Research Overview
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The Siders lab leverages diverse quantitative approaches from across ecology and fisheries science to aid natural resource management, generate robust ecological inference, and develop new analytical approaches. We use the challenges of data deficiency and big data to drive innovation, integration, and collaboration in our research.
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FISHERIES ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
Ensemble Random Forest predictions of Giant Manta Ray interactions around Hawaii
Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management — The Siders' lab has ongoing research building EBFM and dynamic ocean management tools for the open ocean. Much of this work started and remains focused on the North Pacific in collaboration with the NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center and Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council. Here, the two primary pelagic fisheries are the Hawaii-based Bigeye Tuna and Swordfish using longlines. Protected sea turtle, cetacean, seabird, and shark species are infrequently encountered by the fisheries but, due to their conservation status, each interaction is a potential cause for concern. But with the moving target of pelagic species, it can be difficult to effectively maintain sustainable fisheries alongside protected pelagic species. Dynamic Ocean Management seeks to solve this by using risk maps or dynamically closed spatial areas to reduce bycatch.
(Above) Predictions from an Ensemble Random Forest model of leatherback bycatch hotspots around the North Island of New Zealand
Current research is exploring the effects on bycatch rates by building dynamic ocean management products then using management strategy evaluation to simulate how fishers might respond and evaluate the performance of the tools. An example of this work is an evaluation of the long-term dynamic informational product, TurtleWatch, published in Biological Conservation. Most current work is built on the backbone of Ensemble Random Forests, a machine-learning algorithm implementation, that was developed to support the estimation of the distribution of rare bycatch interactions. One example of these applications is a hindcast assessment of dynamic spatial zones for potentially reducing western Pacific leatherback bycatch with New Zealand longline fisheries. We've also pursued using the Ensemble Random Forests tool for developing machine-learning methods for estimating the amount of bycatch and found they work really well except for hyper-rare bycatch. We have also assessed existing temporary spatial areas and found that fishery effort displacement can result in increased risk outside the closure for the protected species. You can also listen to an interview about AI in Action with the Streaming Science podcast about this work.
Swordfish for sale at the Honolulu Fish Auction
Opah for sale at the Honolulu Fish Auction
Leatherback sea turtle near the Kei Islands, Indonesia; Photo Credit: Jason Isley
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Protected Species Population Assessment —In collaboration with local, regional, national, and international partners, agencies, and NGOs, the Siders' lab works to develop state-of-the-art population assessment models to aid managers in making informed and robust natural resource conservation decisions. A key area of focus is developing these population models to incorporate all the available data on protected species impacts to robustly project where the population will be in the future. A recent and ongoing example of this has been a collaboration with the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Marine Turtle Biological and Assessment Program, NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office, and the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, where Dr. Siders modeled the trajectory of two populations of protected sea turtle species: western Pacific Leatherbacks and north Pacific Loggerheads. This species are caught incidentally on the Hawai'i and American Samoa pelagic longline fisheries. Using a Bayesian population trend estimation and a "take" model with demographic and fishery stochasticity, the team estimated negligible impacts of the Hawai'i shallow-set, deep-set, and the American Samoa longline fishery on the two populations. Unfortunately, other external threats are negatively impacting the trend of western Pacific Leatherbacks, which are likely to go extinct before the end of the century. These findings were published in two NOAA Technical Memoranda: TM-PIFSC-95 & TM-PIFSC-101 covering the Hawaii shallow-set pelagic longline fishery for Swordfish, the Hawaii deep-set pelagic longline fishery for Bigeye Tuna, and the American Samoa pelagic longline fishery for Albacore and Yellowfin Tuna. This research that supports Biological Opinions and Section 7 consultations under the Endangered Species Act, fishery management discussions, setting of Reasonable and Prudent Measures, evaluating protected species management tradeoffs, and contributes to intergovernmental management of protected species in the Pacific.
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This is an active area of research with funding from the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center to develop protected species management and EBFM tools and applications for the US-flagged central Pacific fisheries.
BAYESIAN
APPROACHES
FOR
LIFE HISTORY
Life history is a critical component of a species' ecology involving many physiological and biological processes such as growth, maturity, and reproduction. For many species, information on life history can be hard to acquire but essential for determining the risk to a species' survival from detrimental actions. Our lab works to generate Bayesian approaches to integrate various data sources on life history for a wide-variety of species. Below are published examples of this research.
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Brazilian Guitarfish — Led by Dr. Fabio Caltabellotta, Dr. Siders developed a Bayesian age-growth model for Pseudobatos horkelii, Pseudobatos percellens, and Zapteryx brevirostris in southern Brazil. The resulting model was used to estimate age and growth parameters for these three priority guitarfish species listed as Critically Endangered, Near Threatened, and Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Now published: doi: 10.1111/jfb.14123
(Above) Bowtie sections of guitarfish vertebrae for the three Brazilian guitarfish species showing off the classic banding patterns left behind by annual growth spurts. (Left) Age-growth relationships for three Brazilian Guitarfish species. Age is on the x-axis in units of years and growth is on the y-axis in units of centimeters of total length.
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Brazilian Electric Ray — Led by Dr. Fernanda Rolim, a postdoc at Universidade Estadual Paulista in São Paolo, Brazil, Dr. Siders extended the Brazilian guitarfish model to estimate two-dimensional growth of Narcine brasiliensis, the Brazilian Electric Ray, in southern Brazil. The joint estimation of length-weight and age-growth parameters was added along with derivations of age at maturity, longevity, and mortality at age. A significant component was incorporating uncertainty in size at birth into the von Bertalanffy growth model.
