Dr. Sean Powers

Marine Sciences

Bio

Angelia and Steven Stokes Endowed Professor in Environmental Resiliency and Director, Stokes School of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama
Senior Marine Scientist, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Ph.D. 1997, Texas A&M University

Emphasis: Fisheries ecology; conservation and restoration of coastal shellfish and finfish

Research Interests

My research focuses on the ecology of coastal/estuarine fishes and benthic invertebrates, particularly those that support commercial and recreational fisheries. The ultimate goal of my research program is to provide scientifically sound information to direct conservation and restoration efforts of marine fisheries and the habitats that these species rely upon.

Lab Page

Current Funded Projects

Ecosystem based fisheries management of reef fish and large coastal pelagic fishes and Sharks in coastal Alabama (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, ADNCR-MRD)
Monitoring development of fish communities associated with artificial reefs in coastal Alabama (ADNCR-MRD and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s SportFish Restoration Fund)
Greater Amberjack Gulf and South Atlantic Count (NOAA Seagrant and NMFS)
Oyster management and reef restoration (NOAA RESTORE Science Program)
Population and movement dynamics of estuarine fishes (Flounder – ADCNR-MRD, Red Drum- Alabama CCA)

Publications (out of 156)

Powers, S. P., H. Roman, G. Fricano, J. Westerink, and S. Brus. 2023. Establishing connectivity patterns of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) on regional oceanographic scales. Ecosphere, In press.
Powers, S. P., J. M. Drymon, C. L. Hightower, L. M. Carleton and J. M. Hoenig. 2022. Direct estimates of reef fish abundance from a large network of artificial reefs. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
Hightower, C.L., J. M. Drymon, A. E. Jefferson*, M. B. Jargowsky, E. A. Seubert*, S. Dedman, J. F. Mareska, and S. P. Powers. 2022. Population dynamics, abundance, and habitat suitability of adult red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in nearshore waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico. Fishery Bulletin 120:162–175. https://doi.org/10.7755/FB.120.2.6
Nelson, T.R. and S. P. Powers. 2020.Elemental concentrations of water and otoliths as salinity proxies in a Northern Gulf of Mexico estuary. Estuaries and Coasts, 43:843–864.
Drymon, J. M., K. Feldheim, A. M. V. Fournier, E. A. Seubert*, A. Jefferson, A. M. Kroetz, and S. P. Powers. 2019.Tiger sharks eat songbirds: scavenging a windfall of nutrients from the sky. Ecology e02728. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26785449.
Powers, S.P. and K. Anson. 2019. Compression and relaxation of fishing effort in response to changes in length of fishing seasons for red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fishery Bulletin, 117:1–7.

Powers, S. P. , J. M. Drymon, C. L. Hightower, T. Spearman, G. S. Bosarge, and A. Jefferson. 2018. Distribution and age composition of Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) across the inner continental shelf of the north central Gulf of Mexico. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 147:79 1–805.
Powers, S. P., S. Rouhani, M. C. Baker, H. Roman, J.H. Grabowski, S.B. Scyphers, J. M. Willis, and M. W. Hester. 2017. Ecosystem services lost when facilitation between two ecosystem engineers is compromised by oil. Marine Ecology Progress Series 576: 189-202.
Powers, S. P. and K.E. Boyer, 2014. Marine Restoration Ecology, Ch. 22. In: M.D. Bertness, J.F. Bruno, B.R. Silliman, and J.J. Stachowicz, Eds., Marine community ecology and conservation, Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA
Powers, S. P., F. J. Hernandez, R. H. Condon, J. M. Drymon, and C. M. Free. 2013. Novel pathways for injury from offshore oil spills: direct, sublethal and indirect effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on pelagic Sargassum communities. PLOS One, 8(9): e74802.
Powers, S. P., F. J. Fodrie, S. B. Scyphers, J. M. Drymon, R. L. Shipp, and G. W. Stunz. 2013. Basin-wide decreases in the size of coastal sharks documented by generations of fishermen. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 5: 93-102.
Kim, C. K, K. Park, and S. P. Powers. 2013. Establishing a restoration strategy for eastern oysters via a coupled biophysical transport model. Restoration Ecology 21: 353-362.
Ajemian, M. and S. P. Powers 2012. Habitat specific feeding patterns in cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 95 (1): 79–97.
Powers, S. P., C. L. Hightower, J. M. Drymon and M. W. Johnson. 2012. Age composition and distribution of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in offshore waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico: An evaluation of a stock under a harvest moratorium. Fishery Bulletin, 110(3): 283-292.
Scyphers, S. B., S. P. Powers, K. L. Heck, Jr., and D. Byron. 2011. Oyster reefs as natural breakwaters mitigate shoreline loss and facilitate fisheries. PLoS ONE 6:e22396.
Geraldi, N. R. and S. P. Powers. 2011. Subtle changes in prey foraging behavior have cascading effects in a shallow estuary. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 427: 51-58.
Drymon, J. M., S. P. Powers, J. Dindo and T. Henwood. 2010. Distribution of sharks across a continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 2:440–450.
Geraldi, N. R., S. P. Powers, K. L. Heck, Jr., and J. Cebrian. 2009. Can habitat restoration be redundant? Response of mobile fishes and crustaceans to oyster reef restoration in marsh tidal creeks. Marine Ecology Progress Series 389: 171-180.
Powers, S. P., C. H. Peterson, J. H. Grabowski, and H. S. Lenihan. 2009. Evaluating the success of constructed oyster reefs in no-harvest sanctuaries: implications for restoration. Marine Ecology Progress Series 389: 159-170.
Fodrie, F. J., M. D. Kenworthy and S. P. Powers. 2008. Unintended facilitation between marine consumers generates enhanced mortality for their shared prey. Ecology 89 (12): 3268-3274.
Myers, R. A., J. Buam, T. A. Sheperd, S. P. Powers and C. H. Peterson. 2007. Cascading effects of the loss of apex predatory sharks from the coastal ocean. Science 315: 1846-1850.
Fodrie, F. J., M. C. Brodeur, B. J. Toscano, and S. P. Powers. 2012. Friend or Foe: conflicting demands and conditional risk taking by opportunistic scavengers. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 422: 114-121.

Current Graduate Students	Research Assistants	Post docs and Research Associates
Dylan Kiene - PhD Laia Munoz - PhD Manuel Coffill-Rivera - Ph.D. Adam Jung - MS	Crystal Hightower, MS Deepa Shrestha, MS Justin McDonald, MS Trey Spearman, MS	Dr. Jeff Plumlee Dr. Mark Albins