פרופ' אמציה גנין

Biological oceanography and coral-reef ecology. Benthic-pelagic coupling. Predator-prey interactions in the marine environment. Biomechanics and effects of flow on corals, invertebrates and fish. Vertical mixing and plankton dynamics.

אינטראקציות בין זואופלנקטון, דגים ואלמוגים

1. Foraging behavior of the individual within social groups of coral-reef fish:

Here we track in situ individual fish of the coral reef species Dascyllus marginatus . Tracking is done in three dimensions, in the fish’s natural environment. We use a custom-made system consisting of 3 on-line cameras or a system consisting of 3 GoPro cameras. In D. marginatus we mark and identify individual fish using Visible Implant Elastomer dye. Initial findings show that in D. marginatus each fish forages in a separate zone, effectively reducing within group competition for food. The fish appear to allocate tasks according to the hierarchal status of the individual. (Lead student: Yaela Reuben).

Figure: The underwater set up for recording positions and behavior of individual fish.  (a) Three synchronized GoPro cameras were positioned on the sea floor at the corners of an equilateral triangle frame (3 m side length) positioned around the coral inhabiting the fish group. Each fish was recorded by at least two cameras allowing 3D reconstruction when it was foraging outside the coral. (b) Two Dascyllus marginatus belonging to the second group showing the black VIE marking: the front fish is Beta with the marking above the pectoral fin and the back fish is Epsilon showing two markings in front of the tail fin. 

 

 

Figure: Foraging positions of Dascyllus marginatus over a cology of the coral Stylophora pistillata. Symbols indicate 3D positions of the fish recorded every 5 s during 4 different runs, 50 min long each, (a,b) currents toward northeast, (c,d) currents toward southwest, (a,c) view from above, (b,d) view onto the group along the flow direction, with the flow directed onto the page. Black arrows in a and c indicate current direction. Slanted black lines in b and d indicate the seafloor slope. The coral is indicated with the gray ellipsoid at the center of each plot.  Symbol colors indicate different individuals coded in the boxed legend at the center. Note that when the current reversed direction (a vs c) all fish but Alpha reversed their orientation but remained on the same geographic side of the coral. (Source: Reuben and Genin, submitted 2017)

 

 

 

2. Vertical mixing and the distribution of zooplankton:

Using a state of the art acoustical-optical system (called ZOOPS, developed by Jules Jaffe and Paul Roberts at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA) we follow changes in the vertical profiles of zooplankton and other particles in the water column with the deepening of vertical mixing during the advent of winter. In cold winters, mixing can reach >500 m in depth. Initial findings indicate the occurrence of homogenous distribution of plankton in the mixed layer (as reported by us before: Farstey et al. 2002, Marine Ecology Progress Series 238: 91-100) with an unexpected aggregations of particles found just below the mixed layer. (Lead student: Yoav Lindemann)

 

Profiling zooplankton with ZOOPS. The system, consisting of two stereoscopic cameras and strobes (top part) and four 2 mHz transducers (attached on the vertical pipes) is ready to be lowered from the A frame aboard R/V Sam Rothberg. 

 

An amazing Ctenophore recorded with ZOOPS in the northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba.

 

3. Ecology and biomechanics of Garden Eels:

Garden eels (video) have an exceptional life style. They are the only vertebrates that forage for prey while being sessile. These elongated fish feed on drifting zooplankton while being anchored to the bottom by keeping their tail inside a burrow. A major challenge faced by marine sessile animals is to maintain position and feeding posture while enduring hydrodynamic forces exerted by the flow. For plankton-feeding animals that challenge presents a trade off because when currents are strong, drag forces may bend the animal and disrupt feeding at the time food fluxes are high. Using three-dimensional reconstruction from in-situ video records, we characterized the feeding postures of the Garden Eel Gorgasia sillneri. Changes in the eels’ posture under different current intensities are highly consistent: under weak currents, the eels usually keep their body in an upright position, while under strong currents the eels strongly curve their upper body forward, with their heads pointing into the flow. Feeding rates in the Garden Eels about half those exhibited by “free” zooplanktivorous fish in the coral reef (e.g., Pseudanthias squamipinnis). (Lead student: Sasha Khrizman)

 

Garden eels (Gorgasia sillneri) at 6 m depth in the northern Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba), under conditions of (A) weak (3 cm/s) and (B) strong (26 cm/s) currents.

