Brian Gaylord

Hydrodynamics of wave-swept organisms

Our lab group has worked for many years to understand the ways in which various characteristics of fluid flow impose forces on intertidal plants and animals, and the resultant consequences these forces have for organism survival. We are especially interested in organism-flow interactions that lead to size-specific physical disturbance, since such processes have the potential to select for distinct ranges of body size.

Using second-by-second field measurements of water velocity and acceleration in surf-zone habitats, coupled with simultaneous measurements of force imposed on organisms a few centimeters away, we have shown that a long-held paradigm of marine biomechanics (that intertidal organisms are constrained in size by rapid water accelerations) is likely false. Instead, changes in shape with size ("allometric" patterns of growth) play a stronger role than has often been realized. Recent data also suggest that a previously disregarded mechanism of force imposition may have size-dependent properties that could contribute to limits on size in intertidal organisms. We are now following up on this issue – stay tuned!

Selected publications:

Gaylord, B., C.A. Blanchette, and M.W. Denny. 1994. Mechanical consequences of size in wave-swept algae. Ecological Monographs 64: 287-313.

Denny, M.W., and B. Gaylord. 1996. Why the urchin lost its spines: Hydrodynamic forces and survivorship in three echinoids. Journal of Experimental Biology 199: 717-729.

Denny, M., B. Gaylord, B. Helmuth, and T. Daniel. 1998. The menace of momentum: Dynamic forces on flexible organisms. Limnology and Oceanography 43: 955-968. Gaylord, B. 1999. Detailing agents of physical disturbance: Wave-induced velocities and accelerations on a rocky shore. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 239: 85-124.

Gaylord, B. 2000. Biological implications of surf-zone flow complexity. Limnology and Oceanography 45: 174-188.

Gaylord, B., B.B. Hale, and M.W. Denny. 2001. Consequences of transient fluid forces for compliant benthic organisms. Journal of Experimental Biology 204: 1347-1360.

Denny, M., and B. Gaylord. 2002. The mechanics of wave-swept algae. Journal of Experimental Biology 205: 1355-1362.

Wolcott, B.D., and B. Gaylord. 2002. Flow-induced energetic bounds to growth in an intertidal sea anemone. Marine Ecology Progress Series 245: 101-109.

Gaylord, B. 2007. Hydrodynamic forces. Pages 277-283 in M.W. Denny and S.D. Gaines (eds), Encyclopedia of tidepools and rocky shores. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Miller, L.P., and B. Gaylord. 2007. Barriers to flow: The effects of experimental cage structures on water velocities in high-energy subtidal and intertidal environments. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 344: 215-228.

Gaylord, B., M.W. Denny, and M.A.R. Koehl. 2008. Flow forces on seaweeds: Field evidence for roles of wave impingement and organism inertia. Biological Bulletin 215: 295-308.

Gaylord, B. 2008. Hydrodynamic context for considering turbulence impacts on external fertilization. Biological Bulletin 214: 315-318.

Biomechanics of flexible body plans

Unlike human-fabricated objects or structures which are built using relatively stiff materials like metals, hard plastics, concrete, and wood, organisms in nature often rely on flexible, stretchy (and even soft and squishy) materials. Historically, studies of mechanically compliant materials in organisms have emphasized their potential benefits, noting for example the success of weak and flimsy seaweeds even in wave-battered locations, and suggesting that extensibility provides a viable alternative to the more traditional "strong and rigid" structural paradigm that humans have embraced. Our lab group and colleagues, however, have shown that these advantages are only part of the story. Organisms that move in response to applied forces develop momentum, and this property can strongly affect the dynamics of motion and how far a plant or animal is bent or pulled. Such consequences have important implications for understanding the disturbance ecology of critical habitat-forming subtidal and intertidal seaweeds, among many other species.

Our approach in examining the implications of compliant body plans has involved both mathematical modeling and field and laboratory experiments, and has taken us into arenas often viewed as the terrain of engineers and physicists. A big difference, of course, is that our interests are fundamentally biological. We strive to understand the connection of organisms to their natural environments, how they cope with the physical stresses they encounter, and the resultant consequences of such interactions for ecological performance.

