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Changes in the Deep

2008 Ocean Sciences session on "Long-term ecological research in the deep sea"

Deep-ocean Environmental Long-term Observatory System

Antarcic Icebergs: hotspots of ocean life

Pelagic-benthic coupling research

Benthic Rover

VITA

June 2006-present. Postdoctoral Fellow, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California.
• Deep-sea ecological research with Kenneth L. Smith Jr.
• Global assessment of climatic influences on abyssal carbon flux
• Abyssal macro - megafaunal community dynamics and bioturbation effects
• Antarctic research on pelagic biogeochemical effects of icebergs
• Theoretical ecology and modeling
• Instrument and methodology development for abyssal benthic research

June 2006, Ph.D. in Marine Biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.
• Deep-sea ecological research with Kenneth L. Smith Jr.
• Examining links between climate and abyssal processes and communities
• Mentoring and advising of undergraduate students
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps advisory panel member
• Graduate Department faculty teaching assessment committee

2005, Teaching Assistant, University of California, San Diego.
• Biological Oceanography with Dr. Michael Landry

2000, Staff Research Associate, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.
• Antarctic and deep-sea ecological research with Kenneth L. Smith Jr.

1998, Hydrology, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC.

1996, B.S. in Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.
• Environmental Management Certificate
• Aquatic ecosystem focus

1994-1999, Biological Science Technician, US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.
• Aquatic vegetation ecology including climatic and hydrologic effects
• Long-term studies in the Chesapeake Bay and South Florida
• Remote sensing and model parameterization and verification
• Two monetary awards for exceptional service

 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• NSF Long-Term Ecological Research Program, Associate Scientist
• Deep-Ocean Environmental Long-Term Observatory System, Associate Scientist
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Ecological Society of America
• American Society of Limnology and Oceanography - organizer, 2008 Ocean Sciences session on "Long-term ecological research in the deep sea"
• American Geophysical Union
• Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (SIO)
• Deep-Sea Biology (informal organization which meets every three years)
• National Postdoctoral Association

 

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
(in preparation denotes only developed manuscripts nearing submission)

Ruhl, H. A., J. A. Ellena, K. L. Smith Jr. (in preparation) Climate Variation Influences Multiple Abyssal Macrofauna Community Shifts from 1989-1998. Science.

Beaulieu, S. E., K. L. Smith, Jr., H. A. Ruhl, and R. J. Baldwin. (in preparation) Megafauna at the abyssal seafloor underlying the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: composition and abundance from photographic and video surveys. Deep-Sea Research I.

Ruhl, H. A., and J. Lowenstien (in preparation). Dispersion of mobile epibenthic megafauna on the abyssal seafloor in the NE Pacific from 1989-2004. Deep-Sea Research I.

Helly, J. J., H. A. Ruhl, K. L. Smith Jr., D. G. Long (in preparation). Free-floating iceberg mass and abundance in the Weddell Sea from shipboard observations and satellite remote sensing.

Booth, J. A., H. A. Ruhl, L. Lovell, D. M. Bailey, and K. L. Smith, Jr. (submitted). Population dynamics of NE Pacific abyssal ophiuroids. Marine Biology.

Ruhl, H. A., (in press). Community change in the variable resource habitat of the abyssal NE Pacific. Ecology.

Smith, K. L., Jr., B. H. Robison, J. J. Helly, R. S. Kaufmann, H. A. Ruhl, T. Shaw, B. S. Twining, M. Vernet. 2007. Free-drifting icebergs: hotspots of chemical and biological enrichment in the Weddell Sea. Science 347: 478-482.

Ruhl, H. A., 2007. Abundance and size distribution dynamics of abyssal epibenthic megafauna in the northeast Pacific. Ecology 88: 1250-1262.

Bailey, D., H. A. Ruhl, and K. L. Smith, Jr. 2006. Long-term changes in benthopelagic fish abundance in the abyssal N.E. Pacific Ocean. Ecology 87: 549-555.