 

 

 

 

4. Effects of “light pollution” on zooplankton emergence and abundance in coral reefs:

The objective of this project is to examine the effect of artificial light along the shoreline on the abundance of plankton and fish on zooplanktivory by nocturnal fish. This in situ research is based on sampling zooplankton with submerged pumps and recording fish with cameras concurrently with light manipulations at the coral reef off IUI. (Lead student: Yoav Lindemann)

Light manipulation experiments off IUI pier. Tow pumps simultaneously sample water from an area exposed to artificial light north of the pier (center of photo) and from a dark zone south of the pier. 

 

 

 

5. The National Monitoring Program in the northern Gulf of Eilat:

 

Starting in 2003 the IUI was assigned by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection to establish the National Monitoring Program (NMP) of the local coral reefs and surrounding waters. The objective is to create a long-term database of key environmental parameters in order to assess the state of the ecosystem, identify changes, if occurring, and provide operative recommendations to decision-makers and managers. Together with a large team of experts from all IUI-affiliated institutes, the NMP was initiated at our lab where it is still based. The program uses an advanced array of methods and instruments and maintains a database with free public access (http://www.iui-eilat.ac.il/Research/NMPMeteoData.aspx ). Also available to download are the annual reports, and real-time measurements of key meteorological and sea-surface conditions. 

 

The monitoring program: Top panel- A diver performing a line transect at the Nature Reserve site. Bottom panel- percent coral cover at the three monitored coral reefs since 2004. Note the general increase in coral cover in the past decade, in sharp contrast to global trends.  

 

 

 

 

Time Time series of the National Monitoring Program. Top panel - daily records of sea surface temperature. Note the gradual warming at a rate of 0.0367°C per year. Bottom panel- dissolved N-nutrients (NO₂ + NO_s) in the water column. Note the inter-annual cycles driven by years with cold winters during which vertical convective mixing reached hundreds of meters in depth.

 

List of Publications – Amatzia Genin

 

Book chapters:

 

Boehlert, G.W. and A. Genin (1987) A review of the effects of seamounts on biological processes. In: B. H. Keating, P. Fryer, R. Batiza, and G. W. Boehlert (Eds.) Seamounts, Islands and Atolls. Geophysical Monographs 43. American Geophysical Union, pp. 319-334.

Genin, A. and J. F. Dower (2007) Seamount plankton dynamics. In: T. Pitcher, P. J. B. Hart, T. Morato, R. Santos, and M. Clark (eds.) Seamounts: ecology, fisheries & conservation Blackwell, pp. 85-100.

Genin, A. (2009) The physical setting of the Gulf of Aqaba: an explanation for a unique occurrence of tropical communities in the subtropics. In: Aqaba-Eilat, the Improbable Gulf. Environment, Biodiversity and Preservation, (Ed.: F.D. Por). Magnes Publishing.

Shaked, J. and A. Genin (2011) Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. in: Hopley, D. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of modern coral reefs. Springer, pp. 839-843.

Shaked, J. and A. Genin (2017) Creating coherent time series through repeated measurements in a marine monitoring program. In: A. Shavit and A. Ellison (Eds.) Stepping in the same river twice. Yale University Press.

 

Reviews:

 

Genin A. 1986. Relationships between biomass and body size of oceanic plankton (review).  Trends in Ecology & Evolution 3:51‑52.

Genin, A. 2004. Bio-physical coupling in the formation of zooplankton and fish aggregations over abrupt topographies. Journal of Marine Systems 50:3-20.

 

Comments:

Loya, Y. A. Genin, M. el-Zibdeh, M.S. Naumann, and C. Wild (2014). Reviewing the status of coral reef ecology of the Red Sea: key topics and relevant research. Coral Reefs 33:1179‏-

1180.  

 

 

Primary papers in refereed journals:

 

 

Genin, A. and G. W. Boehlert. 1985. Dynamics of temperature and chlorophyll structures above a seamount: an oceanic experiment. Journal of Marine Research 43:907‑ 924.

Genin, A., P. K. Dayton, F. N. Spiess, and P. F. Lonsdale. 1986. Corals on seamount peaks provide evidence of current acceleration over deep‑sea topography. Nature 322:59‑61.

Wakefield, W. W. and A. Genin. 1987. The use of a Canadian (perspective) grid in deep‑sea photography. Deep‑Sea Research 34:469-478.

Genin, A., L. R. Haury, and P. Greenblatt. 1988. Interactions of migrating zooplankton with shallow topography: predation by rockfish and intensification of patchiness. Deep-Sea Research 35:151-175.