Selected publications:

Gaylord, B., and M.W. Denny. 1997. Flow and flexibility I: Effects of size, shape, and stiffness in determining wave forces on the stipitate kelps, Pterygophora californica and Eisenia arborea. Journal of Experimental Biology 200: 3141-3164.

Denny, M.W., B.P. Gaylord, and E.A. Cowan. 1997. Flow and flexibility II: The roles of size and shape in determining wave forces on the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana. Journal of Experimental Biology 200: 3165-3183.

Denny, M., B. Gaylord, B. Helmuth, and T. Daniel. 1998. The menace of momentum: Dynamic forces on flexible organisms. Limnology and Oceanography 43: 955-968.

Gaylord, B., B.B. Hale, and M.W. Denny. 2001. Consequences of transient fluid forces for compliant benthic organisms. Journal of Experimental Biology 204: 1347-1360.

Denny, M., and B. Gaylord. 2002. The mechanics of wave-swept algae. Journal of Experimental Biology 205: 1355-1362.

Gaylord, B., M.W. Denny, and M.A.R. Koehl. 2003. Modulation of wave forces on kelp canopies by alongshore currents. Limnology and Oceanography 48: 860-871.

Ferner, M.C., and B. Gaylord. 2008. Flexibility foils filter function: Structural limitations on suspension feeding. Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 3563-3572.

Functional ecology of tiny suspension feeders

Suspension-feeding invertebrates play remarkably strong roles in a breadth of marine food webs. As a consequence, much effort has been devoted to understanding the manner in which these organisms capture small food particles from the water. Researchers have learned a great deal about general principles by focusing on mathematical and physical models of animal feeding appendages (also called "collectors"). The tradition has been to represent such collectors as rigid cylinders extending perpendicularly into flow. However, the feeding appendages of real animals are not perfectly rigid, and therefore deflect or bend in flow, sometime strongly. These deformations alter the positioning of collectors relative to oncoming food particles and modify their capacity to acquire food.

Our group became intrigued by this issue because smaller suspension-feeding individuals with smaller capture apparatus are intrinsically more susceptible to deformation-induced inefficiencies in food acquisition. This trend may create positive selection pressure for delayed settlement and planktonic larval phases characterized by rapid growth. This effect could in turn contribute to the persistence of known major themes in marine life histories.

Our lab group is rapidly developing this line of inquiry and we envision it becoming a substantial research thrust in coming months. Thus far, we have conducted laboratory experiments using dynamically scaled physical models that demonstrate that structural flexibility of particle collectors indeed changes how fluid flow passes through and around suspension feeding appendages.

Selected publications:

Ferner, M.C., and B. Gaylord. 2008. Flexibility foils filter function: Structural limitations on suspension feeding. Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 3563-3572.

Dispersal of marine larvae and algal spores

Propagule dispersal is one of the key processes that links populations in marine systems, and is a major area of inquiry in the discipline (some scientists have even called it "the biggest black box in marine ecology"). Our group and colleagues are exploring how turbulence and various agents of ocean transport interact to drive meter-to-kilometer-scale dispersal of reproductive propagules in nearshore environments. For example, we are using physically based models and field experiments to address the consequences of waves and currents for the dispersal of kelp spores. Our efforts have allowed us to quantify the degree of connectivity among individual forests making up overall population assemblages ("metapopulations"), and have enabled us to develop predictions regarding rates of self fertilization within specific forests. These findings have important ecological and conservation implications since kelp forests themselves provide habitat and refuge for hundreds of other marine species. We have also used similar approaches to examine dispersal and its consequences for marine populations more generally. For instance, we have focused on implications of dispersal for understanding distributional patterns of species across their ranges and consequences of dispersal for proper functioning of marine reserves.

