Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and
Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Email: schmitt@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Project:         Population Trends and Trophic Dynamics in Pacific OCS Ecosystems:  What Can Monitoring Data Tell us?

 

Education:          B.A.                     Environmental Biology, University of Colorado                                               1972
                             M.S.                     Marine Science, University of the Pacific                                                         1975
                             Ph.D.                   Biology, University of California, Los Angeles                                                 1979

 

Positions:          1995-present       Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara

                             1994-present      Program Director, Coastal Marine Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara

                             1991-present      Program Director, Coastal Toxicology Program, UC Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program

                             1989-present      Program Director, Southern California Educational Initiative, University of California, Santa Barbara

                             1987-present      Director, Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara

                             1993-1995           Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara

                             1987-1992           Associate Research Biologist, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara

                             1981-1987           Assistant Research Biologist, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara

 

Distinctions:      1989                     George Mercer Award for 1989, Ecological Society of America (best published research in   field of Ecology by a scientist under age 40; Awarded for "Indirect interactions between prey:  apparent competition, predator aggregation and habitat selection," Ecology 68:1887-1897)

Selected Publications:

Bernardi, G., Holbrook, S.J., Schmitt, R.J., Crane, N.L., and E. DeMartini. 2002. Species boundaries, populations and colour morphs in the coral reef three-spot damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus) species complex. P Roy Soc Lond B Bio 269(1491): 599-605.

Bolker, B.M., St Mary, C.M., Osenberg, C.W., Schmitt, R.J., and S.J. Holbrook. 2002. Management at a different scale: Marine ornamentals and local processes. B Mar Sci 70(2): 733-748.

Brooks, A.J., Schmitt, R.J., and S.J. Holbrook. 2002. Declines in regional fish populations: have species responded similarly to environmental change? Mar Freshwater Res 53(2): 189-198.

Holbrook, S.J. and R.J. Schmitt. 2002. Competition for shelter space causes density-dependent predation mortality in damselfishes. Ecology 83(10): 2855-2868.

Holbrook, S.J., Brooks, A.J., and R.J. Schmitt. 2002. Predictability of fish assemblages on coral patch reefs. Mar Freshwater Res 53(2): 181-188.

Holbrook, S.J., Brooks, A.J., and R.J. Schmitt. 2002. Variation in structural attributes of patch-forming corals and in patterns of abundance of associated fishes. Mar Freshwater Res 53(7): 1045-1053.

Osenberg, C.W., St Mary, C.M., Schmitt, R.J., Holbrook, S.J., Chesson, P., and B. Byrne. 2002. Rethinking ecological inference: density dependence in reef fishes. Ecol Lett 5(6): 715-721.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 2002. Correlates of spatial variation in settlement of two tropical damselfishes. Mar Freshwater Res 53(2): 329-337.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 2002. Spatial variation in concurrent settlement of three damselfishes: relationships with near-field current flow. Oecologia 13(3): 391-401.

Bernardi, G., Holbrook, S.J., and R.J. Schmitt. 2001. Gene flow at three spatial scales in a coral reef fish, the three-spot dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus. Mar Biol 138(3): 457-465.

Buko, A.M., Beckner, C., Hepp, D., Helias, N., Zhu, F., Nemcek, T., Schmitt, R.J., and J. Hochlowski. 2001. Stability testing of chemical diversity in liquid DMSO storage. Abstr Pap Am Chem S  222: 210-ANYL Part 1.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 2001. Habitat-limited recruitment of coral reef damselfish. Ecology 81(12): 3479-3494.

Holbrook, S.J., Forrester, G.E., and R.J. Schmitt. 2000. Spatial patterns in abundance of a damselfish reflect availability of suitable habitat.  Oecologia 122(1): 109-120.

Holbrook, S.J. and R.J. Schmitt. 1999. In Situ Nocturnal Observations of Reef Fishes Using Infrared Video.  Pp. 805-812 in Proc. 5^th Indo-Pacific Fish Conf., Noumea, 1997. B Seret and J-Y Sire, eds.  Paris: Soc. Fr. Ichtyol.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 1999. Mortality of juvenile damselfish: implications for assessing processes that determine abundance.  Ecology 80: 35-50.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 1999. Settlement and recruitment of three damselfish species: larval delivery and competition for shelter space.  Oecologia 118: 76-86.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 1999. Temporal patterns of settlement of three species of damselfish of the genus Dascyllus (Pomacentridae) in the coral reefs of French Polynesia.  Pp. 537-551 in Proc. 5^th Indo-Pacific Fish Conf., Noumea, 1997. B Seret and J-Y Sire, eds.  Paris: Soc. Fr. Ichtyol.