Opresko, D. M. and A. Genin. 1989. A new species of Antipatharian (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from seamounts in the eastern North Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science 45:301-310.

Genin, A., M. Noble and P. F. Lonsdale. 1989. Tidal currents and anticyclonic motions found in short-term measurements on two North Pacific seamounts. Deep-Sea Research 36:1803-1815.

Kaufmann, R. S., W. W. Wakefield and A. Genin. 1989. Distribution of epibenthic megafauna and lebensspuren on two central North Pacific seamounts. Deep-Sea Research 36:1863-1896.

Genin, A., C. K. Paull and W. P. Dillon. 1992. Anomalous abundances of sessile organisms on deep rocky bottom exposed to strong currents. Deep-Sea Research 39:293-302.

Trager, G., D. Coughlin, A. Genin, Y. Achituv and A. Gangopadhyay.  1992. Foraging to the rhythm of ocean waves: porcelain crabs and barnacles synchronize feeding motions with flow oscillations. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 164:73-86.

Shapiro, D. Y. and A. Genin. 1993. Feeding whorl induced by strong current in a planktivorous reef fish. Copeia 1993(2):542-545.

Trager, G. and A.Genin.  1993. Flow velocity induces a switch from active to passive suspension feeding in the porcelain crab Petrolisthes leptochelys (Heller). Biological Bulletin 185:20-27.

Genin, A., L. Karp and A. Miroz.  1994. Effects of flow on competitive superiority in scleractinian corals. Limnology & Oceanography 39:913-924.

Genin, A., C. Greene, L. Haury, P. Wiebe, G. Gal, S. Kaartvedt, E. Meir, C. Fey and J. Dawson (1994) Zooplankton patch dynamics: daily gap formation over abrupt topography. Deep-Sea Research 41:941-951.

Trager, G., Y. Achituv and A.Genin. 1994. Effects of prey escape ability, flow speed, and predator feeding mode on zooplankton capture by barnacles. Marine Biology 120:251-259. 

Liberman, T., A. Genin and Y. Loya. 1995. Effects on growth and reproduction of the coral Stylophora pistillata by the mutualistic damselfish Dascyllus marginatus. Marine Biology 121:741-746.

Haury, L., C. Fey, G. Gal and A. Genin. 1995. Copepod carcasses in the ocean. I. Over seamounts. Marine Ecology Progress Series 123:57-63.

Genin, A., G. Gal and L. Haury. 1995. Copepod carcasses in the ocean. II. Near coral reefs.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 123:65-71.

Fabricius, K. E., A. Genin and Y. Benayahu. 1995. Flow-dependent herbivory and growth in zooxanthellae-free soft corals. Limnology & Oceanography 40:1290-1301.

Fabricius, K. E., Y. Benayahu and A. Genin. 1995. Herbivory in asymbiotic soft corals. Science 268:90-92.

Genin, A., B. Lazar and S. Brenner. 1995. Atmospheric cooling, unusual vertical mixing and coral mortality following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.  Nature 377:507-510.

Kiflawi, M. and A, Genin. 1997. Prey flux manipulation and the feeding rates of reef dwelling planktivorous fish. Ecology 78:1062-1077.

Vago, R., M. Ben-Zion, Z. Dubinsky, A. Genin and Z. Kizner (1998)  Growth rates of three symbiotic corals in the Red Sea. Limnology & Oceanography 42:1814-1819.

Fabricius, K., G. Yahel and A. Genin. 1998. In situ depletion of phytoplankton by an azooxanthellate soft coral. Limnology & Oceanography 43:354-356.

Yahel, G. , A. Post, K. Fabricius, D. Marie, D. Vaulot and A. Genin. 1998. Phytoplankton distribution and grazing near coral reefs. Limnology & Oceanography 43:551-563.

Genin, A. and N. Paldor. 1998. Changes in the circulation and current spectrum near the tip of the narrow, seasonally mixed, Gulf of Elat. Israel Journal of Earth Science 47, 87-92.

Haury, L.,  C. Fey, C. Newland, A. Genin. 2000. Zooplankton distribution around four eastern North Pacific seamounts. Progress in Oceanography 45:69-105.

Katz, T., B. Herut, A.Genin and D.L. Angel. 2001. Grey mullets ameliorate organically-enriched sediment below a fish farm in the oligotrophic Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Marine Ecology Progress Series 234:205-214.

