Catherine Matassa

Ph.D. Student

matassa.c@neu.edu

website

My research focuses on trophic interactions within the rocky shore communities of New England and how biotic and abiotic stress can influence species interactions, trophic transfer efficiency, and other properties of food webs.  For example, how do predation risk and physical stress alter consumer-resource interactions?  Can new advances in our understanding of the non-lethal effects of predators and physical stress further inform traditional ecological models (i.e., Environmental Stress Models)?

I spend my summers along the shores of the Gulf of Maine conducting large scale field experiments with green crabs (Carcinus maenas), dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), and acorn barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) addressing these types of questions.  I spend my winters counting barnacles in digital photographs…

Publications

Trussell, G. C., P. J. Ewanchuk, and C. M. Matassa. 2008. Resource identity modifies the influence of predation risk on ecosystem function. Ecology 89:2798-2807.
Trussell, G. C., P. J. Ewanchuk, and C. M. Matassa. 2006. Habitat effects on the relative importance of trait- and density-mediated indirect interactions. Ecology Letters 9:1245-1252.
Trussell, G. C., P. J. Ewanchuk, and C. M. Matassa. 2006. The fear of being eaten reduces energy transfer in a simple food chain. Ecology 87:2979-2984.

Scraping experimental plots in preparation for the coming barnacle settlement.