
The continental margin off the northeastern United States (NEUS) contains numerous, topographically complex features that increase habitat heterogeneity across the region. However, the majority of these rugged features have never been surveyed, particularly using direct observations. During summer 2013, 31 Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives...
Quattrini, Andrea; Nizinski, Martha S.; Chaytor, Jason; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Roark, E. Brendan; France, Scott; Moore, Jon A.; Heyl, Taylor P.; Auster, Peter J.; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Elliott, Kelley P.; Kennedy, Brian R.C.; Lobecker, Elizabeth A.; Skarke, Adam; Shank, Timothy M.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
View Citation
Quattrini, A.M., Nizinski, M.S., Chaytor, J.D., Demopoulos, A.W.J., Roark, E.B., France, S.C., Moore, J.A., Heyl, T., Auster, P.J., Kinlan, B., Ruppel, C., Elliott, K.P., Kennedy, B.R.C., Lobecker, E., Skarke, A.,a nd Shank, T.M., 2015, Exploration of the canyon-incised continental margin of the northeastern United States reveals dynamic habitats and diverse communities: Plos ONE, v. 10, no. 10, art. e0139904, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139904.
Pre-USGS Publications
Cordes EE, Berlet SP, Cardman Z, Dannenberg R, Demopoulos AWJ, Georgian SE, King C, McKean DL, Young DM. 2014. Exploring deep-sea coral communities and the effects of oil and gas inputs to the Gulf of Mexico. Oceanography 27(supplement): 28-29. doi:10.5670/oceanog.2014.supplement.01
ten Brink, U., D.F. Coleman, J. Chaytor, A.W.J. Demopoulos, R. Armstrong, G. Garcia-Moliner, N.A. Raineault, B. Andrews, R. Chastain, K. Rodrigue, M. Mercier-Gingras. 2014. Earthquake, Landslide, and Tsunami Hazards and Benthic Biology in the Greater Antilles. Oceanography 27(supplement): 34-35. doi:10.5670/oceanog.2014.supplement.01
Morrison, C.L., Baco, A.R., Nizinski, M.S., Coykendall, D.K., Demopoulos, A.W.J., Cho, W., Shank, T.M. 2014. Population connectivity of deep-sea corals. In: T.F. Hourigan, P. Etnoyer (Eds). The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States: NOAA Technical Memorandum. Silver Spring, MD. In Press.
Demopoulos, A.W.J. and C.R. Smith. 2010. Invasive mangroves alter macrofaunal community structure and facilitate opportunistic exotics. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 404:51-67
Fry, B., N. Cormier, and A.W.J. Demopoulos 2009. Adventures in an isotopically ordered world-the chemical ecology of Micronesian mangroves and crabs, Pages 50-56 in N. Yoshida, ed., Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Isotopomers, ISI2008-18, 292 pp.
Demopoulos, A.W.J. 2004. Black Mangrove Benthic Community Structure, Seedling Growth and Survival, and Sediment Characteristics in Anthropogenically Disturbed and Pristine Habitats, NOAA/NERR final report, Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Puerto Rico.
Demopoulos, A.W.J. 2003. Introduced mangroves in the Hawaiian Islands: Their history and impact on Hawaiian coastal ecosystems. In: Global Invasive Species Programme-Invasive Species Report following the conference on the Ecological and Socio-Economic Impacts of Invasive Alien Species on Island Ecosystems.
Demopoulos, A.W.J. 2004. Aliens in paradise: a comparative assessment of introduced and native mangrove benthic community composition, food-web structure, and litter-fall production. Ph.D. Thesis. Dept. of Oceanography, University of Hawaii.
Smith, C.R. and A.W.J. Demopoulos. 2003. Ecology of the deep Pacific Ocean floor. In: Ecosystems of the World Volume 28: Ecosystems of the Deep Ocean, P.A. Tyler, ed., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 569 pp.
Demopoulos, A.W.J., C.R. Smith, and P.A. Tyler. 2003. Ecology of the deep Indian Ocean floor. In: Ecosystems of the World Volume 28: Ecosystems of the Deep Ocean, P.A. Tyler, ed., Elsevier, Amsterdam. 569 pp.
Demopoulos, A.W.J., C.R. Smith, D.J. DeMaster and W. Fornes. 2003. Evaluation of excess 234Th activity in sediments as an indicator of food quality for deep-sea deposit feeders. J. Mar. Res. 61:267-284.
Demopoulos, A.W.J. 2000. Evaluation of excess 234Th activity in sediments as an indicator of food quality for deep-sea deposit feeders, M.S. Thesis. Dept. of Oceanography, University of Hawaii.
Levin, L.A., fT.S. Talley, A.A. Larson, A. Jones*. 1997. Faunal composition in the Tijuana River Estuary Intertidal Habitats and the role of life histories in the faunal recovery of Southern California Restored Wetlands. Final Report to the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA Award, No. NA 670R0237. NOAA.
Levin, L., D. Talley, T. Talley, A. Larson, A. Jones*, G. Thayer, C. Currin, and C. Lund. 1997. Restoration of Spartina marsh function: An infaunal perspective. Conference Proceedings, Society for Ecological Restoration, 1995 International Conference. Seattle, Washington. Sept. 14-16, 1995.