Yahel, R., G. Yahel, A. Genin. 2002. Daily cycles of suspended sand in coral reefs: a biological control. Limnology & Oceanography 47:1071-1083.

Genin, A., G. Yahel, M.A. Reidenbach, S. G. Monismith and J. R. Koseff. 2002. Intense benthic grazing on phytoplankton in coral reefs revealed using the Control Volume approach. Oceanography 15:90-96.

Yahel. G. , J. H. Sharp, D. Marie, C. Häse, and A. Genin. 2003. In situ feeding and element removal in the symbiont-bearing sponge Theonella swinhoei: Bulk DOC is the major source for carbon. Limnology & Oceanography 48:141-149.

Farstey, V., B. Lazar, A. Genin. 2002. Homogeneous vertical distribution of zooplankton in a deep mixed layer. Marine Ecology Progress Series 238: 91-100.

Holzman, R. and A. Genin. 2003. Zooplanktivory by a nocturnal coral-reef fish: Effects of light, flow, and prey density. Limnology & Oceanography 48:1367-1375.

Labiosa, R.G., K.R. Arrigo, A. Genin, S. G. Monismith and G. van Dijken. 2003. The interplay between upwelling and deep convective mixing in determining the seasonal phytoplankton dynamics in the Gulf of Aqaba: Evidence from SeaWiFS and MODIS. Limnology & Oceanography 48:2355-2368.

Goldshmid, R., R. Holzman, D. Weihs, and A. Genin. 2004. Aeration of corals by sleep-swimming fish. Limnology & Oceanography 49:1832–1839.

Monismith, S.G. and A. Genin. 2004. Tides and sea level in the Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat). Journal of Geophysical Research 109:C04015 (6 pp.)

Yahel, G., D. Marie, and A. Genin. 2005. InEx – a direct in situ method to measure filtration rates, nutrition, and metabolism of active suspension feeders. Limnology & Oceanography: Methods 3:46–58.

Yahel, R., G. Yahel, and A. Genin. 2005. Near-bottom depletion of zooplankton over coral reefs: I. Diurnal dynamics and size distribution. Coral Reefs 24: 75-85.

Holzman, R. , M. A. Reidenbach, S. G. Monismith, J. R. Koseff, and A. Genin. 2005. Near-bottom depletion of zooplankton over a coral reef: II. Relationships with zooplankton swimming ability. Coral Reefs 24: 87-94.

Motro, R., I. Ayalon and A. Genin. 2005. Near-bottom depletion of zooplankton over coral reefs: III. Vertical gradient of predation pressure. Coral Reefs 24: 95-98.

Yahel, R., G. Yahel, T. Berman, J. S. Jaffe and A. Genin. 2005. Diel pattern with abrupt crepuscular changes of zooplankton over a coral reef. Limnology & Oceanography 50:930-944.

Ribak, G., J. Heller and A. Genin. 2005. Mucus-net feeding on organic particles by the vermetid gastropod Dendropoma maximum in and below the surf zone. Marine Ecology Progress Series 293:77-87.

Genin, A., J. S. Jaffe, R. Reef, C. Richter, and P. J. S. Franks. 2005. Swimming against the flow: a mechanism of zooplankton aggregation. Science 308:860-862.

Rickel, S. and A. Genin. 2005. Twilight transitions in coral reef fish: the input of light-induced changes in foraging behavior. Animal Behaviour 70:133-144.

Holzman, R. and A. Genin. 2005. Mechanisms of selectivity in nocturnal fish: a minor role for active prey choice. Oecologia 146:329-336.

Yahel, G., T. Zalogin, R. Yahel^S and A. Genin. 2006. Phytoplankton grazing by epi- and in-fauna inhabiting exposed rocks in coral reefs. Coral Reefs 25:153-163.

Reidenbach, M.A.,  J.R. Koseff, S.G. Monismith, J.V. Steinbuck and A. Genin. 2006. The effects of waves and morphology on mass transfer within branched reef corals. Limnology & Oceanography 51: 1134-1141.

Shellenbarger, G. G., S. G. Monismith, A. Genin, and A. Paytan. 2006. The importance of submarine groundwater discharge to the near shore nutrient supply in the Gulf of Aqaba (Israel( Limnology & Oceanography 51:1876-1886.

Reidenbach, M.A., S.G. Monismith, J.R. Koseff, G. Yahel, and A. Genin. 2006. Boundary layer turbulence and flow structure over a fringing coral reef. Limnology & Oceanography 51: 1956-1968.