Now published: doi: 10.1111/jfb.14378 |
Female (left) and male (center) Brazilian Electric Ray with their vertebral section (right) used to age individuals
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(Above) Silhouettes of Goblin Sharks through the ages. (top) 1898 in the description of the species by David Starr Jordan. (top middle) 1904 by King Bragança of Portugal. (top bottom) 1909 by Hussakof and the renaming of Mitsukurina to Scapanorhynchus for a time. (bottom) 1981 by Cadenat and Blache in Requins de Méditerranée et d' Atlantique.
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Goblin Shark — Led by Dr. Siders and Dr. Fabio Caltabellotta, we estimated the first age-growth relationship for Goblin Sharks (Mitsukurina owstoni), one of the largest deepwater sharks. Dr. Caltabellotta developed a method to highlight the classic banding pattern that allowed an age reading on a specimen caught in Brazil in 2008. Dr. Siders developed a Bayesian age-growth model that used back-calculated lengths at age from this specimen, data on maximum male sizes, and data on size at birth to estimate the first age-growth parameters for the species. We are excited to age more specimens in the future. Now published: doi.org/10.1071/MF19370
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(Above) Vermilion Snapper otolith
Vermilion Snapper — Led by Dr. Derek Chamberlin and Dr. Will Patterson, we validated the age of Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), an important species to Gulf of Mexico reef fish fisheries, using a bomb radiocarbon chronometer. We found the ageing of Vermilion Snapper to be accurate, the oldest fish in our samples was 28 years old. But, we also found the species to exhibit highly variable length-at-age with little differences between sexes, estimated with a Bayesian regression. This has important consequences to fisheries stock assessments, which often use age-length keys to turn large samples of fish lengths to ages. Now published: doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106732
(Above) Bomb radiocarbon chronometer for the Gulf of Mexico (black line) with eye lens samples (red circles) and otolith samples (black circles) of Blackbelly Rosefish
Blackbelly Rosefish — Led by Dr. Derek Chamberlin and Dr. Will Patterson, we validated the ageing of and estimated the growth of Blackbelly Rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Siders led the development of a Bayesian penalized spline model to calculate the bomb radiocarbon chronometer and estimate the accuracy of the age observations. Together, Drs. Siders and Chamberlin used the validated ages to extend the von Bertalanffy growth model used for other species to account for inter-reader error in this incredibly long-lived fish, the oldest sample being 98 years old! Most importantly, this paper showed that the use of eye lens to get birth year estimates was valid and overcame the limits of otoliths, which tend to not work for deepwater fishes. Now published: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34680-0
(Above) CT tomography of a Gray Triggerfish highlighting the hard structures used for ageing.
Gray Triggerfish — Led by Dr. Derek Chamberlin, we validated a new ageing protocol for Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) developed by Jennifer Potts and Walter Rogers at the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center Beaufort Lab using bomb radiocarbon. This validation is critical for using the dorsal spines to age Gray Triggerfish moving forward as the historical protocol tended to underestimate age especially for older fish. Otolith protocols were suggested as an alternative but these take three times longer if you can even remove the tiny otoliths successfully to begin with. The Bayesian penalized spline method developed for Blackbelly Rosefish by Dr. Siders was redeployed here to validate the new spine method and the otolith methods. Now published: doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107123
We followed up with our newly validated ages with growth modeling. We built von Bertalanffy growth models for each ageing protocol while sharing a common size at birth, using additive sex effects to facilitate using data from unsexed individuals, and incorporating multiple reads for each protocol with a latent age approach. From the model, we were able to clearly identify sexually dimorphic growth with larger males than females (5.5 cm/2.16" longer). Since we estimated all three VBGFs within the same model, we were then able to compare posterior distributions of the growth parameters directly. We found that the old spine protocol overestimated the Brody growth coefficient which is frequently used as a natural mortality surrogate. This means that Gray Triggerfish populations are likely less productive that we originally thought and needs to be considered for sustainable fisheries management. Now published: doi/10.1139/cjfas-2024-0315
We followed up with our newly validated ages with growth modeling. We built von Bertalanffy growth models for each ageing protocol while sharing a common size at birth, using additive sex effects to facilitate using data from unsexed individuals, and incorporating multiple reads for each protocol with a latent age approach. From the model, we were able to clearly identify sexually dimorphic growth with larger males than females (5.5 cm/2.16" longer). Since we estimated all three VBGFs within the same model, we were then able to compare posterior distributions of the growth parameters directly. We found that the old spine protocol overestimated the Brody growth coefficient which is frequently used as a natural mortality surrogate. This means that Gray Triggerfish populations are likely less productive that we originally thought and needs to be considered for sustainable fisheries management. Now published: doi/10.1139/cjfas-2024-0315
River Cooters — Led by Eric Munscher through the Turtle Survival Alliance North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group, 20 years of mark-recapture sampling was conducted on four Pseudemys species (P. c. suwanniensis, P. nelsoni, P. peninsularis, P. texana) at five freshwater springs, four in Florida and one in Texas. Dr. Siders led the development of a hierarchical Bayesian von Bertalanffy mark-recapture growth model to separate out the species-specific growth from individual variation and influences of the environment on growth across all species and sites simultaneously. Growth estimates were the first for three of the taxa, first mark-recapture for four of the taxa, the sampling found larger specimens than ever recorded for all of the taxa, and the length at maturity estimates matched well previous studies indicating that life-history invariants are a viable strategy for estimating age at maturity in freshwater turtles. In all, this publication is a substantial gain in information on the life history of these abundant species. Now published: doi.org/10.3390/biology/12070965
(Above) Predicted length at age for four Pseudemys species (River Cooters) for females and males of each taxa.
