Background

People often ask me how I got started in my research area.  To best understand my interests and what I study it is easiest to start at the beginning!  After I completed my BS in Biology at California Polytechnic State Univeristy, I began my research career at, of all places, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (yes, that's where I find myself now!). There, among other things, I studied the feeding ecology of marine fishes with Dr. Greg Cailliet. One of the most interesting observations that I made during my Master's Thesis research was that the very sluggish-appearing deep-sea fish that I was studying ate fast and highly maneuverable prey items. This seemed to defy all that I had learned about how predator-prey systems are supposed to exist.

Armed with this observation, I came to Dr. George Lauder and the Comparative Physiology Group in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at U.C. Irvine with the goal of understanding how fish ate (George is now at Harvard).  That is to say, given that an organism possesses a certain feeding morphology, just what range of prey capture behaviors (kinematics) is it capable of performing with that morphology?  Quantifying this range of behavioral variation for one morphological model, the shark jaw, was the goal of my dissertation research and has led to subsequent studies of ventilatory mechanics, and to a variety of projects where we are attempting to develop better metrics for quantifying feeding performance. 

I continued to examine both variation in feeding behavior (in wrasses) and techniques for quantifying and understanding feeding performance (current collaborations, see also CV) as part of my post-doctoral research with Dr. Peter Wainwright (Center for Population Biology, U.C. Davis).  However, my interests also led me to the study of variation in morphology and the role evolutionary novelty.   Additional post-doctoral studies focused on some very different kinds of morphological innovations and their roles in dietary specialization; the pharyngeal jaws of wrasses and their allies, and the elongate jaws of tropical marine butterflyfishes.

The unifying theme to my current and future research directions is to more generally to quantify the differences in morphological, physiological, and behavioral (kinematic) traits in organisms, to understand the evolutionary origin of such traits, and to determine the consequence of variation in such traits for organisms and their ecological interactions.  I do this by bringing together the unique qualities and strengths of my diverse areas of education.  During my own Master Thesis’s research I was trained as a Marine Ecologist.  My PhD focused largely on Functional Morphology placed within the framework of Comparative Organismal Physiology.  Functional Morphologists attempt to answer the fundamental question “how does it work?”  Comparative and Evolutionary Biologists often go one step further and are able to ask “how has it come to be that way?”  I often find myself returning to the ideas that were central to my experience as an Ecologist and also asking “to what end?”  As my interests sit squarely at the intersection of these fields of research, I am attempting to bring together the technology of functional morphologist, the forethought of the evolutionary biologist, and the perspective of the ecologist that looks beyond the single organism or species.

Current Collaborators

Publications

Ferry-Graham, L.A.  Invited Contribution (in preparation).  Energetics of Predator-Prey Interactions.  Bioenergetics Section in: The Encyclopedia of Fish Physiology. A. Farrell, ed.  Elsevier.

Hernandez, L.P., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  Invited Contribution (in preparation).  Cranial Morphology. Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Function Section in: The Encyclopedia of Fish Physiology. A. Farrell, ed.  Elsevier.

Wainwright, P.C., W.L. Smith, K.L. Tang, T.J. Near, L.A. Ferry-Graham and J.S. Sparks. In Revision for Editor.  The evolution of pharyngognathy: A phylogenetic and functional appraisal of the pharyngeal jaw key innovation in Labroidei and beyond.  Systematic Biology.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., C. Pace*, A.C. Gibb, and L.P. Hernandez. Accepted with Revision. Unusual kinematics and jaw morphology associated with piscivory in a small poeciliid, Belonesox belizanus.  Zoology.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., and N. Konow. In Press. The intramandibular joint in Girella: a mechanism for increased force production? J. Morphology.

Konow, N, and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  In Press. Functional morphology of the Chaetodontidae.  Chapter 2 In: The Biology of Butterflyfishes.  M.S. Pratchett, M.L. Berumen, and B.G. Kapoor, eds. Science Publishers, Inc.

Hernandez, L.P., A.C. Gibb, and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2009.  Trophic apparatus in cyprinodontiform fishes: functional specializations for picking and scraping behaviors. J. Morphology. 270: 645-661.

B.E. Flammang, L.A. Ferry-Graham, C. Rinewalt, D. Ardizzone, C. Davis, T. Trejo.  2009.  Prey capture kinematics and four-bar linkages in the bay pipefish, Syngnathus leptorhynchus. Zoology 112: 86-96.