Monismith, S.G., A. Genin, M.A. Reidenbach, G. Yahel, and J. R. Koseff. 2006. Thermally driven exchanges between a coral reef and the adjoining ocean. Journal of Physical Oceanography 36:1332-1347.

Kent R, R. Holzman and A. Genin. 2006. Preliminary evidence on group-size dependent feeding success in the damselfish Dasyllus marginatus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 323:299-303.

Holzman, R., M. Ohevia, R. Vaknin, and A. Genin (2007) Abundance and distribution of nocturnal fishes over a coral reef during the night. Marine Ecology Progress Series 342: 205-215.

Mass, T., and A. Genin (2008) Environmental versus intrinsic determination of colony symmetry in the coral Pocillopora verrucosa. Marine Ecology Progress Series 369: 131-137.

Genin, A., S. G. Monismith, M. A. Reidenbach, G. Yahel, and J. R. Koseff (2009) Intense benthic grazing of phytoplankton in a coral reef. Limnology & Oceanography 54: 938-951.

Yahel, G., D. Marie, P. G. Beninger, S. Eckstein, and A. Genin (2009) In situ evidence for pre-capture qualitative selection in the tropical bivalve Lithophaga simplex. Aquatic Biology 6: 235-246.

Brokovich, E., I. Ayalon, S. Einbinder, N. Segev, Y. Shaked, A. Genin, S. Kark, and M. Kiflawi (2010) Grazing pressure on coral reefs decreases across a wide depth gradient in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 399: 69-80.

Mass, T., A. Genin, U. Shavit, M. Grinstein, and D. Tchernov (2010) Flow enhances photosynthesis in marine benthic autotrophs by increasing the efflux of oxygen from the organism to the water. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) 107: 2527-2531.

Steinbuck, J. V., A. Genin, S. G. Monismith, J. R. Koseff, R. Holzman, and R. Labiosa (2010) Turbulent mixing in fine-scale phytoplankton layers: Observations and inferences of layer dynamics. Continental Shelf Research 30: 442-455.

Monismith, S. G., K. A. Davis, G. G. Shellenbarger, J. L. Hench, N., J. Nidzieko, A. E. Santoro, M. A. Reidenbach, J. H. Rosman, R. Holtzman, C. S. Martens, N. L. Lindquist, M. W. Southwell, and A. Genin (2010). Flow effects on benthic grazing on phytoplankton by a Caribbean reef. Limnology & Oceanography 55: 1881-1892.

Mass, T., I. Brickner, E. Hendy, and A. Genin (2011) Enduring physiological and reproductive benefits of enhanced flow for a stony coral. Limnology & Oceanography 56: 2176-2188.

Steinbuck, J. V., J. R. Koseff, A. Genin, M. Stacey, and S. G. Monismith (2011) Horizontal dispersion of ocean tracers in internal wave shear. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, C11031, doi:10.1029/2011JC007213.

Zarubin, M., S. Belkin, M. Ionescu, and A. Genin (2012) Bacterial bioluminescence as a lure for marine zooplankton and fish. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) 109: 853-857.

Carlson, D. F., E. Fredj, H. Gildor, E. Biton, J. V. Steinbuck, S. G. Monismith, and A. Genin (2012). Observations of tidal currents in the northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (Red Sea). Journal of Marine Systems 102-104: 14-28.

Dunckley, J. F.,  J. R. Koseff, J. V. Steinbuck, S. G. Monismith, and  A. Genin (2012). Comparison of mixing efficiency and vertical diffusivity models from temperature microstructure. Journal of Geophysical Research 117: C10, doi:10.1029/2012JC007967

Chindapol, N., J. A. Kaandorp, C. Cronemberger, T. Mass, and A. Genin (2013) Modelling growth and form of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora verrucosa and the influence of hydrodynamics. PLoS Computational Biology 9(1): e1002849. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002849

Kremien, M., U. Shavit, T. Mass, and A. Genin (2013). Benefit of pulsation in soft corals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) 110: 8978-8983.

Fine, M. H. Gildor, and A. Genin (2013) A coral reef refuge in the Red Sea. Global Change Biology. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12356.

Khait, R., U. Obolski, L. Hadany, and A. Genin. (2013). Food selectivity and diet switch can explain the slow feeding of herbivorous coral-reef fishes during the morning. PLoS ONE 8(12): e82391. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082391.

