My PhD work examined the diet, abundance, and movement of Octopus bimaculatus. 

Diet

Octopuses are flexible in their diet, and it is possible their diet can vary with varying environmental conditions. I used stable isotope analysis to analyze differences in diet between octopuses found inside and outside marine protected areas. 

Abundance

Through a combination of intensive field surveys, population monitoring, and modeling I identified key environmental variables that correlate with patterns of abundance and distribution.

Movement

Using active acoustic telemetry, I tagged and tracked octopuses to discern movement patterns and habitat use. I am currently building on this research in my postdoctoral work. 

See this research in action on Season 4, Episode 7 of Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin, available on Hulu!