John Griffin, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Zoology, Silliman Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Office: 409 Carr Hall; E-mail: johngriffin@ufl.edu;  Phone: (352) 392-1137

Education
2005-2008 PhD: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Functioning: tests using rock pools as natural experimental mesocosms, University of Plymouth & the Marine Biological Association of the UK.2003-2004 MSc: Ecology: Theory and Techniques, University of Wales, Bangor
2000-2003 BSc (Hons ) Zoology, University of Nottingham

Research Interests
My chief interests lie in exploring patterns of - and relationships among - biodiversity, the strength of trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning.  Coastal habitats host webs of interacting species that are often amenable to manipulation, providing an excellent opportunity to conduct such research.

Current Research
We are investigating the cascading effects of predators in Georgian salt marshes. Preliminary data suggest that the control of snail populations by a range of crabs may allow the persistence of the foundation species (cordgrass) through a trophic cascade. We are combining long-term data, field surveys and manipulative experiments to ask: 1) How strong is this trophic cascade in Georgian marshes? 2) What are the most important predator species controlling snail populations? 3) What are the consequences of interactions among multiple predator species?
This research will help us to understand the forces structuring marsh communities and inform management of this valuable ecosystem. Furthermore, the work will provide a realistic test of the role of predator species richness in top-down control – currently a key question in ecology.

Previous Research
My recently completed doctoral research addressed the links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, using the rocky shore as a model system. My research examined if, and how, the number and range of species in a local community affect processes such as consumption of resources and productivity. An additional focus of the work was elucidating how ecological context can determine the effect of diversity, which is essential if we are to develop an ability to predict which systems and contexts will be most vulnerable to species loss.

Publications

Griffin, J.N., Mendez, V., Johnson, A.F., Jenkins, S.R., Foggo, A. 2009. Functional diversity predicts overyielding effect of species combination on primary productivity. Oikos: 118, 37-44

Griffin, J.N., de la Haye, K., Hawkins, S.J., Thompson, R.C., Jenkins S.R. 2008 Predator diversity and ecosystem functioning: density modifies the effect of resource partitioning. Ecology: 89, 298-305

Griffin, J.N., Jenkins, S.R., Hawkins, S.J., Gamfeldt, L. Thompson, R.C. Spatial heterogeneity increases the importance of species richness for an ecosystem process. In Revision

Griffin, J.N., Noel, L., Hawkins, S.R., Thompson, R.C., Jenkins S.J. Consumer identity, not richness, determines impact on ecosystem development and functioning. In Review

Noël, L., Griffin, J.N., Hawkins, S.R., Burrows, M.T., Crowe, T., Thompson, R.C., Jenkins S.J. Measuring productivity in rock pools: methodological considerations. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. In Review

Griffin, J. N., Symstad, A., Emmerson, M., Loreau, M., O’Gorman, E., Jenkins, S., Klein, A. Biodiversity and the Stability of Ecosystem Functioning. In Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing: An Ecological and Economic Perspective. Edited by Naeem , S., Bunker, D., Hector, A.,  Loreau, M., and Perrings, C. Oxford University Press. In press

Duffy, J.E. Srivastava, D.S. McLaren, J. Sankaran, M, Griffin, J.N. Bunker, D.E. , Emmerson, M. Jouseau, C. O'Gorman, E., Phillipson, C., Solan, M., Jones, K.E. Forecasting decline in ecosystem services under realistic scenarios of extinction. In Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing: An Ecological and Economic Perspective. Edited by Naeem , S., Bunker, D., Hector, A.,  Loreau, M., and Perrings, C. Oxford University Press. In press

Noël L, Griffin J.N, Moschella P.S, Jenkins S.R, Thompson R.C, Hawkins S.J. Changes in diversity of intertidal assemblages during succession and associated consequences for ecosystem function. In The Ecology of Marine Hard substrate communities. Springer-Verlag. In Pres