Selected publications:

Gaylord, B., and S.D. Gaines. 2000. Temperature or transport? Range limits in marine species mediated solely by flow. American Naturalist 155: 769-789.

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, P.T. Raimondi, L. Washburn, and S.R. McLean. 2002. A physically based model of macroalgal spore dispersal in the wave and current-dominated nearshore. Ecology 83: 1239-1251.

Siegel, D.A., B.P. Kinlan, B. Gaylord, and S.D. Gaines. 2003. Lagrangian descriptions of marine larval dispersion. Marine Ecology Progress Series 260: 83-96.

Gaines, S.D., B. Gaylord, and J.L. Largier. 2003. Avoiding current oversights in marine reserve design. Ecological Applications 13: S32-S46 (Special Issue on Marine Reserves).

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, L. Washburn, and P.T. Raimondi. 2004. Physical-biological coupling in spore dispersal of kelp forest macroalgae. Journal of Marine Systems 49: 19-39.

Raimondi, P.T., D.C. Reed, B. Gaylord, and L. Washburn. 2004. Effects of self-fertilization in the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Ecology 85: 3267-3276.

Gaylord, B., S.D. Gaines, D.A. Siegel, and M.H. Carr. 2005. Marine reserves can exploit life history and population structure to potentially increase fisheries yields. Ecological Applications 15: 2180-2191.

Reed, D.C., B P. Kinlan, P.T. Raimondi, L. Washburn, B. Gaylord, and P. T. Drake. 2006.A metapopulation perspective on patch dynamics and connectivity of giant kelp. Pages 353- 386 in J.P. Kritzer and P.F. Sale (eds), Marine Metapopulations. Academic Press, San Diego.

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, P.T. Raimondi, and L. Washburn. 2006. Macroalgal spore dispersal in coastal environments: Mechanistic insights revealed by theory and experiment. Ecological Monographs 76: 481-502.

Sagarin, R.D., S.D. Gaines, and B. Gaylord. 2006. Moving beyond the assumptions to understand abundance distributions across the ranges of species. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21: 524-530.

Gaylord, B., J. Rosman, D.C. Reed, J.R. Koseff, J. Fram, S. MacIntyre, K. Arkema, C. McDonald, M.A. Brzezinski, J.L. Largier, S.G. Monismith, P.T. Raimondi, and B. Mardian. 2007. Spatial patterns of flow and their modification within and around a giant kelp forest. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 1838-1852.

Gaines, S.D., B. Gaylord, L.R. Gerber, A. Hastings, and B. Kinlan. 2007. Connecting places: The ecological consequences of dispersal in the sea. Oceanography 20: 90-99.

Effects of kelp forests on flow and water column subsidies

Canopy-forming kelps create some of the most important biogenic habitats found on rocky coasts along many of the world's temperate shores. However, the relationship of these critical species to their fluid surroundings is only beginning to be understood. Together with colleagues, we are examining how kelp forests alter flows that enter and pass around their boundaries. Ultimately, we aim to determine rates of within-bed delivery, consumption, and production of a variety of nearshore waterborne subsidies (e.g., nitrate and nitrite, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, phytoplankton). A number of these subsidies are of general ecosystem interest and support organisms that span multiple trophic levels.

Selected publications:

Gaylord, B., M.W. Denny, and M.A.R. Koehl. 2003. Modulation of wave forces on kelp canopies by alongshore currents. Limnology and Oceanography 48: 860-871.

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, L. Washburn, and P.T. Raimondi. 2004. Physical-biological coupling in spore dispersal of kelp forest macroalgae. J. Mar. Sys. 49: 19-39.

Gaylord, B., J. Rosman, D.C. Reed, J.R. Koseff, J. Fram, S. MacIntyre, K. Arkema, C. McDonald, M.A. Brzezinski, J.L. Largier, S.G. Monismith, P.T. Raimondi, and B. Mardian. 2007. Spatial patterns of flow and their modification within and around a giant kelp forest. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 1838-1852.