Smith, Jr., K. L., R. J. Baldwin, H. A. Ruhl, M. Kahru, B. G. Mitchell, and R. S. Kaufmann. 2006. Climate effect on food supply to depths greater than 4000 m in the northeast Pacific. Limnology and Oceanography 51: 166-176.

Smith, Jr., K. L., N. D. Holland, H. A. Ruhl. 2005. Enteropneust production of spiral fecal trails on the deep-sea Floor observed with time-lapse photography. Deep-Sea Research I 52: 1228-1240.

Ruhl, H. A. and K. L. Smith Jr. 2004. Shifts in deep-sea community structure linked to climate and food supply. Science 305: 513-515.

Cranmer, T. L., H. A. Ruhl, R. J. Baldwin, and R. S. Kaufmann. 2003. Spatial and temporal variation in the abundance, distribution and population structure of epibenthic megafauna in Port Foster, Deception Island. Deep-Sea Research II 50: 1821-1842.

Kendall, K. A., H. A. Ruhl, and R. C. Wilson. 2003. Distribution and abundance of marine bird and pinniped populations within Port Foster, Deception Island, Antarctica. Deep-Sea Research II 50: 1873-1888.

Ruhl, H. A., P. A. Hastings, L. A. Zarubick, R. M. Jensen, and K. Zdzitowiecki. 2003. Fish populations of Port Foster, Deception Island, Antarctica and Vicinity. Deep-Sea Research II 50: 1843-1858.

Smith, Jr. K. L., R. J. Baldwin, R. C. Glatts, T. K. Chereskin, H. A. Ruhl, and V. Lagun. 2003. Weather, ice, and snow conditions at Deception Island, Antarctica: long time-series photographic monitoring. Deep-Sea Research II 50: 1649-1664.

Rybicki, N. B., D. McFarland, H. A. Ruhl, J. T. Reel, and J. W. Barko. 2001. Investigations of the availability and survivability of submersed aquatic vegetation propagules in the tidal Potomac River, 1994–95. Estuaries 24: 407-424.

 

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Ruhl, H. A., J. A. Ellena, M. D. Ohman, and K. L. Smith Jr. 2007. Estimating Interannual Climate Variation Impacts on an Abyssal Macrofauna Community Dynamics in the NE Pacific. National Science Foundation Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Workshop. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA.

Ruhl, H. A. and K. L. Smith Jr. 2007. Contemporary climatic connections to abyssal ecology in the NE Pacific. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Sante Fe, NM.

Ruhl, H. A. and K. L. Smith Jr. 2006. Climatic Links to Abyssal Megafauna Populations in the NE Pacific. 6th Long-Term Ecological Research All-Scientists Meeting. Estes Park, CO.

Ruhl, H. A., 2006. Climate and food supply influences on mobile epibenthic megafauna populations in the abyssal NE Pacific from 1989 to 2004. PhD dissertation, University of California, San Diego. 155pp. (http://repositories.cdlib.org/sio/techreport/46)

Ruhl, H. A., and K. L. Smith, Jr. 2006. Abyssal megafaunal community responses to interannual climate fluctuation in the NE Pacific. 11th Intern. Deep-sea Biology Symposium. Southampton, UK. p. 74.

Ruhl, H. A., and K. L. Smith, Jr. 2003. Variation in deep-sea epibenthic megafauna distribution and abundance, and particle flux in the NE Pacific. Abstract, in: 10th Deep-sea biology symposium, p. 36.

Rybicki, N. B., J. T. Reel, H. A. Ruhl, P. T. Gammon, and V. Carter. 2001. Vegetative resistance to flow in South Florida: summary of vegetation sampling in Taylor Sough, Everglades National Park, September 1997-July 1998. US Geological Survey Open File Report-01-102, 117p.

