Brian Cheng
Associate Professor of Marine Ecology
Research Interests
Our research interests straddle the line between basic and applied problems in marine ecology. We seek to integrate knowledge from the physical sciences (oceanography) with biology (evolution, ecology, and physiology) to understand what the future holds for marine ecosystems. We are currently focusing on global change (climate change, biological invasions), predator-prey interactions, and management tools (marine protected areas) using lab experiments, field observations, and quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis).
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Institution – 2014-2017
Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2014
M.S., San Diego State University, 2008
B.S., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2001
Courses Taught
ENVIRSCI 214 – Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Global Change (Spring)
NRC 494GI – Global Change Ecology (Fall, odd years)
NRC 590M – Marine Ecology (Fall, even years)
Publications
Highlights for postdocs or graduate students in the lab or mentored by B.C.
DiFiore, B.P., B.S. Cheng, J. Dutka-Gianelli, A.J. Kinchla, A. Jordaan (2025). An alternative bait for the American lobster fishery composed of fishery by-products to reduce reliance on forage fish. Fisheries Research 286:107389
Bentley, B.P., B.S. Cheng, R.S. Brennan, J.D. Swenson, J.L. Adkins, A.R. Villeneueve, L.M. Komoroske (2025). Successful invasion into new environments without evidence of rapid adaptation by a predatory marine gastropod. Molecular Ecology 33(23):e17575
Blumenthal, J.G., A.L. Chang, B.S. Cheng, E.M. Hines, L. Nanus, C.J. Zabin (2025). Fine-scale habitat factors linked to density but not distribution of an invasive estuarine predator. Aquatic Invasions 20(1):69-87.
Lonthair, J.K., N.C. Wegner, B.S. Cheng, N.A. Fangue, M.J. O’Donnell, A.M. Regish, J.D. Swenson, E. Argueta, S.D. McCormick, B.H. Letcher, L.M. Komoroske (2024) The gill oxygen limitation hypothesis remains unsupported by experimental evidence. Response to ‘Testing mechanistic theories must be based on correct interpretations’. Journal of Experimental Biology 227:jeb248173.
Fernandez, N.B., L.M. Komoroske, A.J. Danylchuk, J.M. Barley, C. Primack, B.S. Cheng (2024) Damming creates winners and losers: life history traits fail to predict vulnerability in freshwater fishes. Global Ecology and Conservation 52:e02957.
Skorupa, A.J., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, D. Perkins, T. Warren, B.S. Cheng (2024) Food and water quality impact in situ growth of a freshwater mussel: implications for population restoration. Freshwater Science 43:107-123.
Zabin, C.J., A. Chang, J. Blumenthal, B.S. Cheng (2024) Exploring intertidal refugia as an approach for the restoration of an intertidal oyster. Marine Ecology Progress Series 738:119-132.
Lonthair, J. N. Wegner, B.S. Cheng, N. Fangue, M. O’Donnell, A. Regish, J. Swenson, E. Argueta, S. McCormick, B. Letcher, L. Komoroske (2024) Smaller body size under warming is not due to gill-oxygen limitation in a cold-water salmonid. Journal of Experimental Biology 227:jeb246477 Code & Data | Press Release
Sasaki, M., J.M. Barley, S. Gignoux-Wolfsohn, C.G. Hays, M.W. Kelly, A.B. Putnam, S. N. Sheeth, A.R. Villeneuve, B.S. Cheng (2022) Greater evolutionary divergence of thermal limits within marine than terrestrial species. Nature Climate Change 12:1175-1180 | Press Release
Sasaki, M. and B.S. Cheng (2022) Populations adapt more to temperature in the ocean than on land.
