Research Interests:
I am a marine ecologist interested in the ecology and evolution of species interactions in natural and experimental contexts. My research lies at the intersection of studies of predator-prey interactions, inducible defenses and planktonic development. Simply stated, I have dedicated my research thus far to understanding the risky business of growing up in the plankton. My research emphasizes one universal risk: predation, and aims to understand how interactions between planktonic predators and prey are reflected in the behavior, development and morphology of marine larvae. In short, I ask -- What is the ecological and evolutionary significance of predator-induced responses by larvae that spend the first few weeks of life growing and developing in the sea?
Through laboratory experiments, and soon through modeling, I hope to identify the mechanisms as well as the evolution and ecological consequences of predator-induced responses during the planktonic development of diverse marine organisms such as snails, sand dollars, and crabs. |
Selected Publications:
Vaughn, D. 2009. Predator-induced larval cloning in Dendraster excentrics: Might mothers matter? The Biological Bulletin 217:103-114
Vaughn, D. and Strathmann, R. R. 2008. Predators induce cloning in echinoderm larvae. Science (March 14, 2008)
Vaughn, D. 2007. Predator-induced morphological defenses in marine zooplankton: A larval case study. Ecology 88:1030-1039
Teaching Interests:
Ecology of Development (Eco-Devo)
Marine Invertebrate Zoology
Life History Evolution
Graduate Professional Development
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