My research focuses on the ecology and behavior of tropical sea anemones and reef-building corals. I am interested in questions at the level of the individual, in terms of elucidating the physiological and behavioral mechanisms that control ecological interactions between cnidarians on reefs. My work investigates the impacts of biological interactions on populations and communities of cnidarians, especially outcomes of competition, benthic locomotion (i.e., by free-living corals), and symbiosis with other macro-organisms (i.e., hosting of obligate fishes by giant sea anemones). This has led me to model the population dynamics and reproductive strategies of tropical sea anemones and corals, with the goal of understanding the factors that cause population fluctuations on coral reefs. Most of my research ultimately contributes to understanding the role of behavioral and ecological forces in shaping the evolution of life histories and other adaptive traits in benthic cnidarians. I also am interested in the conservation biology of cnidarians, especially impacts of diving tourism and overfishing on population parameters, tissue damage and regeneration. Projects in my group incorporate laboratory studies and/or field work in the Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, and Pacific Ocean.