Nature Climate Change 12: 1098-1099. Research Briefing
Ashton, G.V., A.L. Freestone, J.E. Duffy, M.E. Torchin, B.J. Sewall, B. Tracy, M. Albano, A.H. Altieri, L.Altvater, R. Bastida-Zavala, A. Bortolus, A. Brante, V. Bravo, N. Brown, A. H. Buschmann, E. Buskey, R.C. Barrera, B.S. Cheng, R. Collin, R. Coutinho, L. De Gracia, G.M. Dias, C. DiBacco, A.A.V. Flores, M.A. Haddad, Z. Hoffman, B.I. Erquiaga, D. Janiak, A.J.Campeán, I. Keith, J.Leclerc, O.P. Lecompte-Pérez, G.O. Longo, H. Matthews-Cascon, C.H McKenzie, J. Miller, M. Munizaga, L.P. D Naval-Xavier, S.A. Navarrete, C. Otálora, L.A. Palomino-Alvarez, M.G. alomo, C. Patrick, C. Pegau, S. V Pereda, R.M. Rocha, C. Rumbold, C. Sánchez, A. Sanjuan-Muñoz, C. Schlöder, E. Schwindt, J. Seemann, A. Shanks, N. Simoes, L. Skinner, N. Yolimar Suárez-Mozo, M. Thiel, N. Valdivia, X. Velez-Zuazo, E. A. Vieira, B. Vildoso, I.S. Wehrtmann, M. Whalen, L. Wilbur, G.M. Ruiz (2022) Predator control of marine communities increases with temperature across 115 degrees of latitude. Science 376:1215-1219
Cheng, B.S., J. Blumenthal, A.L. Chang, J.M. Barley, M.C. Ferner, K.J. Nielsen, G.M. Ruiz, C.J. Zabin. (2022) Severe introduced predator impacts despite attempted functional eradication. Biological Invasions 24:725-739| code and data | preprint
Barley, J. M., B.S. Cheng, M. Sasaki, S. Gignoux-Wolfsohn, C.G. Hays, A.B. Putnam, S. Sheeth, A.R. Villeneuve, M.W. Kelly. (2021) Limited plasticity in thermally tolerant ectotherm populations: evidence for a trade-off. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288:20210765
Villeneuve, A.R., L.M. Komoroske, B.S. Cheng. (2021) Environment and phenology shape local adaptation in thermal performance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288:20210741
Villeneuve, A.R., L.M. Komoroske, B.S. Cheng. (2021) Diminished warming tolerance and plasticity in low latitude populations of a marine gastropod. Conservation Physiology 9:coab039
Hollarsmith, J.A., J.S. Sadowski, M.M.M. Picard, B.S. Cheng, J. Farlin, A. Russell, E.D. Grosholz. (2020) Relative effects of event-driven estuarine acidification (EA) on growth and survival of native and commercial oysters. Limnology and Oceanography 65:224-235
Banerjee, S.M., C.D. Allen, T. Schmitt, B.S. Cheng, J. A. Seminoff, T. Eguchi, L. M. Komoroske. (2019) Baseline health parameters of eastern Pacific green turtles at Southern California foraging grounds. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 18:163-174
Cheng, B.S., A.H. Altieri, M.E. Torchin, G.M. Ruiz (2019) Can marine reserves restore lost ecosystem function? A global synthesis. Ecology 100:e02617
Cheng, B.S., G.M. Ruiz, A.H. Altieri, M.E. Torchin. (2019) The biogeography of invasion in tropical and temperate seagrass beds: testing interactive effects of predation and propagule pressure. Diversity and Distributions 25:285-297
Bible, J.M., B.S. Cheng, A.L. Chang, M.C. Ferner, K. Wasson, C.J. Zabin, M. Latta, E. Sanford, A. Deck, E.D. Grosholz (2017) Timing of stressors alters interactive effects on a coastal foundation species. Ecology 98:2468-2478 pdf
Cheng, B.S., L.M. Komoroske, E.D. Grosholz (2017) Trophic sensitivity of invasive predator and native prey interactions: integrating environmental context and climate change. Functional Ecology 31:642-652 pdf | data
Cheng, B.S., A.L. Chang, A. Deck, M.C. Ferner (2016) Atmospheric rivers and the mass mortality of wild oysters: insight into an extreme future?
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 283:20161462 pdf | data
Cheng, B.S. and E.D. Grosholz (2016) Environmental stress mediates trophic cascade strength and resistance to invasion. Ecosphere 7 (4): e01247. 10.1002/ecs2.1247 pdf
Cheng, B.S., J.M. Bible, A.L. Chang, M.C. Ferner, K. Wasson, C.J. Zabin, M. Latta, A. Deck, A.E. Todgham, E.D. Grosholz (2015)
Testing local and global stressor impacts on a coastal foundation species using an ecologically realistic framework. Global Change Biology 21:2488-2499 pdf
Williams, S.L., N. Janetski, S. Blankenhorn, J. Abbott, B.S. Cheng, E. Crafton, D. Trockel (2014)
Ornamental marine species culture in the coral triangle: seahorse demonstration project in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Environmental Management doi: 10.1007/s00267-014-0343-6 pdf
Komoroske, L.M., R. Connon, J. Lindberg, B.S. Cheng, G. Castillo, M. Hasenbein, N. Fangue (2014)
Ontogeny influences sensitivity to climate change stressors in an endangered fish. Conservation Physiology 2:cou008-cou008 pdf
Kimbro, D.L., B.S. Cheng, E.D. Grosholz (2013) Biotic resistance in marine environments. Ecology Letters 16:821-833 pdf
Woodson, C.B., J.A. Barth, O.M. Cheriton, M.A. McManus, J.P. Ryan, L. Washburn, K.N. Carden, B.S. Cheng, J. Fernandes, L.E. Garske, T.C. Gouhier, A.J. Haupt, K.T. Honey, M.F. Hubbard, A. Iles, L. Kara, M.C. Lynch, B. Mahoney, M. Pfaff, M.L. Pinsky, M.J. Robart, J.S. Stewart, S.J. Teck, A. True (2011) Observations of internal wave packets propagating along-shelf in northern Monterey Bay. Geophysical Research Letters 38: L01605.