(Above) Predicted carapace length at age for Pseudemys gorzugi (Rio Grande Cooter) for females and males
Rio Grande Cooters — In collaboration with Dr. Ivana Mali and MJ Suriyamongkol, a multivariate Bayesian von Bertalanffy growth model was estimated using mark-recapture of Rio Grande Cooters (Pseudemys gorzugi) from the Black River in New Mexico, the northern part of the species' range. We found incredibly slow growth in this species but a similar pattern of sexual dimorphism as other Pseudemys, with females far larger than males at their average maximum size. Novel to this model was a joint likelihood modeling the growth in carapace length, plastron length, and body depth while handling the correlations between the different growth parameters. Differences in habitat across the study site led to differences in growth as most individuals had high site fidelity. Now published: doi.org/10.1007/s10750-024-05486-6
Smalltooth Sawfish — In collaboration with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and CIMAS, we estimated somatic growth and maturity for smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata). As the species is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, we only had 115 opportunistic samples of sawfish that died and were recovered. We were able to get ages for these individuals and growth increments for 39 of the older individuals but 14 of the samples were partial carcasses without a known stretched total length. We also had lengths of individuals over time from long-term mark-recapture but with no ages for those individuals. With no ability (or desire) to increase our sample size, we had to get creative. All within the same Bayesian model, we first started by estimating length-length relationships between body size and stretched total length as well as rostrum length and stretched total length to get an estimate of the total length of carcasses. We then used each of the growth datasets, vertebral counts, mark-recapture, and increments, to inform the growth models. To incorporate uncertainty in the back-calculation of length at age from the increments, we borrowed the Goblin Shark approach developed previously. From our model, we estimated natural mortality and age at maturity. This information provides critical life history data for assessing the productivity of smalltooth sawfish and aid in determining their future conservation. Now published: spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/content/age-growth-maturity-and-natural-mortality-smalltooth-sawfish-pristis-pectinata-florida
(A) Stretched total length as a function of body length. (B) Stretched total length as a function of rostrum length. (C) Sex-specific VBGF growth models (lines) with vertebral count data (points). Dashes or crosses are individuals were their stretched total length was estimated within the Bayesian model.
This is an active area of research with Dr. Siders collaborating with other research teams to develop advanced Bayesian growth models, synthesize best growth modeling practices, improve age validation analyses, and explore new species-specific applications. Current collaborations are with the Turtle Survival Alliance North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group to develop applications to understudied freshwater turtle species, with NOAA Southwest and Pacific Islands Science Centers to develop latent state models for sea turtles, and with freshwater turtle scientists across North America to understand inter- and infraspecific variability in musk turtle (Sternotherus) growth.
AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY
The aim of this research is to better understand the processes that influence aquatic community ecology including phylogenetic relatedness, functional similarity, and environmental conditions. While much of this work is ecologically focused, many of the products of this work such phylogenetic and functional relationships between species are useful in the more applied aspects of the lab's research.
Pelagic biodiversity
Pelagic species are often circumglobal, spanning most of the planet's oceans, resulting in pelagic megafaunal communities assembling from recombinations of mostly the same species. Some of the lab's current research explores the assembly dynamics of these combinatorial communities.
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Shark functional diversity — Initial research was funded by the University of Florida Biodiversity Institute and was focused on dimensions of pelagic shark biodiversity in the North Pacific. For this work we assembled 38 traits from 1225 records from 130 sources, 260 pictographs from seven sources, and 631 teeth photographs from 79 jaw specimens! Using all this trait data, the research identified ten functional groups largely split by life history strategy, habitat, as well as dentition and diet. We found that only bathymetric zone really separated the functional groups of sharks across a suite of macro ecological gradients. Check out the full paper here.
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(A) North Pacific shark species and their functional group membership. (B) The mean trait value for each functional group and how clustered it was on the phylogeny.
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(Above) Principal components analysis of Carcharhinidae and Sphyrnidae proportional length measurements derived from pictographs (scientific illustrations)
Scientific illustrations for informing morphological traits — We followed up on our initial research by focusing on developing the use of scientific drawings as morphological traits for ecological and evolutionary analysis. We showed that measurements taken from all the pictographs we collected match those from actual specimens. Most scientific illustrators differ in very minor ways allowing researchers to use most field guides. Lastly, we showed examples of using pictographs with ancestral body shape reconstruction in Lamniformes (mackerel sharks) and phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models in Carcharhinidae & Sphyrnidae (requiem and hammerhead sharks). The former showed the great white/mako shark body shape is relatively new in Lamniformes while the latter showed sharks with narrow species ranges (more endemic) have second dorsal and anal fins as well as smaller heterocercal angles in the caudal fin (dorsal caudal lobe is tilted backwards) . Now published: doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9761
Dimensions of shark biodiversity at depth — In an effort to better understand which sharks interact, we pursued estimating how North Pacific sharks spend their time throughout the water column. To do, we collated 283 existing biotelemetry records from 119 studies with time-at-depth summarizations for 1133 individuals from 35 species. We then trained a hurdle Ensemble Random Forest model to predict time-at-depth for other sharks based on depth ranges reported in field guides and IUCN habitat affinities. From these predictions, we calculated taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional trait biodiversity metrics and then compared metrics made using just the depth range information versus those made with the extra resolution provided by the time-at-depth information. Not surprisingly, we found that bringing in time-at-depth information resulted in quite different estimates of biodiversity as a function of depth. Now published: doi.org/10.1111/ecog.07249
(Above) Predictions of time-at-depth (shaded violins) for North Pacific sharks versus their reported depth range (white line).
