Oceanic Ecology Laboratory
Researcher
Tracey T. Sutton, Ph.D.Associate Professor, COE Room #421
tsutton1@nova.edu
Digital Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Click here to view the works and career accomplishments of Tracy Sutton.
Research Focus
The laboratory research focuses on the ecology of marine ecosystems, particularly those of the open ocean. We are interested in the connectivity of a variety of trophic levels, from the surface to great depths, with emphasis on the fauna and ecology of the deep-pelagic zone (200 to >5000 m depth). We combine observational, organismal, and theoretical approaches to help understand Earth’s largest, but least known, ecosystem.
Research in the lab has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, NOAA Office of Exploration and Research, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Office of Naval Research, Sloan Foundation/Census of Marine Life, and the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative.
Current Topics of Research Include
- The ecological structure of large deep-sea ecosystems (Gulf of Mexico, Sargasso Sea, and North Atlantic)
- Global deep-pelagic biogeography, management, and conservation
- Oceanic food webs and trophic interactions
- Benthic-pelagic coupling in oceanic ecosystems (deep reef, canyons, and slope habitats)
- Taxonomy and systematics of deep-sea fishes
"I combine observational, organismal, and theoretical approaches to help understand Earth’s largest, but least known, ecosystem."
-Tracey T. Sutton, Ph.D.