Fram, J.P., H.L. Stewart, M.A. Brzezinski, B. Gaylord, D.C. Reed, S.L. Williams, and S. MacIntyre. 2008. Physical pathways and utilization of nitrate supply to the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Limnology and Oceanography, in press.

Stewart, H.L , J.P. Fram, D.C. Reed, S.L. Williams, M.A. Brzezinski, S. MacIntyre, and B. Gaylord. 2009. Differences in growth, morphology and tissue C and N of Macrocystis pyrifera within and at the outer edge of a giant kelp forest in California, USA. Marine Ecology Progress Series 375: 101-112.

Oceanographic influences on species distributions

There are strong biological-physical linkages in larval dispersal, and we and our colleagues are exploring the potential role ocean currents may play in modulating organism distributions and establishing range boundaries. Traditionally, biogeographers have emphasized the influence of temperature in setting limits to range, noting that important faunal breaks in coastal marine species typically occur at locations where major currents collide to produce steep water temperature gradients. However, the fact that most marine species have planktonic larvae suggests that the mechanics of transport may also strongly influence spatial patterns of shoreline recruitment and the ability of populations to persist at given locations. This possibility has important implications for population structure as well as the functioning of marine reserves designed to protect overexploited species.

Another question we are exploring in this arena relates to the topographic complexity of shorelines. How do the irregularities associated with embayments or points at a variety of scales influence alongshore transport? Can topographic complexity in coastal boundary layers contribute to local retention of larvae, and if so, to what degree? These questions and others have direct bearing on population and genetic structure in large numbers of marine species.

Selected publications:

Gaylord, B., and S.D. Gaines. 2000. Temperature or transport? Range limits in marine species mediated solely by flow. American Naturalist 155: 769-789.

Gaines, S.D., B. Gaylord, and J.L. Largier. 2003. Avoiding current oversights in marine reserve design. Ecological Applications 13: S32-S46 (Special Issue on Marine Reserves).

Gaylord, B., S.D. Gaines, D.A. Siegel, and M.H. Carr. 2005. Marine reserves can exploit life history and population structure to potentially increase fisheries yields. Ecological Applications 15: 2180-2191.

Gaines, S.D., B. Gaylord, L.R. Gerber, A. Hastings, and B. Kinlan. 2007. Connecting places: The ecological consequences of dispersal in the sea. Oceanography 20: 90-99.

Gaines, S.D., S. Lester, G. Eckert, B. Kinlan, R. Sagarin, and B. Gaylord. 2008. Dispersal and geographic ranges in the sea. In: J. Witman and K. Roy (eds), Marine macroecology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. In press.

Impacts of ocean acidification

A relatively new area of research for our lab is directed at understanding consequences of ongoing changes in climate. Elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 are reducing ocean pH and altering the carbonate chemistry of seawater, a process termed "ocean acidification." Calcifying organisms (those that produce calcium carbonate skeletons or shells) are at particular risk because their ability to synthesize and/or maintain calcium carbonate structures may decline as pH decreases. Studies of ocean acidification to date, however, have focused primarily on pelagic organisms or corals. Much less is known about consequences of ocean acidification for calcifying invertebrates that live in temperate coastal habitats. Our goal is to begin to isolate effects of altered saturation state on key shelled species that live along temperate shores of the west coast of North America, and which play disproportionately important roles in coastal benthic communities. We are undertaking this line of research in concert with colleagues at BML, the UC Davis main campus, and elsewhere (Bodega Ocean Acidification Research group); our lab is particularly interested in biomechanical attributes of structural importance that may be degraded under acidified conditions.

Teaching on the UC Davis main campus

EVE 101. Introduction to Ecology. This is a 4-unit lecture/discussion course that operates as a general survey of the principles of ecology. I typically teach this course either by myself or with a co-instructor during Winter or Spring quarter. Because I drive over from my laboratory in Bodega Bay for each class period (2 hrs each way), I usually try to offer it on a Tuesday/Thursday cycle.