Zarubin M, V. Farstey, A. Wold, S. Falk-Petersen, and A. Genin (2014) Intraspecific differences in lipid content of calanoid copepods across fine-scale depth ranges within the photic layer. PLoS ONE 9(3): e92935. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092935.

True, A.C., D.R. Webster, M.J. Weissburg, J. Yen, and A. Genin (2015). Patchiness and depth-keeping of copepods in response to simulated frontal flows‏. Marine Ecology Progress Series 539: 65-76.

Berenshtein, I., Y. Reuben, and A. Genin (2015) Effect of oxygen on coral fanning by mutualistic fish‏. Marine Ecology 36: 1171-1175.

Zarubin, M., Y. Lindemann, O. Brunner, D.M. Fields, H.I. Browman, and A. Genin‏ (2016). The effect of hydrostatic pressure on grazing in three calanoid copepods‏. Journal of Plankton Research 38:131-138.

Zarubin, M., Y. Lindemann, and A. Genin (2017) The Dispersion-Confinement mechanism: phytoplankton dynamics and the spring bloom in a deeply-mixing subtropical sea. Progress in Oceanography 155:13-27. 

Dadon-Pilosof, A. K. R. Conley, Y. Jacobi1, M. Haber, F. Lombard, K. R. Sutherland, L. Steindler, Y. Tikochinski, M. Richter, F. O. Glöckner, M. T. Suzuki, N. J. West, A. Genin, and G. Yahel. Surface properties of SAR11 bacteria facilitate grazing avoidance. Nature Microbiology (in press)

Curriculum Vitae[1]

 

Amatzia Genin

 

Date of birth:  26 October 1951

Place of birth: Kfar Saba, Israel

Citizenship:     Israel (i.d. 05093332-4)

Address:         The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, and Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,

                        P.O.B. 469, Eilat 88103, Israel

Telephone:     

            Work   972-(0)8-636-0124

            Lab      972-(0)8-636-0143

            Fax      972-(0)8-637-4329     

            Mobile 972-(0)5488-20934

E-mail address: a.genin@mail.huji.ac.il

 

Research Interests

Biological oceanography

Coral reef ecology

Plankton-fish-coral interactions and behavior

Physical-biological coupling in the sea

 

Education:

B.Sc. (cum laude), Biology, 1977, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

M.Sc. (magna cum laude), Environmental Biology, 1981, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Ph.D. 1987, Biological Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA (supervisor: Prof. Paul K. Dayton).

Post-doctorate, 1987, Biological Oceanography, Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA (hosts: Prof. Fred N. Spiess, Dr. Ken L. Smith).

 

Academic positions:

1987-1993: Lecturer in Marine Ecology. Faculty of Science, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology (ESE), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Interuniversity Institution for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel.

1993-2003: Senior Lecturer in Marine Ecology. Faculty of Science, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology (ESE), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Interuniversity Institution for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel.

2000-2001 Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, California, USA

2001-present: Consulting Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Stanford University, California, USA.

2001-2007, Head, the curricular section of Evolution, Systematics & Ecology (ESE), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

2003-2006: Associate Professor in Marine Ecology. Faculty of Science, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology (ESE), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Interuniversity Institution for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel.

2006-present: Full Professor in Marine Ecology. Faculty of Science, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology (ESE), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Interuniversity Institution for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel.

2010-2012: Head, the curricular section of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior (EEB), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

2012-present: Scientific Director, The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat, Israel.

 

 

Other academic and research nominations:

1989-1999:  Member, the Steering Committee of the Interuniversity Institute of Eilat (nomination through the Israeli Council for Higher Education).

1993-2000: Member, Advisory Committee of The German-Israeli Cooperation in Marine Sciences (nomination through the Israeli Ministry of Science and the Arts).

2001-2012: Member, the Teaching Committee of the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat.

2002-present: Founder and Scientific Director, The Israeli National Monitoring Program in the Gulf of Eilat.

2006-2010: Member, the Biodiversity Forum of the Israel Academy of Sciences.

2010-present:  Member, the Steering Committee of the Interuniversity Institute of Eilat (nomination through the Israeli Council for Higher Education).

 

 

Professional service:

 

          1. Editorial boards:

2002-2006: Member, Editorial Board, Israel Journal of Zoology.

2005-2012: Associate Editor, Marine Ecology.

2006-present: Member, Editorial Board, Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution.