Schmitt, R.J., Holbrook, S.J., and C.W. Osenberg. 1999. Quantifying the effects of multiple processes on local abundance: A cohort approach for open populations.  Ecology Letters 2: 294-303.

Wilson, W.G., Osenberg, C.W., Schmitt, R.J., and R.M. Nisbet. 1999. Complementary foraging behaviors allow coexistence of two consumers. Ecology 80(7): 2358-2372.

Holbrook, S.J. and R.J. Schmitt. 1998. Have field experiments aided in the understanding of abundance and dynamics of reef fishes?  Pp. 152-169 in:  Issues and Perspectives in Experimental Ecology, W.J. Resetarits and J. Bernado eds.  Oxford University Press.

Holbrook, S.J. and R.J. Schmitt. 1997. Settlement patterns and process in a coral reef damselfish: in situ nocturnal observations using infrared video.  Proceedings of the VIIIth International Coral Reef Symposiums 2: 1143-1148.

Holbrook, S.J., Schmitt, R.J., and J.A. Stephens Jr. 1997. Changes in an assemblage of temperate reef fishes associated with a climate shift. Ecological Applications 7: 1299-1310.

Ambrose, R.F., Schmitt, R.J., and C.W. Osenberg. 1996. Predicted and observed environmental impacts:  can we foretell ecological change?  Pp. 345-369 in:  Detecting Ecological Impacts:  Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats, R.J. Schmitt and C.W. Osenberg, eds.  Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Holbrook, S.J. and R.J. Schmitt. 1996. On the dynamics and structure of reef fish communities: are resources tracked?  Pp. 19-48 in:  Long-term Studies of Vertebrate Communities, M.L. Cody and J.A. Smallwood, eds.  Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Osenberg, C.W. and R.J. Schmitt. 1996. Detecting ecological impacts caused by human activities.  Pp. 3-16 in:  Detecting Ecological Impacts:  Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats, R.J. Schmitt and C.W. Osenberg, eds.  Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Osenberg, C.W., Schmitt, R.J., Holbrook, S.J., Abu-Saba, K.E., and A.R. Flegal. 1996. Detection of environmental impacts: natural variability, effect size, and power analysis.  Pp. 83-108 in:  Detecting Ecological Impacts:  Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats, R.J. Schmitt and C.W. Osenberg, eds.  Academic Press, San Diego, CA.  [Republication of Osenberg et al. 1994, Ecological Applications 4: 16-30.]

Schmitt, R.J. 1996. Exploitation competition in mobile grazers - trade-offs in use of a limited resource.  Ecology 77: 408-425.

Schmitt, R.J. and S.J. Holbrook. 1996. Fine-scale patterns of larval settlement in a planktivorous damselfish - do they predict recruitment?  Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 47: 449-463.

Schmitt, R.J. and C.W. Osenberg (editors and contributing authors).  1996.  Detecting Ecological Impacts:  Concepts and Applications in Coastal Marine Habitats.  Academic Press, San Diego, CA.  401p.

Schmitt, R.J., C.W. Osenberg, W.J. Douros, and J. Chesson.  1996.  The art and science of administrative environmental impact assessment.  Pp. 281-293 in:  Detecting Ecological Impacts:  Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats, R.J. Schmitt and C.W. Osenberg, eds.  Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Holbrook, S.J. and R.J. Schmitt.  1995.  Compensation in resource use by foragers released from interspecific competition.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 185: 219-233.

Holbrook, S.J., M.J. Kingsford, R.J. Schmitt, and J.S. Stephens Jr.  1994.  Spatial and temporal patterns in assemblages of reef fish. American Zoologist 34: 463-475.

Osenberg, C.W. and R.J. Schmitt.  1994.  Detecting human impacts in marine habitats. Ecological Applications 4: 1-2.

Osenberg, C.W., R.J. Schmitt, S.J. Holbrook, K.E. Abu-Saba, and A.R. Flegal.  1994.  Detection of environmental impacts: natural variability, effect size and power analysis.  Ecological Applications 4: 16-30.

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