Frank J. Shaughnessy

Professor Emeritus - Botany and Marine Biology

fjs3@humboldt.edu

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I am interested in the population and community ecology of marine algae and seagrasses. My students and I are often involved in projects relevant to the management of Humboldt Bay. Active projects include the updating of the seaweed flora for northern California, examining the eelgrass and invertebrate response to the grazing of eelgrass by black brant geese, the examination of bottom up limiting factors to eelgrass, and the description of the phytoplankton community in the bay. I am also involved in CSU collaborative effort to set up an integrated ocean observation platform to monitor near shore marine water quality.

Specialty Area

Population and community ecology of seaweeds and seagrasses, with an emphasis on pursuing studies relevant to marine resource managers.

Education

PhD (1994) University of British Columbia
MSc (1986) University of New Hampshire
BSc (1982) St. Lawrence University

Courses Taught

General Botany
Freshman Interest Group: Life Sciences and the Environment
Marine Macrophyte Ecology (aka MarMac)
Phycology

Research

I am interested in the population and community ecology of marine algae and seagrasses. My students and I are often involved in projects relevant to the management of Humboldt Bay. Active projects include the updating of the seaweed flora for northern California, examining the eelgrass and invertebrate response to the grazing of eelgrass by black brant geese, the examination of bottom up limiting factors to eelgrass, and the description of the phytoplankton community in the bay. I am also involved in CSU collaborative effort to set up an integrated ocean observation platform to monitor near shore marine water quality.

Publications

  • Shaughnessy F.J. 2004. Contrasting patterns of allometry and realized plasticity in the sister species Mazzaella splendens and Mazzaella linearis (Rhodophyta). J. Phycol. 40: 846 – 856
  • Shaughnessy F.J., McGary, C., Frimodig, Witte C. & G. Roberts. In press. Known and unknown aspects of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms regulating eelgrass in Humboldt Bay, CA. CA Sea Grant.
  • Judd C.,  Steinberg S., Fox L., Shaughnessy F. & G. Crawford. In press.  Mapping salt marsh vegetation in Humboldt Bay, California: Classifying association type and percent cover using aerial hyperspectral  imagery. Wetlands
  • Shaughnessy FJ, De Wreede RE. 2001. Size, survival and the potential for reproduction in transplants of Mazzaella splendens and M. linearis (Rhodophyta). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 222:109-118.