 

          2. Reviewer of manuscripts for:

Science, Nature, PNAS, Limnology & Oceanography, Limnology & Oceanography: Methods, Limnology & Oceanography: Fluids and Environments, Ecology, Coral Reefs, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Ecology, Marine Biology, Journal of Plankton Research, Journal of Marine Systems, Deep Sea Research, Continental Shelf Research, Journal of Fish Biology, Israel Journal of Zoology, Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution.

 

 

 

 

Public service:

- Open lectures to the public in Israel and abroad.

- Eilat city planning - member of the education sub-committee.

- Tutorials of science teachers, Hemda, High-school science teaching center, Tel Aviv.

- Tutorial of Field School guides (annually), Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel , Eilat Field School.

- Tutorial of science projects of high school pupils.

- Teaching science in elementary school (occasional).

- Member, Steering Committee of the Program for Gifted Children, Eilat.

- Consulting to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority on marine issues.

- Consulting to the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection on marine issues.

 

 

Honors and awards:

- Fulbright Fellowship, awarded by the U.S.‑Israel Educational Foundation (1981).

- The Hebrew University Faculty Development Award (1981).

- Allon Fellow. Awarded by The Israeli Council for Higher Education (1987-1990).

- The "Wolfson Foundation Award" through the Israel Science Foundation. (1990).

- The "Dorot Award" through the Israel Science Foundation. (1996).

- Excellence in Teaching; 2^nd best teacher at the Silverman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University in the academic year 2005-6.

- The “Zrakor La-mitztayen” (light on the excellent) award by the City of Eilat, Israel (2009).

- The 2011 Landau Award in Science & Research (field: ecology, awarded in May 2012)

 

 

            M.Sc. Students (last 15 years)

 

·           Shiri Ekstein (2001-2003) Thesis title: Density-dependent effects in the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla.

·           Rafi Kent (2001-2003) Cum laude. Thesis title: Effect of group size on intra-specific competition in the planktivorous coral-dwelling fish Dascyllus marginatus.

·           Ruti Motro (2001-2004) Magna cum laude. Thesis title: Near-bottom depletion of zooplankton over coral reefs: predation present or ghost of predation past?

·           Rotem Goldshmid (2002-2004) Magna cum laude; Polack Prize for MSc Student – Inst. Life Sciences, The Hebrew University. Thesis title: Aeration of corals by sleep-swimming fish – the dark side of fish-coral symbiosis.

·           Kineret Hermelin-Piltz (2003-2005) Co-supervised with Prof. A Kaplan (HUJI). Thesis title: Competition between corals and macro algae.

·           Roi Vaknin (2006-2009). Thesis title: The energetic cost of planktivory in site-attached coral-reef fishes.

·           Margarita Zarubin (2006-2007). Co-supervised MSc student from University of Oldenburg, Germany. Thesis title: The adaptive benefits of bioluminescence in bacteria- the zooplankton-fish connection.

·           Igal Bernstein (2007 - 2009). Thesis title: Nocturnal ventilation of corals by fish – do the fish ever sleep?

·                              Ruth Khait (2007 - 2009). Thesis title: Resolving the enigma of delayed feeding in herbivorous coral-reef fishes

·           Shahar Yair (2007 - 2010). Thesis title: Feeding ecology, metabolic balance and anthropogenic effects in the feather-star Lamprometra klunzingeri

·           Jesse Bausell (2010-2012). Thesis title: Indirect measures to improve active restoration of coral reefs.

·           Maya Kremien (2011-2013). Thesis title: The great benefit of pulsation in soft corals.

·           Nur Garcia Herrera (2104) Co-supervised MSc at University of Bremen, Germany. Thesis title: Physiological effects of the mutualistic relationship between Dascylus marginatus and Stylophora pistillata in the northern Red Sea.

·           Yoav Lindemann (2012-2015). Thesis title: In-situ predation of zooplankton by the coral-reef fish Pseudanthias squamipinnis.

·           Yaela Reuben (2013-2016). Thesis title: Social status, foraging behavior, and space partitioning among group-forming coral-reef fish.

·           Alexandra (Sasha) Khrizman (2015-). Thesis title: Feeding ecology, behavior, and biomechanics of Gerden Eels.

·           Shir Bar (2016-). Thesis title: Intra-group competition in site-attached fishes in the coral reef.