Teaching at the Bodega Marine Laboratory

**(These courses are taught at the coast, away from main campus, during the summer. Consult the BML student information web pages for information on housing and applications)**

EVE 106. Mechanical Design in Organisms. This is a hands-on, 3-unit lecture/lab/field course I offer at the coast in Bodega Bay (away from main campus!). It explores fundamental principles in the form and function of organisms. It examines how basic properties of size, shape, structure, and habitat constrain ways in which plants and animals interact and cope with their physical surroundings. I teach this course during Summer Session I. Note that students often take this course at the same time as Eric Sanford’s Experimental Invertebrate Biology class (EVE 114), as these two courses complement one another quite nicely.

EVE 111. Marine Environmental Issues. This 1-unit course examines critical environmental issues occurring in coastal waters. It functions to link material from several concurrent courses at BML to develop an integrative understanding of marine environments and their conservation. I co-teach this class with Eric Sanford during Summer Session I.

BIS 124. Coastal Marine Research. In this 3-unit course, students conduct independent research on topics related to either EVE 106 (Mechanical Design in Organisms) or EVE 114 (Experimental Invertebrate Biology). Students select either Brian Gaylord or Eric Sanford to be their primary mentor. However, integrative topics that draw on the expertise of several BML faculty members are also encouraged.

Gaylord, B., C.A. Blanchette, and M.W. Denny 1994 Mechanical consequences of size in wave-swept algae Ecological Monographs 64: 287-313.

Denny, M.W., and B. Gaylord, 1996 Why the urchin lost its spines: Hydrodynamic forces and survivorship in three echinoids Journal of Experimental Biology 199: 717-729.

Gaylord, B., and M.W. Denny 1997 Flow and flexibility I: Effects of size, shape, and stiffness in determining wave forces on the stipitate kelps, Pterygophora californica and Eisenia arborea Journal of Experimental Biology 200: 3141-3164.

Denny, M.W., B.P. Gaylord, and E.A. Cowan 1997 Flow and flexibility II: The roles of size and shape in determining wave forces on the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana Journal of Experimental Biology 200: 3165-3183.

Denny, M., B. Gaylord, B. Helmuth, and T. Daniel 1998 The menace of momentum: Dynamic forces on flexible organisms Limnology and Oceanography 43: 955-968 (Highlighted in: Koehl, M.A.R 1998 Biomechanics - The quirks of jerks Nature 396: 621-623).

Gaylord, B 1999 Detailing agents of physical disturbance: Wave-induced velocities and accelerations on a rocky shore Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 239: 85-124.

Gaylord, B 2000 Biological implications of surf-zone flow complexity Limnology and Oceanography 45: 174-188.

Gaylord, B., and S.D. Gaines 2000 Temperature or transport? Range limits in marine species mediated solely by flow American Naturalist 155: 769-789.

Gaylord, B., B.B. Hale, and M.W. Denny 2001 Consequences of transient fluid forces for compliant benthic organisms Journal of Experimental Biology 204: 1347-1360.

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, P.T. Raimondi, L. Washburn, and S.R. McLean 2002 A physically based model of macroalgal spore dispersal in the wave and current-dominated nearshore Ecology 83: 1239-1251.

Denny, M., and B. Gaylord 2002 The mechanics of wave-swept algae Journal of Experimental Biology 205: 1355-1362.

Wolcott, B.D., and B. Gaylord 2002 Flow-induced energetic bounds to growth in an intertidal sea anemone Marine Ecology Progress Series 245: 101-109.

Gaylord, B., M.W. Denny, and M.A.R. Koehl 2003 Modulation of wave forces on kelp canopies by alongshore currents Limnology and Oceanography 48: 860-871.

Siegel, D.A., B.P. Kinlan, B. Gaylord, and S.D. Gaines 2003 Lagrangian descriptions of marine larval dispersion Marine Ecology Progress Series 260: 83-96.

Gaines, S.D., B. Gaylord, and J.L. Largier 2003 Avoiding current oversights in marine reserve design Ecological Applications 13: S32-S46 (Special Issue on Marine Reserves).

