ANNA ARMITAGE

Assistant Professor
Marine Biology

Department of Marine Biology
Texas A&M University at Galveston
5007 Avenue U
Galveston TX 77551 USA
Phone: 409.740.4842
Fax: 409.740.5002
E-mail: armitaga@tamug.edu
Coastal and Wetlands Ecology Lab
Department Web page

Interest:
Trophic organization in benthic coastal habitats.

Graduate Affiliation:
Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management (http://rangeland.tamu.edu/), Texas A&M University

Education:
B.S. (Marine Biology) - University of California Los Angeles (1995)
Ph.D. (Biology) - University of California Los Angeles (2003)

Specialty:
Coastal and wetlands community ecology in salt marshes, tidal mudflats, and seagrass beds, with particular focus on changes in trophic structure following habitat restoration, nutrient enrichment, and other human disturbances.

Research Interests:
Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment impacts many coastal ecosystems, and a major component of my research addresses how nutrient supply influences trophic interactions in tidal marshes, seagrass beds, and coral reef habitats. I evaluate the impacts of nutrient enrichment and habitat restoration on marine communities using two general approaches: 1) characterizing responses of species assemblages (e.g., epiphytic microalgae, benthic macrophytes, epifauna), and 2) evaluating changes in herbivory and predation patterns. I have quantified trophic responses to enrichment or habitat restoration through direct measures of fitness, predation rates, and herbivory pressure, and am currently using isotopic signatures to evaluate food web structure.

Courses Taught:
Coastal Plant Ecology
Seminar in Marine Biology