This is an active area of research with graduate students working on a variety of research topics and undergraduate researchers working to expand the portfolio of functional traits. An ongoing collaboration with FL SeaGrant and the Return 'Em Right program is working on Gulf of Mexico reef fish applications of the techniques developed for sharks in the North Pacific.
PUBLICATIONS
48. McAvinchey C., Munscher E., Butterfield B., Hootman T., Hall B., Cozad R.A., Pop T., Pignatelli J.J., Barrett H., Marlin J., Siders Z.A., Walde A.D. (2025) Preliminary assessment of movements and habitat use of the Tabasco Mud Turtle, Kinosternon acutum (Gray, 1831) in a Tropical Rainforest in Belize. Herpetology Notes. 18. 891-901. http://herpetologynotes.org/index.php/hn/article/view/90
47. Munscher E.C. †, Siders Z.A. †, Weber A., Munscher J., Morrison M., Osborne W., Letcher S., Butterfield B., Skibsted M., Walde A. (2025) Long-Term Trends in Population Dynamics of the Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox) in a Protected Spring Ecosystem. Biology. 14(8). 1018. doi: 10.3390/biology14081018
46. Van Wert J., Siders Z.A., Jones T.T., Ahrens R.N.M. (2025) Hawaiʻi's pelagic longline fishery demonstrates the need to consider multispecies impacts in bluewater time-area closures. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 82(7). fsaf111. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf111
45. Munscher E. †, Siders Z.A. †, Skibsted M., Letcher S., Morrison M., Walde A.D. (2025) Multivariate sexual size dimorphism in the Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox). Hydrobiologia. doi: 10.1007/s10750-025-05975-2
44. Henry J., Deneau J., Gibbons P., Skibsted M., Hall B., Pop T., Siders Z.A., Walde A., Munscher E. (2025) The use of fluorescent powdered pigments as a tracking technique for hatchling turtles in Belize. Herpetology Notes. 18. 455-462. http://www.herpetologynotes.org/index.php/hn/article/view/43/26
43. Kroetz A.M., Mathers A., Siders Z.A., Wooley A.K., Heath L.B., Yakich D.M., Scharer R.M., Poulakis G.R. (2025) Age, growth, and derived life history parameters of the smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata, in Florida waters. Fishery Bulletin. 123(3) 190-206. doi: 10.7755/FB.123.3.5
42. Chamberlin D.W., Siders Z.A., Potts J.C., Rogers W.D., Patterson W.F. (2025) Bayesian state-space estimation of von Bertalanffy growth parameters for gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus, incorporating multiple readers and ageing structures. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 82. 1-12. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2024-0315
41. Hootman T. †, Siders Z.A. †, Munscher E., Enz J., Hauge J.B., Skibsted M., Walton E., Walde A.D. (2025) Movements of two river cooters (Pseudemys) in a protected Florida spring fed river system. Hydrobiologia. 852. 3385-3403. doi: 10.1007/s10750-025-05817-1
40. Lipscomb T., Siders Z.A., Austing S., Von Bargen J., Earley L. (2025) Accelerating the Reintroduction of Endangered Sacramento River Winter Run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawystcha to Battle Creek, California using Captive Broodstock. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 25(2): 236-250. doi: 10.1093/najfmt/vqaf009
39. Siders Z.A., Trotta L.B., Caltabellotta F.P., Patrone W., Loesser K.B., Baiser B. (2025) Predicting time-at-depth weighted biodiversity patterns for sharks of the North Pacific. Ecography. e20749. doi: 10.1111/ecog.07249
38. Chamberlin D.W., Potts J.C., Rogers W.D., Siders Z.A., Patterson W.F. (2024) Bomb 14C validates Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) dorsal spine and otolith ageing protocols. Fisheries Research. 279. 107123. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107123
37. Collins A.B., Fluech B., Siders Z.A., Sipos M., Zangroniz A. (2024) Diving for Data: Florida Sea Grant’s Great Goliath Grouper Count. Oceanography. 37 (1) 102-103. doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2024.230
36. Love G., Siders Z.A., Gandy D., Pine W.E., Baker S., Camp E.V. (2024) Estuarine faunal community shows minimal response following large-scale oyster reef habitat loss in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. Hydrobiologia. 851. 3925-3942. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4857
35. Moreau E.D., Bojko J., Siders Z.A., Stephens N.C., Behringer D.C. (2024) Decapod fisheries and parasite species richness: An exploration of host traits and parasite influence. Reviews in Fisheries and Aquaculture. 34. 935-958. doi: /10.1007/s11160-024-09860-4
34. Perry D., Siders Z.A., Crandall C., Morales N., Arlinghaus R., Lorenzen K., Camp E.V. (2024) Psychological Commitment of Freshwater Anglers and its Relation to their Preferences for Stocking and Other Management Actions. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 81(6): 768-780. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2023-0269
33. Long C.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Jones T.T., Siders Z.A. (2024) A machine learning approach for protected species bycatch estimation. Frontiers in Marine Science. 11. 1342475. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1342475
32. Love G.D., Siders Z.A., Gandy D.A., Pine W.E., Baker S.A., Camp E.V. (2024) Unexpected stability in faunal population abundances following an estuary-wide collapse of oysters. Ecosphere. 15. 8. e4857. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4857
