Assistant Professor - Ichthyology

Education:

PhD - University of California Santa Barbara

BA - Princeton University

Research Interests:

Ecology of Marine Fishes, Community Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation, Population Connectivity, Kelp Forests, Coral Reefs

My research focuses on the ecology of coastal marine fish, their role in nearshore ecosystems, and the response of these ecosystems to environmental change and human impacts. Using a combination of field experiments and observations, along with laboratory analyses, my lab focuses on research questions that range from early life stages of fish to whole ecosystems, including: (1) examination of early life history dynamics such as recruitment, selective mortality, and population linkages via larval dispersal; (2) investigation of the causes and consequences of demographic and life history variation among fish populations; and (3) evaluation of changes in the structure and function of kelp forest and coral reef communities associated with marine protection. We are motivated by a desire to provide fundamental insights to aid fisheries management and conservation efforts.

Publications:

2012. Loke KA, Floyd AJ, Lowe CG, Hamilton SL, Caselle JE, Young KA. in press. Reassessment of the fecundity of California sheephead. Marine and Coastal Fisheries

2012. Manríquez PH, Galaz SP, Opitz T, Hamilton SL, Paradis G, Warner RR, Castilla JC, Labra FA, Lagos NA. Geographic variation in trace-elemental signatures in the statoliths of near-hatch larvae and recruits of Loco (Concholepas concholepas). Marine Ecology Progress Series 448: 105-118. pdf

2012. Walsh SM, Hamilton SL, Ruttenberg BI, Donovan MK, Sandin SA. Fishing top predators indirectly affects condition and reproduction in a reef fish community. Journal of Fish Biology. 80: 519-537. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03209.x. pdf

2011.  Price NN, Smith JE, Hamilton SL, Tootell JS. Species-specific consequences of ocean acidification for the calcareous tropical green algae Halimeda. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 440: 67-78. pdf

2011. Hamilton SL, Wilson J, Ben-horin T, Caselle JE. Utilizing spatial demographic and life history variation to optimize sustainable yield of a temperate sex-changing fish. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24580. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024580. pdf

2011. Ruttenberg BI, Hamilton SL, Walsh SM, Donovan M, Friedlander AM, DeMartini EE, Sandin SA. Predator induced demographic shifts in coral reef fish communities. PLoS ONE 6(6): e21062. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021062. pdf

2011. Hamilton SL, Caselle JE, Lantz CA, Egglof TL, Kondo E, Newsome SD, Loke-Smith K, Pondella DP, Young K, Lowe C. Extensive geographic and ontogenetic variation characterizes the trophic ecology of a temperate reef fish on southern California rocky reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 429: 227-244. pdf

2011. Caselle JE, Hamilton SL, Schroeder DM, Love MS, Standish JD, Rosales-Casian JA, Sosa-Nishizaki O. Geographic variation in density, demography, and life history traits of a harvested temperate sex-changing reef fish. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 68: 288-303

2010. Hamilton SL, Caselle JE, Malone D, Carr MH. Incorporating biogeography into evaluations of the Channel Islands marine reserve network. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 107: 18272-18277 [doi/10.1073/pnas.0908091107]. pdf

2010. White JW, Samhouri JF, Stier AC, Wormald CL, Hamilton SL, Sandin SA. Synthesizing mechanisms of density dependence in reef fishes: behavior, habitat configuration, and observation scale. Ecology 91: 1949-1961. pdf

2009. Hamilton SL, Warner RR. Otolith profiles of barium verify the timing of settlement in a coral reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 385: 237-244. pdf

2009. Warner RR, Hamilton SL, Sheehy MS, Zeidberg LD, Brady BC, Caselle JE. Geographic variation in natal and early larval trace-elemental signatures in the statoliths of market squid, Doryteuthis (formerly Loligo) opalescens. Marine Ecology Progress Series 379: 109-121. pdf

2008. Hamilton SL, Regetz J, Warner RR. Post-settlement survival linked to larval-life in a marine fish. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105: 1561-1566. pdf

2008. Hamilton SL. Larval history influences post-metamorphic condition in a coral reef fish. Oecologia 158: 449-461. pdf

2008. Ruttenberg BI, Hamilton SL, Warner RR. Spatial and temporal variation in the natal otolith chemistry of a Hawaiian reef fish: prospects for measuring population connectivity.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 65: 1181-1192. pdf

2007. Hamilton SL, Caselle JE, Standish JD, Schroeder DM, Love MS, Rosales-Casian JA, Sosa-Nishizaki O. Size-selective harvesting alters life histories of a temperate sex-changing fish. Ecological Applications 17: 2268-2280. pdf

2006. Hamilton SL, White JW, Swearer SE, Caselle JE, Warner RR. Consistent long-term spatial gradients in replenishment for an island population of a coral reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series 306: 247-256. pdf

2005. Ruttenberg BI, Hamilton SL,Hickford MJH, Paradis GL, Sheehy MS, Standish JD, Ben-Tzvi O, Warner RR. Elevated levels of trace elements in cores of otoliths and their potential for use as natural tags. Marine Ecology Progress Series 297: 273-281

2005.  Sandin SA, Regetz J, Hamilton SL. Testing larval fish dispersal hypotheses using maximum likelihood analysis of otolith microchemistry data. Marine and Freshwater Research 56: 725-734

2003. Caselle JE, Hamilton SL, Warner RR. The interaction of retention, recruitment, and density-dependent mortality in the spatial placement of marine reserves. Gulf and Caribbean Research 14: 107-117