Research Interests
I am a population and community ecologist, working in
freshwater and marine systems. I combine field observation, laboratory
and field experimentation, mathematical modeling, and quantitative
synthesis. My basic research aims to challenge existing dogma and
advance new theoretical insights, while at the same time using
innovative tools to solve environmental problems related to the
management of aquatic resources. My recent research projects examine:
(1) fish population dynamics: the role of stage-structure, spatial
structure, and the effects of density dependence; (2) the development
and application of statistical tools designed to quantify effects
(e.g., of marine reserves, human impacts, artificial reefs, phenotypic
plasticity); (3) the development and application of meta-analysis as a
tool to synthesize ecological data; and (4) restoration of Florida
spring ecosystems and coral reefs. These projects have been supported
by the Florida and National Sea Grant Programs (NOAA), the National
Science Foundation, NSF's National Center for Ecological
Analysis and Synthesis, the Southwest Florida Water Management
District, and the French-American Cultural Exchange.
Representative Publications
Osenberg, C.W., G.G. Mittelbach and P.C. Wainwright.
1992. Two-stage life histories in fish: the interaction between
juvenile competition and adult performance. Ecology
73:255-267.
Schmitt, R.J. and C.W. Osenberg (editors and contributing authors).
1996. Detecting ecological impacts: Concepts and
applications in coastal habitats. Academic Press, San Diego.
Osenberg, C.W., O. Sarnelle, S.D. Cooper, and R.D. Holt. 1999.
Resolving ecological questions through meta-analysis: goals, metrics
and models. Ecology 80:1105-1117.
Osenberg, CW, CM St. Mary, RJ Schmitt, SJ Holbrook, P Chesson, B Byrne.
2002. Rethinking ecological inference: density dependence in reef
fishes. Ecology Letters 5:715-721.
Shima, J. and C.W. Osenberg. 2003. Cryptic density dependence: effects
of spatio-temporal variation among reef fish populations. Ecology
84:46-52.