Gibb A.C., Ferry-Graham, L.A., Hernandez, L.P., Romansco, R., and J. Blanton.  2008.  Functional significance of intramandibular bending in Poeciliid fishes.  Environ. Biol. Fishes 83: 507-519.

Hernandez, L.P., L.A. Ferry-Graham, and A.C. Gibb.  2008.  Morphology of a picky eater: A novel mechanism underlying premaxillary protrusion and retraction within Poeciliidae. Zoology 111: 442-454.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., A.C. Gibb, and L.P. Hernandez.  2008. Premaxillary movements in cyprinodontiform fishes: An unusual protrusion mechanism facilitates “picking” prey capture. Zoology. 111: 455-466.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., and A.C. Gibb.  2008.  Physiological Ecology.  Pages 1121-1126 in: The Encyclopedia of Ecology. S.E. Jorgensen and B. Fath, eds.  Elsevier.

Cortes, E., Y.P. Papastamatiou, J. Carlson, L.A. Ferry-Graham, and B.M. Wetherbee.  2008. An Overview of the Feeding Ecology and Physiology of Elasmobranch Fishes.  In: Feeding and digestive functions in fishes.  J.E.P. Cyrino, D. Bureau and B.G. Kapoor, eds.  Science Publishers, Inc.

Van Wassenbergh, S., J.A. Strother, B.E. Flammang, L.A. Ferry-Graham and P. Aerts.  2008.  Extremely fast prey capture in pipefish is powered by elastic recoil.  Journal of the Royal Society Interface 5:285-296.

A. Pérez-Matus, L.A. Ferry-Graham, J. A. Vásquez, and A. Cea.  2007.  Community Structure of temperate reef fishes in kelp dominated subtidal habitats of Northern Chile.  Marine and Freshwater Res. 58:1069-1085.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., J.C. Drazen, and V. Franklin. 2007.  Laboratory observations of reproduction in deep-water zoarcids (Teleostei). Pacific Sci.  61(1):129-139.

Brainerd, E.L. and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2006.  Mechanics of Respiration. Pages 1-29 in:  Biomechanics; A Volume of the Fish Physiology Series.  R. Shadwick and G. Lauder, eds.  Elsevier Science.

Horn, M.H., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2006.  Feeding mechanisms and trophic interactions.  Pages 387 -410 in: Ecology of California Marine Fishes.  L.G. Allen, M.H. Horn, and D.J. Pondella II, eds.  Univ. of California Press.

Gibb, A.C., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2005.  Cranial movements during suction feeding in teleost fishes: Are they modified to enhance suction production?  Zoology.  108:141-153

Ferry-Graham, L.A., P.C. Wainwright, and G.V. Lauder.  2003.  Quantification of flow during suction feeding in bluegill sunfishes.  Zoology. 106(2):159-168.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., and P.C Wainwright.  2003.  Measuring prey capture performance in fishes.  Pages 101-114 in: Vertebrate Biomechanics and Evolution.  V.L. Bels, J.P. Gasc, and A Casinos, eds.  BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd.

Summers, A.P., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2003.  Aquatic respiration: New models of ventilation in elasmobranchs.  Pages 87-99 in: Vertebrate Biomechanics and Evolution.  V.L. Bels, J.P. Gasc, and A Casinos, eds.  BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd.

R. Svanbäck, P.C. Wainwright, and L.A. Ferry-Graham. 2002.  Linking cranial kinematics and buccal pressure to suction feeding performance in largemouth bass. Physiol. and Biochem. Zool.  75(6):532-543.

L.A. Ferry-Graham, P.C. Wainwright, M.W. Westneat, and D.R. Bellwood.  2002.  Mechanisms of benthic prey capture in labrid fishes. Mar. Biol.  141:819-830

Bolnick, D.I., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2002.  Optimizing prey capture behaviors to maximize expected net benefit. Evol. and Ecol. Research. 2002(4):843-855.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., D.I. Bolnick, and P.C. Wainwright.  2002.  Using functional morphology to examine the  ecology and evolution of specialization.  Integrative and Comparative Biology (formerly Am. Zool.) 42(2):265-277.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., and A.C. Gibb.  2001.  A comparison of fasting and post-feeding metabolic rates in a sedentary shark Cephaloscyllium ventriosum. Copeia. 101(4):1108-1113.

Wainwright, P.C., L.A. Ferry-Graham, A.M. Carroll, T.B. Waltzek, C.D. Hulsey, and J.R. Grubich.  2001.  Evaluating the use of ram and suction during prey capture by cichlid fishes. J. Exp. Biology. 204(17):3039-3051.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., P.C. Wainwright, M.W. Westneat, and D.R. Bellwood.  2001.  Modulation of prey capture kinematics in the cheeklined wrasse Oxycheilinus digrammus (Teleostei: Labridae). J. Exp. Zoology. 290(2):88-100.

