Ernst B. Peebles

Ernst B. Peebles is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Oceanography at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. His research focuses on marine resource assessment, including stable isotope analyses, DNA barcoding, and otolith microchemistry to study fish movements and habitat connectivity. He has led projects funded by NOAA and the Florida RESTORE Act, investigating topics like Gulf of Mexico fish spawning patterns and oil spill impacts.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of South Florida (1996)
• M.S., University of South Florida (1987)
• B.S., Tulane University (1983)

Research Interests: Dr. Peebles studies spatio-temporal interactions between coastal fish and their prey, environmental flow management in estuaries, and the use of isotopic and genetic tools to track fish movements. His work integrates hydrodynamic models and LA-ICP-MS techniques to connect adult fish to nursery habitats and assess exposure to environmental stressors like oil spills.

Projects:

• Annual fish-egg surveys on the West Florida Shelf (2019–2022)
• Pilot study on reef-fish recruitment variability (2017–2018)
• Tracking fish movement via stable isotopes and elemental oil markers (2015–2017)

Teaching: Current courses include Biological Oceanography, Fish Biology, and Fish Population Dynamics.