31. Siders Z.A., Murray C., Puloka C., Harley S., Duffy C., Ahrens R.N.M., Jones T.T. (2024) Potential of dynamic ocean management strategies for western Pacific leatherback sea turtle bycatch mitigation in New Zealand. Frontiers in Marine Science. 11:1342475. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1342475
30. Suriyamongkol T. †, Siders Z.A. †, Mali I. (2024) Conservation implications of somatic growth and length-at-age in Pseudemys gorzugi, Rio Grande Cooter. Hydrobiologia. 851. 3525-3539. doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05486-6
29. Chong L., Siders Z.A., Lorenzen K., Ahrens R.N.M., Camp E.V. (2024) Global synthesis of effects and feedbacks from artificial reefs on socioecological systems in recreational fisheries. Fish and Fisheries. 25 (2) 303-319. doi: 10.1111/faf.12809
28. Siders Z.A., Stratman T., Turner Tomaszewicz C.N., Walde A.D., Munscher E.C. (2023) Somatic growth and maturity for four species of River Cooter including Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis, P. nelsoni, P. peninsularis, and P. texana. Biology. 12 (965). doi: 10.3390/biology12070965
27. Chamberlin D., Siders Z.A., Barnett B., Patterson W.F. (2023) Eye lens-derived ∆14C signatures validate extreme longevity in the deepwater scorpaenid, blackbelly rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus). Scientific Reports. 13 (1) 7438. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-34680-0
26. Chamberlin D., Siders Z.A., Barnett B., Ahrens R.N.M., Patterson W.F. (2023) Highly Variable Length-at-Age in Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) Validated via Bayesian Analysis of Bomb Radiocarbon. Fisheries Research. 264, 106732. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106732.
25. Chong L.†, Fisch N.†, Borsum J.S., Granneman J., Perry D., Love G., Hall-Scharf B., Botta R., Lorenzen K., Camp E.V.††, Siders Z.A.†† (2023) Biologically-designed harvest seasons can maximize recreational fishery objectives in annual taxa; a case study of Florida Bay Scallop Management. Fisheries Research. 263, 106683, doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106683.
24. Vilas D., Buszowski J., Sagarese S., Steenbeek J., Siders Z.A., Chagaris D. (2023) Evaluating red tide effects on the west Florida shelf using a spatiotemporal ecosystem modeling framework. Scientific Reports. 13, 2451. doi: 10.10388/s41598-023-29327-z .
23. Siders Z.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Martin S., Camp E.V., Jones T.T. (2023) Evaluation of the long-term TurtleWatch dynamic ocean management product. Biological Conservation. 279, 109912. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109912
22. Siders Z.A., Caltabellotta F.P., Loesser K.B., Trotta L.B., Baiser B. (2023) Using pictographs as functional traits to explore morphological diversity in sharks. Ecology and Evolution. 13(1) e9761 doi: 10.1002/ece.9761
21. Vilas D., Fletcher R.J. Jr., Siders Z., Chagaris D. (2022) Understanding the temporal dynamics of estimated environmental niche hypervolumes for marine fish. Ecology and Evolution. 12(12) e9604 doi: 10.1002/ece3.9604.
20. Siders Z.A., Westgate A.J., Bell K., Koopman H.N. (2022) Highly variable basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) diving behavior in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science 9 976857. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.976857
19. Siders Z.A., Trotta L.B., Caltabellotta F.P., Loesser K.B., Baiser B., Ahrens R.N.M. (2022) Functional and phylogenetic diversity of sharks in the northeastern Pacific. Journal of Biogeography 49 (7), 1313-1326. doi: 10.1111/jbi.14383
18. Tuckett Q., Lawson K., Lipscomb T.N., Hill J.E., Daniel W., Siders Z.A., (2021) Non-native poeciliids in hot water; the role of thermal springs in facilitating invasion of tropical species. Hydrobiologia. 848. 4731-4745. doi: 10.1007/s10750-021-04669-9
17. McCullough J.L.K., Wren J.L.K., Oleson E.M., Allen A.N., Siders Z.A., Norris E.S. (2021) An acoustic survey of beaked whales and Kogia spp. in the Mariana Archipelago using drifting recorders. Frontiers in Marine Science 8 664292. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.664292
16. Trotta L.B., Siders Z.A., Sessa E.B., Baiser B. (2021) The role of phylogenetic scale in Darwin’s naturalization conundrum in the critically imperilled pine rockland ecosystem. Diversity and Distributions. 27(4), 618-631. doi: 10.1111/ddi.13220
15. Mobini S., Kuliasha C.A., Siders Z.A., Bohmann N.A., Jamal S., Judy J.W., et al. (2021). Microtopographical patterns promote different responses in fibroblasts and Schwann cells: A possible feature for neural implants. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A 109, 64–76. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.37007
14. Siders Z.A., Ducharme-Barth N., Carvalho F., Kobayashi D., Martin S., Raynor J., et al. (2020). Ensemble Random Forests as a tool for modeling rare occurrences. Endangered Species Research 43, 183–197. doi: 10.3354/esr01060
13. Hazelkorn R.A., Wells R.S., Siders Z.A., DeLynn R., Lovewell G.N. (2020). Physical maturity in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Sarasota Bay, Florida. Marine Mammal Science 36, 1309–1321. doi: 10.1111/mms.12733
12. Siders Z.A. & Havens K.E. (2020). Revisiting the total maximum daily load total phosphorus goal in Lake Okeechobee. Hydrobiologia 847, 4221–4232. doi: 10.1007/s10750-020-04406-8
