Most taxa of living crinoids--sea lilies and feather stars--were described before the modern synthesis of evolutionary biology was introduced in the mid-20th century. As a result, many named taxa (chiefly species and genera) are poorly diagnosed and understood. I have a strong interest in clarifying the systematic status and evolutionary relationships of living crinoids, as well as better understanding their ecology and distributions. My other primary area of research interest is in understanding distributional patterns and ecology of deep-water benthic invertebrate assemblages (e.g., corals, octocorals, echinoderms, sponges) associated with hard substrates at low latitudes, particularly as they relate to hydrodynamic conditions and biogeographic boundaries. In addition, I maintain an abiding interest in the ecology and phylogeny of invertebrates in general.

• Kartick Shirur, M.S. Quantitative Habitat Characterization and Benthic Assemblage Structure of Deep-water Lophelia pertusa and Enallopsammia profunda Reefs off Eastern Florida.
• Eric Rosch, M.S. A temporal analysis of a macroinvertebrate infaunal assemblage in John U.Lloyd State Park
• Christopher Owen, M.S. Geographic influences on phylogeny and phenotypic evolution of the crinoids Comaster Agassiz, 1836, and Phanogenia Lov\351n, 1866: a molecular and morphological approach. (Co-supervised with M. Shivji)
• David Drumm, M.S. Comparative functional morphology of two species of Kalliapseudidae (Crustacea: Tanaidacea)
• Herman Wirshing, M.S. Phylogeny of the gorgonian family Plexauridae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Holaxonia) based on two mitochondrial genes (Co-supervised with M. Shivji).
• Matthews, Sara, M.S. Comparison of the benthic communities on three types of artificial reef modules almost twelve years after deployment.
• Megan Berkle, M.S. Population dynamics and feeding behavior of the amphinomid polychaete, Hermodice carunculata, on staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) assemblages in south Florida (Co-supervised with B. Vargas-Angel).
• Dana Rankin, M.S. A taxonomic re-evaluation of the comatulid genus Stephanometra (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Mariametridae).
• Christopher White, M.S. Molecular phylogeny of the comatulid family Comasteridae (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) (Co-supervised with M. Shivji).
• Ray Wolcott, M.S. A comparison of aeration methods and diets for larval culture of the edible sea urchin, Tripneustes ventricosus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea).
• Barbara Maloney, M.S. Population dynamics, life histories and patterns of emergence in an assemblage of inshore cumaceans (Crustacea: Peracarida) in South Florida.
• Charles Featherstone, M.S. Seasonal variation in the biochemical and energetic composition and diets of two bathyal stalked crinoids.
• Judy Robinson, M.S. student. A comparison of population dynamics of amphipod crustaceans in artificial versus natural shallow-water coral community substrates (Co-supervised with J. D. Thomas).
• Robert Bernhard, M.S. student. Macroinfaunal assessment of the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale.
• Stephanie Rogers, M.S. student. Deep-water biogeography of the Strait of Florida.
• Ryan St. George, M.S. student. A Comparison of Chironomid Assemblages between Everglades Model Wetlands and Mitigation Wetlands in South Florida; A Technique for Assessing Mitigation Health and Success.
• Melinda Peddycoart, M.S. student. A Quantitative Survey of Sponges (Phylum Porifera) in Broward County, Florida.

Selected Publications (Complete publication list)

Messing CG. 2008. A new species of five-armed feather star, Pentametrocrinus paucispinulus> n. sp., from the eastern Pacific (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Comatulida). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 121(2):269-275.

Baumiller TK, Mooi R & Messing CG. 2008. Urchins in the meadow: paleobiological and evolutionary implications of cidaroid predation on crinoids. Paleobiology 34(1): 35-47.

Messing CG, David J, Roux M, Améziane N & Baumiller TK. 2007. In situ stalk growth rates in tropical western Atlantic sea lilies (Echinodermata: Crinoidea). J Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 353 (2007) 211-220.

David, J, Roux M, Messing CG & Améziane, N. 2006. Revision of the pentacrinid stalked crinoids of the genus Endoxocrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea), with a study of environmental control of characters and its consequences for taxonomy. Zootaxa 1156:1-50

Messing CG, Meyer, DL, Siebeck U, Jermiin LS, Vaney, DI & Rouse GW. 2006. A modern, soft-bottom, shallow-water tropical crinoid fauna (Echinodermata) from the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 25(1):164-168.

Wirshing, H.H., Messing, C.G., Douady, C.J., Reed, J., Stanhope, M.J., & Shivji, M.S. 2005. Molecular evidence for multiple lineages in the gorgonian family Plexauridae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia). Marine Biology 147(2):497-508.

Messing, C.G. 2003. Unique morphology in the living bathyal feather star, Atelecrinus Carpenter (Echinodermata: Crinoidea). Invertebrate Biology 122(3):280-292.

Roux, M., Messing, C.G. & Améziane, N. 2002. Artificial keys to the genera of living stalked crinoids (Echinodermata). Bulletin of Marine Science 70(3):799-830.

Messing, C.G. 2001. A key to the genera of Comasteridae (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) with the description of a new genus. Bulletin Biological Society of Washington 10:277-300.

Messing, C.G. and White, C. M. 2001. A revision of the Zenometridae (new rank) (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Comatulidina). Zoologica Scripta 30(3):159-180.

White, C. M., Messing, C.G., Shivji, M. & Forstner, M.R.J. 2001. Initial phylogeny of the Comasteridae (Crinoidea) from mtDNA sequences. Pp. 135-138 In: Barker, M. (ed.) Echinoderms 2000; Proc. 10th Intl. Echinoderm Conf., Dunedin, N.Z., 2000. Balkema, Rotterdam.

David, J., Messing, C.G., Baumiller, T. K., Ameziane, N. and Roux, M. 1998. Premières mesures directes et modélisation de la croissance rapide d'un crinoïde pédonculé (Echinodermata) en domaine bathyal au large des Bahamas. Comptes Rendus de l'Academie Français, Sciences de la vie 321: 771-775.

Llewellyn, G. and Messing, C.G. 1993. Compositional and taphonomic variations in modern crinoid-rich sediments from the deep-water margin of a carbonate bank. Palaios 8(6):554-573.

Messing, C.G., Neumann, A. C. & Lang, J.C. 1990. Biozonation of deep-water lithoherms and associated hardgrounds in the northeastern Straits of Florida. Palaios 5(1):15-33.

Messing, C.G. 1985. Submersible observations of deep-water crinoid assemblages in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, pp. 185-193. In: Keegan, B. O. and B. S. O'Connor (eds.), Proc. 5th Intl. Echinoderm Conf., Galway, Balkema, Rotterdam.

Messing, C.G. 1984. Brooding and paedomorphosis in the deep-water feather star Comatilia iridometriformis A.H. Clark (Crinoidea: Comatulida). Marine Biology 80:83-91.

Messing, C.G. 1983. Post-marsupial development and growth of Pagurapseudes largoensis McSweeny (Crustacea: Tanaidacea). J. Crustacean Biology 3:380-408.