Research in our lab centers on fishes over a wide range of disciplines e.g. anatomy, physiology, natural history, and distribution. Current funding, and attendant research, centers primarily on distributional and assessment studies as well as artificial reef function relative to fishes and coral reef restoration.

Completed Ph.D:

Robin Sherman - Studies on the roles of reef design on juvenile fishes

Completed M.S.:

Robert Baron- The nearshore hardbottom fishes of Broward County

Lance Jordan- The effects of isolation distance and reef size on reef fishes

Brian Ettinger - Coral reef fishes of Broward county, Florida

Brian Walker - Biological assessment of three artificial reef materials

Stacy Wolf - Age and Growth and annual cycles of a surgeonfish

Daniel Fahy - Diel activity patterns, space utilization in yellow stingrays

Fleur Ferro - Spatial variability of the coral reef fish assemblages

In Progress Ph.D:

Paul Arena - Fish assemblages on sunken-vessels and natural reefs

Lance Jordan - Ecological determinants of haemulid distribution

Pat Quinn - Multivariate hypotheses-Based Restoration Study

In Progress M.S.:

Brian Buskirk - Age and growth of the yellow ray

Robert Patterson - Inshore fishes of Eleutheria

David Bryan - ROV examination of fishes in 50-150m water depth

Bethany Basten - Anatomical development of yellow ray

Selected Publications (Complete publication list)

Walker B.K., Jordan L.K.B., and Spieler R.S. 2009. Relationship of fish assemblages and topographic complexity on southeastern Florida coral reef habitats. JCR special Coastal LIDAR edition. in press.

Basten BL, Sherman RL, Lametschwandtner A, Spieler RE. 2007. A unique configuration among the efferent branchial arteries and splanchnic arteries in the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis: a preliminary examination. Microsc Microanal (in Press).

Morley D.M., R.L. Sherman, L.K.B. Jordan, K.W. Banks, T.P. Quinn, and R.E. Spieler.2008. Environmental Enhancement Gone Awry: Characterization of an Artificial Reef Constructed From Waste Vehicle Tires. Environmental Problems in Coastal Regions. VII: 73-87

Avalos, M.A.R., Jordan, L.K.B., Walker, B.K., Gilliam, D.S., Elvira Hinojosa, E.C., and Richard E. Spieler, R.E. 2007. Fish and Coral Reef Communities of the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (Veracruz Coral Reef System National Park) Veracruz, Mexico: Preliminary Results. Proc. Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Instit. 60: 427-435.

Basten, B.L., Sherman, R.L. and Spieler, R.E. 2007. Examination of Gill Development in the Yellow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis: Initial Impressions. Proceedings of International Workshop on Advances in Vascular Casting

Basten BL, Sherman RL, Lametschwandtner A, Spieler RE. 2007. A unique arterial anastomosis among the efferent branchial arteries and the dorsal aorta in the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis: a preliminary examination. Microsc Microanal 13(Suppl 2):498-499

Arena, P.T., Jordan, L.K.B., and R.E. Spieler. 2006. Fish assemblages on sunken-vessels and natural reefs in southeast Florida, U.S.A. Hydrobiologia. 580: 157-171.

Fahy, E. G., Dodge, R. E., Fahy, D. P., Quinn, T. P., Gilliam, D. S., and R. E. Spieler. 2006. Growth and survivorship of scleractinian coral transplants and the effectiveness of plugging core holes in transplant donor colonies. Proc. 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, 1657-1664.

Fahy, D.P., Richard E. Spieler and William C. Hamlett. Preliminary observations on the reproductive cycle and uterine fecundity of the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis, (chondrichthyes: elasmobranchii: myliobatiformes: urolophidae) in Southeast Florida, U.S.A. Raffles Bull Zool. (in press)

Jordan, L.K.B., and R.E. Spieler. 2006. Implications of natural variation of fish assemblages to coral reef management. Proc. 10th Int. Coral Reef Sym. 1391-1395.

Sherman, R.L. and R.E. Spieler. 2006 Tires: unstable materials for artificial reef construction. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment vol 88: Environmental Problems in Coastal Regions. 215-223.

Jordan, Lance K.B., David S. Gilliam and Richard E. Spieler. 2005 Effects of module spacing on the formation and maintenance of fish assemblages on artificial reefs. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology. 326, 170-186.

Dere, E., M. A. De Souza-Silva, B. Topic, R.E. Spieler, J.S. Lin, H.L. Haas and J.P. Huston. 2004. Changes in motoric, exploratory and emotional behaviors and neuronal ACh content and 5-HT turnover in histidine-decarboxylase KO-mice. European J. Neurosci. 20: 1051-1058.

Baron, R.M., L.K.B. Jordan and Richard E. Spieler. 2004. Characterization of the marine fish assemblage associated with the nearshore hardbottom of Broward County Florida, USA. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci. 60: 431-443.

Dere E, M.A. De-Souza-Silva, B. Topic, R.E. Spieler, H.L. Haas and JP Huston. 2003. Histidine-decarboxylase knockout mice show deficient nonreinforced episodic object memory, improved negatively reinforced water-maze performance, and increased neo- and ventro-striatal dopamine turnover. Learn Mem 10:510-519.

Arena, P.T., Jordan, L.K.B., Sherman, R.L., Harttung, F.M. and R.E. Spieler. 2002. Presence of Juvenile Blackfin Snapper, Lutjanus buccanella, and Snowy Grouper, Epinephelus niveatus, on Shallow-water Artificial Reefs. Proceedings of the 55th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 55: 700-712

Burns, T.A., J.P. Huston and R.E. Spieler. 2002. Circadian variation of brain histamine in goldfish. Brain Res. Bull. 59(4): 299-301.

Walker, B., B.Henderson and RE. Spieler. 2002. Fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs of concrete aggregates or quarry stone offshore Miami Beach, Florida USA. Aquat. Living Resour. 15: 95-105.

Spieler R.E. 2001. Circadian Timing of Meal-Feeding and Growth in Fishes. Reviews in Fisheries Science. 9(3): 115-131.

Sherman, R.L., D.S.Gilliam and R.E. Spieler. 2001. Site-dependant differences in artificial reef function: Implications for coral reef restoration. Bull. Mar. Sci. 69 (2):1053-1056.

Spieler R., D. Gilliam, and R. Sherman. 2001. Artificial substrate and coral reef restoration: What do we need to know to know what we need. Bull. Mar. Sci. 69(2): 1013-1030.

Sherman, R.L., Gilliam, D.S. and R.E. Spieler. 2001. Artificial reef design: void space, complexity and attractants. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 59(s): S196-S200.

Manire, C., R. Hueter, E. Hull, R. Spieler, 2001: Serological changes associated with gill-net capture and restraint in three species of sharks. Trans. Am. Fish Soc. 130 (6), 1038-1048.

Sherman, R.L., D.S. Gilliam and R.E. Spieler. 2001. Effects of refuge size and complexity on recruitment and fish assemblage formation on small artificial reefs. Proc. 52nd Annual Gulf Caribb. Fish. Instit. 455-467.

Mattioli, R., J.P.Huston, and R.E. Spieler.2000. ACTH4-10, Substance P and Dizolcipine (MK-801). Accelerate Functional Recovery After Hemilabyrinthectomy in Goldfish. Neuroplasticity. 7(4): 291-301.