About ZEN

The Zostera Experimental Network (ZEN) is a global collaborative network of scientists studying the structure and functioning eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems, the world’s most widespread marine plant. ZEN is funded by a US National Science Foundation grant.

ZEN is conducting experiments and surveys that aim to quantify how resources and grazing interactively affect biomass, production, and trophic transfer in eelgrass beds along natural gradients in biodiversity and abiotic forcing.

Principle Investigators:

Dr. J. Emmett Duffy (jeduffy@vims.edu)

Dr. Jay Stachowicz (jjstachowicz@ucdavis.edu)

Dr. Kevin Hovel (khovel@mail.sdsu.edu)

Postdoctoral Researcher and Project Coordinator: Dr. Pamela L. Reynolds (reynolds@vims.edu)

Dr. Emmett Duffy

Dr. Emmett Duffy

Dr. Jay Stachowicz

Dr. Jay Stachowicz

Dr. Kevin Hovel

Dr. Kevin Hovel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Pamela Reynolds

Dr. Pamela Reynolds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In summer 2011 we completed identical factorial experiments manipulating grazers and nutrient loading at each of 15 sites spanning the sub-global range of eelgrass, across concomitant gradients in community diversity and abiotic forcing variables. The project continued with another suite of field experiments in the summer of 2012 to further explore inter-annual and seasonal effects of top-down and bottom-up forcing in eelgrass communities. This work continues in 2014-2016 to further explore the role of biocomplexity in this important coastal ecosystem.

To learn more about the ZEN program and our partners and students, please explore our website and check out the ZEN blogZEN Facebook page, and Flickr group.