Nick Tolimieri, Ph.D.

Background

Nick joined the Conservation Biology Division in 2009 after transferring over from the FRAM division.  He first worked for FRAM as an NRC research associate in September 2002, converting to a full time position in March 2003. Prior to joining FRAM, he held University of Auckland and Marsden Fund post-doctoral positions at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. While he was there, Nick focused on the ability of reef fish larvae to use ambient reef noise as a navigational cue for onshore movement at the end of the larval stage. He holds an M.Sc. from the University of New Hampshire and a Ph.D. from the University of Windsor. His doctoral work focused on settlement, recruitment, and habitat use in Caribbean reef fishes.

Current Research

Nick works in the Conservation Biology Division as a member of the Integrative Marine Ecology team in the Ecosystem Science Program.  He works on a range of research topics including: the effects of changes in mean trophic level on community dynamics, assemblage structure and diversity of west coast groundfishes, population dynamics of ESA listed rockfishes, and the effects of climate on recruitment.  Field projects include work monitoring eelgrass beds and their associated vertebrate and invertebrate assemblages within Puget Sound, and benthic surveys in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.  He also contributes to the Ecological Integrity section of the California Current Integrated Ecological Assessment and works to develop indicators for the same. Nick is also Unit Diving Supervisor for the NWFSC.