such as the rabbitfish recorded in this study, to expand their range into other temperate seagrass meadows, where they could reduce seagrasses to the detriment of other species that depend on them, including sea turtles and marine mammals. Future studies will be necessary to understand how ocean warming will impact grazing fish populations, as these are important forces acting upon seagrasses.
Kate received her Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology from the University of Notre Dame and she holds a Masters in Environmental Science & Biology from SUNY Brockport. She currently teaches at a small college in Indiana and is starting out her neophyte research career in aquatic community monitoring. Outside of lab and fieldwork, she enjoys running and kickboxing.