Rybicki, N. B., J. T. Reel, H. A. Ruhl, P. T. Gammon, V. Carter, and J. K. Lee. 2000. Sawgrass density, biomass, and leaf area index: a flume study in support of research on wind sheltering effects in the Florida Everglades. US Geological Survey Open File Report-00-172, 48p.

Carter, V., J. T. Reel, N. B. Rybicki, H. A. Ruhl, P. T. Gammon, and J. K. Lee. 1999. Vegetative resistance to flow in South Florida: a summary of vegetation sampling at sites NESRS3 and P33, Shark River Slough, November, 1996. US Geological Survey Open File Report-99-218, 73p.

Carter, V., H. A. Ruhl, N. B. Rybicki, J. T. Reel, and P. T. Gammon. 1999. Vegetative resistance to flow in South Florida: a summary of vegetation sampling at sites NESRS3 and P33, Shark River Slough, April, 1996. US Geological Survey Open File Report-99-187, 73p.

Carter, V., N. B. Rybicki, J. T. Reel, H. A. Ruhl, and J. K. Lee. 1999. Vegetative characterization for Everglades studies. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-181, p. I0-II.

Landwehr, J. M., J. T. Reel, N. B. Rybicki, H. A. Ruhl, and V. Carter. 1999. Chesapeake Bay habitat criteria scores and the distribution and abundance of submersed aquatic vegetation in the tidal Potomac River and Potomac Estuary, 1983-1997. United States Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-219. 34 pp.

Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRP). 1999. Tidal Potomac Integrative Project, ICPRB Report 99-4.

Ruhl, H. A., N. B. Rybicki, J. T. Reel, and V. Carter. 1999. Submersed aquatic vegetation and Hydrilla verticillata distribution and abundance for the tidal Potomac River, Maryland, Virginia, and The District of Columbia, 1993-1998. US Geological Survey Open File Report-99-233, 37p.

Ruhl, H. A., and R. W. Schaffranek. 1999. The Southern Inland and Coastal System Project of the USGS South Florida Ecosystem Program. USGS Bulletin.

Rybicki, N. B., J. T. Reel, H. A. Ruhl, P. T. Gammon, V. Carter, and J. K. Lee. 1999. Biomass and vegetative characteristics of sawgrass grown in a tilting flume as part of a study of vegetative resistance to flow. US Geological Survey Open File Report-99-230, 29p.

Rybicki, N. B., H. A. Ruhl, J. T. Reel and V. Carter. 1999. A survey of potential dredge disposal sites for the tidal Potomac River between Washington, D.C. and the Route 301 Bridge. US Geological Survey Open File Report-99-234, 12p.

Schaffranek R. W., H. A. Ruhl, and M. E. Hansler. 1999. An overview of the Southern Inland and Coastal System Project of the US Geological Survey South Florida Ecosystem Program, in: The Proceedings of the Third International Ecohydraulics Symposium.

Carter, V., N. B. Rybicki, J. M. Landwehr, J. T. Reel, and H. A. Ruhl. 1998. Correlations among seasonal water quality, discharge, weather, and coverage by submersed aquatic vegetation in the Tidal Potomac River and Estuary, 1983-96. US Geological Survey Open File Report-99-657, 81p.

Ruhl, H. A., N. B. Rybicki, V. Carter, and J. T. Reel. 1998. Epiphyte growth, water quality, and submersed aquatic plants in the tidal Potomac River and estuary. Poster Session, in: Ecological Society of America 1998 Annual Meeting Abstracts, p.211.

Ruhl, H. A., N. B. Rybicki, and J. T. Reel. 1997. Light effects on tuber production. Abstract, in: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America Vol. 78 (4), p.305.

Ruhl, H. A., N. B. Rybicki, and J. T. Reel. 1997. The effects of light on tuber production of Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria americana. Abstract, in: Fourteenth Biennial Estuarine Research Federation International Conference Abstracts, p.159.