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, L. Washburn, and P.T. Raimondi 2004 Physical-biological coupling in spore dispersal of kelp forest macroalgae Journal of Marine Systems 49: 19-39.

Raimondi, P.T., D.C. Reed, B. Gaylord, and L. Washburn 2004 Effects of self-fertilization in the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera Ecology 85: 3267-3276.

Gaylord, B., S.D. Gaines, D.A. Siegel, and M.H. Carr 2005 Marine reserves can exploit life history and population structure to potentially increase fisheries yields Ecological Applications 15: 2180-2191.

Gaylord, B., D.C. Reed, P.T. Raimondi, and L. Washburn 2006 Macroalgal spore dispersal in coastal environments: Mechanistic insights revealed by theory and experiment Ecological Monographs 76: 481-502.

Sagarin, R.D., S.D. Gaines, and B. Gaylord 2006 Moving beyond the assumptions to understand abundance distributions across the ranges of species Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21: 524-530.

Reed, D.C., B P. Kinlan, P.T. Raimondi, L. Washburn, B. Gaylord, and P. T. Drake. 2006. A metapopulation perspective on patch dynamics and connectivity of giant kelp Pages 353- 386 in J.P. Kritzer and P.F. Sale (eds), Marine Metapopulations Academic Press, San Diego.

Gaylord, B., J. Rosman, D.C. Reed, J.R. Koseff, J. Fram, S. MacIntyre, K. Arkema, C. McDonald, M.A. Brzezinski, J.L. Largier, S.G. Monismith, P.T. Raimondi, and B. Mardian 2007 Spatial patterns of flow and their modification within and around a giant kelp forest Limnology and Oceanography 52: 1838-1852.

Gaylord, B 2007 Hydrodynamic forces Pages 277-283 in M.W. Denny and S.D. Gaines (eds), Encyclopedia of tidepools and rocky shores University of California Press, Berkeley.

Miller, L.P., and B. Gaylord 2007 Barriers to flow: The effects of experimental cage structures on water velocities in high-energy subtidal and intertidal environments Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 344: 215-228.

Gaines, S.D., B. Gaylord, L.R. Gerber, A. Hastings, and B. Kinlan 2007 Connecting places: The ecological consequences of dispersal in the sea Oceanography 20: 90-99.

Fram, J.P., H.L. Stewart, M.A. Brzezinski, B. Gaylord, D.C. Reed, S.L. Williams, and S. MacIntyre 2008 Physical pathways and utilization of nitrate supply to the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera Limnology and Oceanography 53: 1589-1603.

Gaylord, B. 2008 (Review of) Jenkins, C.H.M. (ed) Compliant Structures in Nature and Engineering, xxiv + 261 pp WIT Press, Ashurst, Southampton, UK, 2005 The Quarterly Review of Biology, in press.

Gaylord, B., M.W. Denny, and M.A.R. Koehl 2008 Flow forces on seaweeds: Field evidence for roles of wave impingement and organism inertia Biological Bulletin 215: 295-308.

Ferner, M.C., and B. Gaylord 2008 Flexibility foils filter function: Structural limitations on suspension feeding Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 3563-3572.

Gaylord, B. 2008 Hydrodynamic context for considering turbulence impacts on external fertilization Biological Bulletin 214: 315-318.

Stewart, H.L , J.P. Fram, D.C. Reed, S.L. Williams, M.A. Brzezinski, S. MacIntyre, and B. Gaylord 2009 Differences in growth, morphology and tissue C and N of Macrocystis pyrifera within and at the outer edge of a giant kelp forest in California, USA Marine Ecology Progress Series 375: 101-112.

Gaines, S.D., S. Lester, G. Eckert, B. Kinlan, R. Sagarin, and B. Gaylord 2009 Dispersal and geographic ranges in the sea In: J. Witman and K. Roy (eds), Marine macroecology University of Chicago Press, Chicago In press.