 

            Ph.D. Students (past 15 years):

 

·           Gitai Yahel (1997-2003). Dissertation title: Feeding on ultra-plankton and dissolved organic carbon in coral reefs: from individual-based rates to community processes.

·            Ruthy Yahel (1999-2004). Dissertation title: The distribution of zooplankton and large suspended particulate matter over coral reefs: spatio-temporal variations and controlling mechanisms.

·           Svetlana Rickel (2000-2005). Dissertation title: Foraging in the flow: adaptations and limitations of planktivory in coral-reef fishes.

·           Roi Holzman (2001-2006) Dissertation title: Nocturnal interactions between fishes and zooplankton over coral reefs.

·           Tali Levanon-Mass (2006 - 2010). Dissertation title: Biological and ecological effects of flow on corals.

·           Margarita Zarubin (2008 - 2016). Dissertation title: Spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton and grazers: the vertical dimension.

·           Ayelet Dadon-Pilosof (2014-). Co-supervised with Prof. Gitai Yahel. Research subject: Quantification of microbial prey filtration in the ocean at the phylotype level.

·           Yoav Lindemann (2016-). Zooplankton spatial and temporal dynamics in the deeply mixed Gulf of Aqaba.

·           Anael Angel (2016-). Personality and foraging in social groups of the coral reef fish Dascyllus marginatus.

 

 

 

 

Visitors and Postdoctoral fellows (past 5 years):

 

·           Viviana (Bracha) Farstey (2001-2003, Postdoctoral Fellow). Research title: Effect of climate change on zooplankton distribution (carried out at my laboratory). (#32)

·           Prof. Yair Rosenthal (one year of Sabbatical: 2004-2005). Prof. of Marine Biogeochemistry, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA.

·           Prof. Clare Reimers (3 months of Sabbatical: Nov. 2011- Feb 2012). Prof. of Marine Biogeochemistry, Oregon State University, Corvalis, Oregon, USA.

 

 

Teaching

 

Present teaching at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:

 

     - Introduction to ecology and population biology (course #72107, credit points: 5, level: undergraduate; additional teachers: Prof. Ran Nathan)

- Faculty and M.Sc. student seminar in Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior (course #90604, credit units: 2, level: graduate)

- Guided research in Biology ("Mifgash Mudrakh"). (Course #72329, credit points:5, level: 3^rd year undergraduate)

 

Past courses at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:

 

- From cell to organism (course #72106 and 72108, credit points: 5.5, level: undergraduate; one of 4 teachers)

- Undergraduate seminar in Evolution, Systematics and Ecology (course #84861, credit points: 2, level: undergraduate; my role is the course coordinator)

- Biological Oceanography (course #84861, credit points: 2, level: graduate; one of six teacher; discontinues)

- Laboratory in Ecology (course #72758, credit points: 4, level: graduate and undergraduate)

 

 

Present teaching at the Interuniversity courses (Eilat):

 

- Introduction to the Ecosystem of the Gulf of Eilat (course #72330, credit point: 5, level: undergraduate; a multi-teacher course, my role was the course organizer and coordinator).

     - Plankton (course #76701, credit points: 4.5, level: graduate; a multi-teacher course; Dr. Viviana Bracha Farstey and I serve as the course’s organizers and coordinators).

 

- Guest lecturer in several other inter-university and university courses at the IUI

 

Past teaching at the Interuniversity courses (Eilat):

 

- Quantitative Methods in Marine Ecology (course #84830, credit points: 5, level: graduate; additional teacher: Dr. Moshe Kiflawi).

 

 

Current Members

Shir Bar, M.Sc. Student
2016-today:   behavior and foraging in social groups of the Reef Anthias Pseuanthias squamipinnis

Alexandra Khrizman, M.Sc. Student
2016-today:   Ecology and biomechanics of garden eels

Yoav Lindemann, Ph.D. Student, Dr.
2015-today:   . Effects of vertical mixing and light pollution on zooplankton distribution; zooplanktivory in coral reefs and open waters.

Anael Engel, Ph.D. Student
2015-today:   The behavior of the individual in social groups of coral-reef fish

Inbal Ayalon, Technician
1991-today:   Biologist, The National Monitoring Program

Yonathan Shaked, Other, Dr.
2005-today:   Head, the National Monitoring Program

Past Members

Irina Kolesnikov, Technician
2010-2017:   Biologist, zooplankton, meiofauna

Dmitri Churilov, Technician
2014-2017:   Biologist, underwater operations and instrumentation, fish behavior