11. Caltabellotta F.P. †, Siders Z.A. †, Cailliet G.M., Motta F.S., Gadig O.B.F. (2020). Preliminary age and growth of the deep-water goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni (Jordan, 1898). Marine and Freshwater Research 72 432-438. doi:10.1071/MF19370
10. Rolim F.A. †, Siders Z.A. †, Caltabellotta F.P. †, Rotundo M.M., Vaske‐Júnior T. (2020). Growth and derived life‐history characteristics of the Brazilian electric ray Narcine brasiliensis. Journal of Fish Biology 97, 396–408. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14378
9. Siders Z.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Allen M.S., Walters C.J. (2020). Density‐dependent prey behaviours and mutable predator foraging modes induce Allee effects and over‐prediction of prey mortality rates. Freshwater Biology 65, 1752–1764. doi: 10.1111/fwb.13577
8. Caltabellotta F.P., Siders Z.A., Murie D.J., Motta F.S., Cailliet G.M., Gadig O.B.F. (2019). Age and growth of three endemic threatened guitarfishes Pseudobatos horkelii, P. percellens and Zapteryx brevirostris in the western South Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Fish Biology 95, 1236–1248. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14123
7. Matthias B.G., Ahrens R.N.M., Allen M.S., Tuten T., Siders Z.A., Wilson K.L. (2018). Understanding the effects of density and environmental variability on the process of fish growth. Fisheries Research 198, 209–219. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2017.08.018
6. Lynch A.J., Cooke S.J., Beard T.D., Kao Y.-C., Lorenzen K., Song A.M., et al. (2017). Grand Challenges in the Management and Conservation of North American Inland Fishes and Fisheries. Fisheries 42, 115–124. doi: 10.1080/03632415.2017.1259945
5. Koopman H.N., Westgate A.J., Siders Z.A. (2015). Declining fecundity and factors affecting embryo quality in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) from the Bay of Fundy. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 72, 352–363. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2014-0277
4. Koopman H., Westgate A., Siders Z.A., Cahoon L. (2014). Rapid Subsurface Ocean Warming in the Bay of Fundy as Measured by Free-Swimming Basking Sharks. Oceanography 27. doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2014.32
3. Westgate A., Koopman H., Siders Z.A., Wong S., Ronconi R. (2014). Population density and abundance of basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. Endangered Species Research 23, 177–185. doi: 10.3354/esr00567
2. Siders Z.A., Westgate A.J., Johnston D.W., Murison L.D., Koopman H.N. (2013). Seasonal Variation in the Spatial Distribution of Basking Sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in the Lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. PLoS ONE 8, e82074. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082074
1. Koopman H.N., Siders Z.A. (2013). Variation in egg quality in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from North Carolina: does female size matter? Journal of Crustacean Biology 33, 481–487. doi: 10.1163/1937240X-00002152
47. Munscher E.C. †, Siders Z.A. †, Weber A., Munscher J., Morrison M., Osborne W., Letcher S., Butterfield B., Skibsted M., Walde A. (2025) Long-Term Trends in Population Dynamics of the Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox) in a Protected Spring Ecosystem. Biology. 14(8). 1018. doi: 10.3390/biology14081018
46. Van Wert J., Siders Z.A., Jones T.T., Ahrens R.N.M. (2025) Hawaiʻi's pelagic longline fishery demonstrates the need to consider multispecies impacts in bluewater time-area closures. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 82(7). fsaf111. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf111
45. Munscher E. †, Siders Z.A. †, Skibsted M., Letcher S., Morrison M., Walde A.D. (2025) Multivariate sexual size dimorphism in the Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox). Hydrobiologia. doi: 10.1007/s10750-025-05975-2
44. Henry J., Deneau J., Gibbons P., Skibsted M., Hall B., Pop T., Siders Z.A., Walde A., Munscher E. (2025) The use of fluorescent powdered pigments as a tracking technique for hatchling turtles in Belize. Herpetology Notes. 18. 455-462. http://www.herpetologynotes.org/index.php/hn/article/view/43/26
43. Kroetz A.M., Mathers A., Siders Z.A., Wooley A.K., Heath L.B., Yakich D.M., Scharer R.M., Poulakis G.R. (2025) Age, growth, and derived life history parameters of the smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata, in Florida waters. Fishery Bulletin. 123(3) 190-206. doi: 10.7755/FB.123.3.5
42. Chamberlin D.W., Siders Z.A., Potts J.C., Rogers W.D., Patterson W.F. (2025) Bayesian state-space estimation of von Bertalanffy growth parameters for gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus, incorporating multiple readers and ageing structures. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 82. 1-12. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2024-0315
41. Hootman T. †, Siders Z.A. †, Munscher E., Enz J., Hauge J.B., Skibsted M., Walton E., Walde A.D. (2025) Movements of two river cooters (Pseudemys) in a protected Florida spring fed river system. Hydrobiologia. 852. 3385-3403. doi: 10.1007/s10750-025-05817-1
40. Lipscomb T., Siders Z.A., Austing S., Von Bargen J., Earley L. (2025) Accelerating the Reintroduction of Endangered Sacramento River Winter Run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawystcha to Battle Creek, California using Captive Broodstock. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 25(2): 236-250. doi: 10.1093/najfmt/vqaf009
