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
1. Osenberg, CW, JS Shima, SL Miller, and AC Stier. 2011.
Assessing effects of marine protected areas: confounding in space and
possible solutions. Page 143-167, In J. Claudet (ed) Marine Protected
Areas: A multidisciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press.
2. van Groenigen, KJ, CW Osenberg, BA Hungate. 2011. Increased
soil emissions of potent greenhouse gases under elevated CO2.
Nature 475:214-216 (plus supplements).
3. Claudet, J, CW Osenberg and 19 others. 2010. Marine
reserves: fish life history and ecological traits matter. Ecological
Applications 20:830-839 (plus supplements).
4. Shima, JS, CW Osenberg, AC Stier. 2010. The vermetid
gastropod Dendropoma maximum reduces coral growth and survival.
Biology Letters 6:815-818 (plus supplements).
5. Stier, AC and CW Osenberg. 2010. Propagule redirection:
habitat availability reduces colonization and increases recruitment in reef
fishes. Ecology 91:2826-2832 (plus supplements).
6. Shima, J and C.W. Osenberg. 2003. Cryptic density
dependence: effects of spatio-temporal variation among reef fish
populations. Ecology 84:46-52.
7. 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.
8. 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 (plus supplements).