Erin Cox
In 1997, I received a B.S. in marine biology from Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida. I am currently finishing my M.S. degree from California State University, Fullerton. At CSUF, I have been a research assistant under the direction of Dr. Steve Murray. I have assisted in several thesis projects and have been involved in a regional long-term monitoring project of intertidal invertebrates and seaweeds on mainland and channel islands sites throughout California. I also enjoy teaching and have taught several laboratory courses including: Biology 101, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ecology, and Zoology.
Expected graduation date: Fall 2003
Email: terin_cox@yahoo.com
Master's
Thesis:
Food choice and assimilation efficiency in the marine herbivorous snail
Lithopoma undosum (Turbinidae)
My interests and thesis focuses on marine herbivore-seaweed interactions. Many studies have examined factors that contribute to food choice in herbivorous marine invertebrates. However, few studies have considered how well a food item is assimilated once it has been chosen for ingestion. The purpose of my master's research was to establish a choice hierarchy of macrophyte foods and then to examine the assimilation efficiency of selected red, brown, and green macroalgae by the herbivorous marine snail Lithopoma undosum. I am interested in other aspects of marine ecology, such as, life-history strategies, evolution, behavioral ecology, and predator-prey interactions.