Summers, A.P., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2001. Respiratory modes and mechanics of the hedgehog skate, Leucoraja erinacea:testing the continuous flow model.  J. Exp. Biology 204(9):1577-1587.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., and G.V. Lauder.  2001.  Aquatic prey capture in fishes:  A century of progress and new directions. J. Morphology (solicited feature) 248:99-119.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., P.C. Wainwright, C.D. Hulsey, and D.R. Bellwood.  2001.  Evolution and Mechanics of Long Jaws in Butterflyfishes (Family Chaetodontidae). J. Morphology 248:120-143.

Ferry-Graham, L.A., P.C. Wainwright, and D.R. Bellwood.   2001.  Prey capture in long-jawed butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae): the functional basis of novel feeding habits.  J. Exp. Marine Biology and Ecology 256:167-184.

Summers, A.P., and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2001.  Ventilatory modes of elasmobranchs. Bulletin of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. 40:31-32.

Cailliet, G.M., A.H. Andrews, E.J. Burton, D.L. Watters, D.E. Kline, and L.A. Ferry-Graham.  2001.  Age determination and validation studies of marine fishes: do deep-dwellers live longer? Experimental Gerontology (Proceedings of the Sympoisum on Organisms with Slow Aging).  36:739-764.

Ferry-Graham, L.A.  1999.  Mechanics of respiration in swellsharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum.J. Exp. Biology 202(11): 1501-1510.

Ferry-Graham, L., and A.P. Summers.  1999.   Ventilation in the small skate, Leucoraja erinacea,as indicated by sonomicrometry.  Bulletin of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. 38:97-99.

Ferry-Graham, L.A. 1998. Effects of prey size and mobility on prey capture kinematics in leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata.J. Exp. Biology 201(16): 2433-2444.

Ferry-Graham, L.A. 1998. Feeding kinematics of hatchling swellsharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum:the importance of predator size. Mar. Biol.131(4): 703-718.

Ferry-Graham, L.A. 1997. Feeding kinematics of juvenile swellsharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum. J. Exp. Biology 200(8):1255-1269.

Ferry, L.A. 1997. Food habits of the two-line eelpout (Bothrocara brunneum:Zoarcidae) at two deep-sea sites in the eastern North Pacific. Deep Sea Res. I. 44(3):521-531.

Ferry, L.A., S.L. Clark, and G.M. Cailliet. 1997. Food habits of the spotted sand bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, in Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico. Bull. So. Cal. Acad. Sci. 96(1):1-21.

Ferry, L.A., and G.V. Lauder. 1996. Heterocercal tail function in leopard sharks: a three-dimensional kinematic analysis of two models. J. Exp. Biology 199(10):2253-2268.
 

Courses Taught

On Campus:

CURRENT Population Dynamics and Interpretation of Biological and Geophysical Records with Dr. Erika McPhee-Shaw

Marine Ichthyology with Dr. Cailliet (Spring Semesters)

Graduate Seminars (2-3 Units):

• Fall 2006, Marine Ecosystems with Drs. Dave Ebert and Erika McPhee-Shaw
• Spring 2004, Ecology of Monterey Bay with Drs. Mike Graham and Greg Cailliet
• Fall 2004, Chondrichthyan Seminar with Drs. Greg Cailliet and Dave Ebert

Advanced Topics" Courses (4 units):

• ON TAP, Spring 2010, Ecophysiology of Marine Organisms
• Fall 2008, Physiology and Fluid Dynamics with Dr. Erika McPhee-Shaw
• Spring 2008, Advanced Ichthyology with Drs. Greg Cailliet and Dave Ebert
• Fall 2007, Ecophysiology of Marine Organisms
• Fall 2006, Global Kelp Systems with Drs. Mike Graham, Julio Vasquez, Alejandro Buschmann, Sylvain Faugeron
• Fall 2005, Systematics with Dr. David Ebert
• Fall 2003, Ecophysiology of Marine Organisms

Off Campus:

Friday Harbor Labs (University of Washington)

• Summer 2006, 2008 and on tap for 2010, Functional Morphology and Ecology of Marine Fishes with Dr. Adam Summers

University de Catolica Norte, Coquimbo, Chile

• Fall 2005 Trophic Ecology of Marine Fishes
• Fall 2006, Global Kelp Systems with Drs. Mike Graham, Alejandro Buschmann, Julio Vasquez, and Sylvain Faugeron

For Interested Students

This page is maintained by Lara Ferry-Graham, David Ebert, and Rick Starr, although the content generally applies to all "Research Faculty" here on the MLML campus.