39. Siders Z.A., Trotta L.B., Caltabellotta F.P., Patrone W., Loesser K.B., Baiser B. (2025) Predicting time-at-depth weighted biodiversity patterns for sharks of the North Pacific. Ecography. e20749. doi: 10.1111/ecog.07249
38. Chamberlin D.W., Potts J.C., Rogers W.D., Siders Z.A., Patterson W.F. (2024) Bomb 14C validates Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) dorsal spine and otolith ageing protocols. Fisheries Research. 279. 107123. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107123
37. Collins A.B., Fluech B., Siders Z.A., Sipos M., Zangroniz A. (2024) Diving for Data: Florida Sea Grant’s Great Goliath Grouper Count. Oceanography. 37 (1) 102-103. doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2024.230
36. Love G., Siders Z.A., Gandy D., Pine W.E., Baker S., Camp E.V. (2024) Estuarine faunal community shows minimal response following large-scale oyster reef habitat loss in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. Hydrobiologia. 851. 3925-3942. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4857
35. Moreau E.D., Bojko J., Siders Z.A., Stephens N.C., Behringer D.C. (2024) Decapod fisheries and parasite species richness: An exploration of host traits and parasite influence. Reviews in Fisheries and Aquaculture. 34. 935-958. doi: /10.1007/s11160-024-09860-4
34. Perry D., Siders Z.A., Crandall C., Morales N., Arlinghaus R., Lorenzen K., Camp E.V. (2024) Psychological Commitment of Freshwater Anglers and its Relation to their Preferences for Stocking and Other Management Actions. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 81(6): 768-780. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2023-0269
33. Long C.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Jones T.T., Siders Z.A. (2024) A machine learning approach for protected species bycatch estimation. Frontiers in Marine Science. 11. 1342475. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1342475
32. Love G.D., Siders Z.A., Gandy D.A., Pine W.E., Baker S.A., Camp E.V. (2024) Unexpected stability in faunal population abundances following an estuary-wide collapse of oysters. Ecosphere. 15. 8. e4857. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4857
31. Siders Z.A., Murray C., Puloka C., Harley S., Duffy C., Ahrens R.N.M., Jones T.T. (2024) Potential of dynamic ocean management strategies for western Pacific leatherback sea turtle bycatch mitigation in New Zealand. Frontiers in Marine Science. 11:1342475. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1342475
30. Suriyamongkol T. †, Siders Z.A. †, Mali I. (2024) Conservation implications of somatic growth and length-at-age in Pseudemys gorzugi, Rio Grande Cooter. Hydrobiologia. 851. 3525-3539. doi: 10.1007/s10750-024-05486-6
29. Chong L., Siders Z.A., Lorenzen K., Ahrens R.N.M., Camp E.V. (2024) Global synthesis of effects and feedbacks from artificial reefs on socioecological systems in recreational fisheries. Fish and Fisheries. 25 (2) 303-319. doi: 10.1111/faf.12809
28. Siders Z.A., Stratman T., Turner Tomaszewicz C.N., Walde A.D., Munscher E.C. (2023) Somatic growth and maturity for four species of River Cooter including Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis, P. nelsoni, P. peninsularis, and P. texana. Biology. 12 (965). doi: 10.3390/biology12070965
27. Chamberlin D., Siders Z.A., Barnett B., Patterson W.F. (2023) Eye lens-derived ∆14C signatures validate extreme longevity in the deepwater scorpaenid, blackbelly rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus). Scientific Reports. 13 (1) 7438. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-34680-0
26. Chamberlin D., Siders Z.A., Barnett B., Ahrens R.N.M., Patterson W.F. (2023) Highly Variable Length-at-Age in Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) Validated via Bayesian Analysis of Bomb Radiocarbon. Fisheries Research. 264, 106732. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106732.
25. Chong L.†, Fisch N.†, Borsum J.S., Granneman J., Perry D., Love G., Hall-Scharf B., Botta R., Lorenzen K., Camp E.V.††, Siders Z.A.†† (2023) Biologically-designed harvest seasons can maximize recreational fishery objectives in annual taxa; a case study of Florida Bay Scallop Management. Fisheries Research. 263, 106683, doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106683.
24. Vilas D., Buszowski J., Sagarese S., Steenbeek J., Siders Z.A., Chagaris D. (2023) Evaluating red tide effects on the west Florida shelf using a spatiotemporal ecosystem modeling framework. Scientific Reports. 13, 2451. doi: 10.10388/s41598-023-29327-z .
23. Siders Z.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Martin S., Camp E.V., Jones T.T. (2023) Evaluation of the long-term TurtleWatch dynamic ocean management product. Biological Conservation. 279, 109912. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109912
22. Siders Z.A., Caltabellotta F.P., Loesser K.B., Trotta L.B., Baiser B. (2023) Using pictographs as functional traits to explore morphological diversity in sharks. Ecology and Evolution. 13(1) e9761 doi: 10.1002/ece.9761
21. Vilas D., Fletcher R.J. Jr., Siders Z., Chagaris D. (2022) Understanding the temporal dynamics of estimated environmental niche hypervolumes for marine fish. Ecology and Evolution. 12(12) e9604 doi: 10.1002/ece3.9604.