Denny, M.W., and B. Gaylord 2010 Marine ecomechanics Annual Review of Marine Science, in press.

The Gaylord Lab

The Gaylord Laboratory Ecomechanics group, summer 2007. Left to right: Clarity Guerra, Annaliese Hettinger, Dr. Matthew Ferner, Kerry Nickols, Dr. Cynthia Hays, and Brian Gaylord

Graduate Students

Undergraduate Students

Publications from the Gaylord Lab

Postdoc Publications:

Jonathan Fram:

Fram, J.P., H.L. Stewart, M.A. Brzezinski, B. Gaylord, D.C. Reed, S.L. Williams, and S. MacIntyre. 2008. Physical pathways and utilization of nitrate supply to the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Limnology and Oceanography 53: 1589-1603.

Ferner, M.C., and B. Gaylord. 2008. Flexibility foils filter function: Structural limitations on suspension feeding. Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 3563-3572.

Stewart, H.L , J.P. Fram, D.C. Reed, S.L. Williams, M.A. Brzezinski, S. MacIntyre, and B. Gaylord. 2009. Differences in growth, morphology and tissue C and N of Macrocystis pyrifera within and at the outer edge of a giant kelp forest in California, USA. Marine Ecology Progress Series 375: 101-112.

Graduate and undergraduate student publications:

Bryce Wolcott:

Wolcott, B.D., and B. Gaylord. 2002. Flow-induced energetic bounds to growth in an intertidal sea anemone. Marine Ecology Progress Series 245: 101-109.

Luke Miller:

Miller, L.P., and B. Gaylord. 2007. Barriers to flow: The effects of experimental cage structures on water velocities in high-energy subtidal and intertidal environments. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 344: 215-228.

Interested in joining the Gaylord Lab?

We are a lively, cohesive group of hard-working scientists and students interested in interactions between marine organisms and their physical environments. We focus on questions that span multiple levels of organization, from individuals to populations and communities. We mesh field work, laboratory experiments, and theoretical modeling. If you think you might be interested in some of the things you see on our pages, please feel free to email or call us!

We embrace a variety of backgrounds-

Certain components of our research extend into arenas of engineering (particularly mechanical or civil engineering). Thus, although most current lab members are card-carrying biologists and ecologists, we are very open to students who have other backgrounds and/or who might have a more quantitative bent. Indeed, we use math and equations on a daily basis. That said, the ability to think deeply and logically about issues, and a willingness to “beat one’s head” against tough problems are more important than high-powered math skills. We are a highly interdisciplinary group and often work as an intellectual (as well as logistical) team in addressing topics that span multiple fields. Very rarely is someone completely on their own when it comes to confronting challenging research questions or hurdles.

Where we are

Our lab is located in Bodega Bay, California, a little fishing village and resort town situated along the rugged, wave-exposed Sonoma coast. This location places us two hours from the UC Davis main campus, which naturally has both pluses and minuses. Practically speaking, entering graduate students typically spend the first year living on or near main campus, taking classes to satisfy degree requirements for their graduate program. Students then transition in their second year to full-time residence at BML where they begin focusing much more intensely on research. BML-resident students (and faculty) still transit routinely over to main campus, of course. In this regard, individuals exploit and/or confront the benefits and challenges of our proximity to the coast (and distance from Davis) in any number of ways.

Nuts and bolts

If you are considering applying to graduate school, your first step should be to contact Brian Gaylord directly via the email. Graduate school admissions operate differently than undergraduate admissions, and you simply won’t get in if you don’t develop a direct line of communication. Brian’s motivation for wanting to talk and meet with you is to better understand your interests and experiences as they relate to the goals and interests of the lab as a whole. From your end, you’ll want to make sure that our lab is a place you think you could spend the next several years of your life! Assuming everything goes as planned, the next step is to submit your application to UC Davis, through the Graduate Group in Ecology (GGE).

The deadline is around the middle of December; don’t miss it.Many students apply for National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, which have their own deadlines. If you garner one of these, you can practically write your own admissions ticket.