What is Research (or adjunct) Faculty status?
We are subject to similar standards of review and promotion, however, we are not on the "tenure-track".  Our salaries and research are supported fully or in part by grants, a.k.a. "soft money."  We are not required to teach or advise students, but do so for the mutual benefit of the Moss Landing community and our own research programs. 

Are you taking students?
Yes, but there are conditions that apply in this situation.  We can accept and advise students but only if there is a member of the tenured or tenure-track faculty that co-advises the student.  In many cases, this co-advisor remains "silent" and exists on paper only.  You can use the co-advisor to your advantage though if you choose wisely, and add an element to your research program that we alone cannot provide.  In all cases, if one of us accepts you, we will be your primary advisor.  You need not worry about our commitment to you or your success in the program, regardless of title. There is additional information about this arrangement in the MLML Student Handbook, which should always be referred to for the most current information regarding the graduate program and the associated policies and practices.

How does admission to MLML work?
The MLML website has more complete information about this process, and you should read that information carefully.  However, we will reiterate the main points here and note how they vary when applying to work with a Research Faculty member.  First, you need to be accepted to Moss Landing Marine Lab's program.  To apply to be a student at Moss Landing Marine Labs, you need to apply to Graduate Admissions at one of the consortium schools that are affiliated with the lab.  These are San Jose State University, California State University Hayward, Sacramento State University, Fresno State University, San Francisco State University, California State University Stanislaus, and California State University Monterey Bay.  The school that accepts you will become your "home" institution.  Acceptance decisions are usually made by the faculty at MLML and then relayed to the home institution and on to you.  In the situation of co-advising, we let the faculty member know that we want to accept a student and we sit down together and review your file.

The school that you choose as your home institution matters little in the long run.  You will spend most, if not all, of your time at MLML in residence at the lab and will likely never need to visit your home campus except perhaps to turn in your thesis.  Be aware, however, that the requirements for acceptance (i.e., GRE's or not), maintaining student status, and ultimately graduation are determined by your home institution; not by your advisor.  Also, some campuses require that students obtain another tenured CSU faculty member for their thesis committee and we have none with the necessary specialty.  Students can then go to their home institution for another committee member who potentially has some interest and advice to bestow on the project.  This usually works smoothly for all involved, but be aware of the requirement.  You should check out each of the consortium schools and decide which is right for you.  

What factors affect your decision to take a student?
As a general rule, we usually do not accept students without meeting them first.  

We can only accept new students if there is space in our "lab" for them.  Currently, we have very limited space.  This will severely limit the number of students that we can accept for the time being.  You should keep in mind that even if one of us is not your primary advisor, we can serve on your committee.  If you plan to do work directly related to one of us, however, you should try to become a student through us.

We expect the students that we accept to have research interests that overlap with ours, or we simply cannot advise you effectively.  We expect you to have a good undergraduate GPA and GRE scores, and most importantly, good letters of recommendation.  Having some research experience is a good idea, and can make up for less than perfect grades and scores.  We are looking for students who are hard-working and dedicated and, most importantly, know why they want their MS degree in Marine Science (note that MLML cannot currently award the PhD degree).  Again, strength in these areas can sometimes make up for less than perfect grades and scores.  It will help us in our evaluation process if you include a short, concise, well written, Statement of Purpose when you contact us that outlines your research interests, why you want to get an MS degree, and why at MLML with one of us.
 
You should also realize that MLML, in general, funds few of their students.  This means that unless you are among the lucky few that lands a TA or RA position during any given semester, you will likely have to work outside of the lab to make ends meet.  We write grants to support ourselves and try to include student support in those grants, but there are no guarantees.  

What to do next?
Make sure you have read and are familiar with the Information For Students provided on the MLML home page.  If you are still interested in working with one of us, here's a checklist to help you through the process.

- Think about what you want to do and determine if your interests match ours
- Prepare a Statement of Purpose (tell us why you want to come to MLML)
- Email us with your interest and Statement of Purpose
- Contact Graduate Admissions at one of the consortium schools that are affiliated with the lab and determine what you need to do to apply.
- Contact us and arrange to visit MLML so we can talk with you.  We should work together to determine if the program is right for you, to identify the best co-advisor, and to get you admitted.