20. Siders Z.A., Westgate A.J., Bell K., Koopman H.N. (2022) Highly variable basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) diving behavior in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science 9 976857. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.976857
19. Siders Z.A., Trotta L.B., Caltabellotta F.P., Loesser K.B., Baiser B., Ahrens R.N.M. (2022) Functional and phylogenetic diversity of sharks in the northeastern Pacific. Journal of Biogeography 49 (7), 1313-1326. doi: 10.1111/jbi.14383
18. Tuckett Q., Lawson K., Lipscomb T.N., Hill J.E., Daniel W., Siders Z.A., (2021) Non-native poeciliids in hot water; the role of thermal springs in facilitating invasion of tropical species. Hydrobiologia. 848. 4731-4745. doi: 10.1007/s10750-021-04669-9
17. McCullough J.L.K., Wren J.L.K., Oleson E.M., Allen A.N., Siders Z.A., Norris E.S. (2021) An acoustic survey of beaked whales and Kogia spp. in the Mariana Archipelago using drifting recorders. Frontiers in Marine Science 8 664292. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.664292
16. Trotta L.B., Siders Z.A., Sessa E.B., Baiser B. (2021) The role of phylogenetic scale in Darwin’s naturalization conundrum in the critically imperilled pine rockland ecosystem. Diversity and Distributions. 27(4), 618-631. doi: 10.1111/ddi.13220
15. Mobini S., Kuliasha C.A., Siders Z.A., Bohmann N.A., Jamal S., Judy J.W., et al. (2021). Microtopographical patterns promote different responses in fibroblasts and Schwann cells: A possible feature for neural implants. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A 109, 64–76. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.37007
14. Siders Z.A., Ducharme-Barth N., Carvalho F., Kobayashi D., Martin S., Raynor J., et al. (2020). Ensemble Random Forests as a tool for modeling rare occurrences. Endangered Species Research 43, 183–197. doi: 10.3354/esr01060
13. Hazelkorn R.A., Wells R.S., Siders Z.A., DeLynn R., Lovewell G.N. (2020). Physical maturity in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Sarasota Bay, Florida. Marine Mammal Science 36, 1309–1321. doi: 10.1111/mms.12733
12. Siders Z.A. & Havens K.E. (2020). Revisiting the total maximum daily load total phosphorus goal in Lake Okeechobee. Hydrobiologia 847, 4221–4232. doi: 10.1007/s10750-020-04406-8
11. Caltabellotta F.P. †, Siders Z.A. †, Cailliet G.M., Motta F.S., Gadig O.B.F. (2020). Preliminary age and growth of the deep-water goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni (Jordan, 1898). Marine and Freshwater Research 72 432-438. doi:10.1071/MF19370
10. Rolim F.A. †, Siders Z.A. †, Caltabellotta F.P. †, Rotundo M.M., Vaske‐Júnior T. (2020). Growth and derived life‐history characteristics of the Brazilian electric ray Narcine brasiliensis. Journal of Fish Biology 97, 396–408. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14378
9. Siders Z.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Allen M.S., Walters C.J. (2020). Density‐dependent prey behaviours and mutable predator foraging modes induce Allee effects and over‐prediction of prey mortality rates. Freshwater Biology 65, 1752–1764. doi: 10.1111/fwb.13577
8. Caltabellotta F.P., Siders Z.A., Murie D.J., Motta F.S., Cailliet G.M., Gadig O.B.F. (2019). Age and growth of three endemic threatened guitarfishes Pseudobatos horkelii, P. percellens and Zapteryx brevirostris in the western South Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Fish Biology 95, 1236–1248. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14123
7. Matthias B.G., Ahrens R.N.M., Allen M.S., Tuten T., Siders Z.A., Wilson K.L. (2018). Understanding the effects of density and environmental variability on the process of fish growth. Fisheries Research 198, 209–219. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2017.08.018
6. Lynch A.J., Cooke S.J., Beard T.D., Kao Y.-C., Lorenzen K., Song A.M., et al. (2017). Grand Challenges in the Management and Conservation of North American Inland Fishes and Fisheries. Fisheries 42, 115–124. doi: 10.1080/03632415.2017.1259945
5. Koopman H.N., Westgate A.J., Siders Z.A. (2015). Declining fecundity and factors affecting embryo quality in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) from the Bay of Fundy. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 72, 352–363. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2014-0277
4. Koopman H., Westgate A., Siders Z.A., Cahoon L. (2014). Rapid Subsurface Ocean Warming in the Bay of Fundy as Measured by Free-Swimming Basking Sharks. Oceanography 27. doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2014.32
3. Westgate A., Koopman H., Siders Z.A., Wong S., Ronconi R. (2014). Population density and abundance of basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. Endangered Species Research 23, 177–185. doi: 10.3354/esr00567
2. Siders Z.A., Westgate A.J., Johnston D.W., Murison L.D., Koopman H.N. (2013). Seasonal Variation in the Spatial Distribution of Basking Sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in the Lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. PLoS ONE 8, e82074. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082074
1. Koopman H.N., Siders Z.A. (2013). Variation in egg quality in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from North Carolina: does female size matter? Journal of Crustacean Biology 33, 481–487. doi: 10.1163/1937240X-00002152