Dr Richard Taylor

PhD Auckland (1997)
MSc Auckland (1991)
BSc Auckland (1988)

Contact details
Phone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 83607
Email: rb.taylor@auckland.ac.nz

Ecology of temperate rocky reefs

Rocky reefs are inhabited by seaweeds and a variety of animals, including crustaceans, gastropods, sea urchins, and fishes. Much of my research concerns interactions between seaweeds and herbivores. I have focussed on the ecology of small (<10 mm) crustaceans, gastropods and polychaetes, which are extremely abundant in many rocky reef habitats (especially the surfaces of seaweeds). These animals are responsible for the majority of the total flux of materials through animals on rocky reefs, but little is known about the effect of their feeding activities on seaweed communities. The herbivorous ones are called mesograzers, and some harm seaweeds by consuming their tissues and propagules, while others benefit seaweeds by removing epiphytes from their surfaces and dispersing their propagules. There is an urgent need for a better understanding of the diets and feeding impacts of mesograzers under realistic conditions in the field.

• New Zealand Ecology and Conservation (BIOSCI 104)
• Ecology and Biodiversity (BIOSCI 206)
• Freshwater and Estuarine Ecology (BIOSCI 330) (coordinator)
• Marine Ecology (BIOSCI 333)
• Marine Ecology (BIOSCI 724)
• Principles of Marine Science (MARINE 202)
• Selected Topics in Marine Science (MARINE 701) (coordinator)

• Freeman, D.J., MacDiarmid, A.B., Taylor, R.B., Davidson, R.J., Grace, R.V., Haggitt, T.R., Kelly, S., and Shears, N.T. 2012. Trajectories of spiny lobster Jasus edwardsii recovery in New Zealand marine reserves: is settlement a driver? Environmental Conservation 39: 295-304.
• Poore, A.G.B., Campbell, A.H., Coleman, R.A., Edgar, G.J., Jormalainen, V., Reynolds, P.L., Sotka, E.E., Stachowicz, J.J., Taylor, R.B., Vanderklift, M.A., and Duffy, J.E. 2012. Global patterns in the impact of marine herbivores on benthic primary producers. Ecology Letters 15: 912-922.
• McLeod, I.M., Parsons, D.M., Morrison, M.A., Le Port, A., and Taylor, R.B. 2012. Factors affecting the recovery of soft-sediment mussel reefs in the Firth of Thames, New Zealand. Marine and Freshwater Research 63: 78-83.
• Taylor, R. B., Morrison, M. A., and Shears, N. T. 2011. Establishing baselines for recovery in a marine reserve (Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand) using local ecological knowledge. Biological Conservation 144:3038-3046.
• Lasley-Rasher, R. S., Rasher, D. B., Marion, Z. H., Taylor, R. B., and Hay, M. E. 2011. Predation constrains host choice for a marine mesograzer. Marine Ecology Progress Series 434: 91-99.
• Newcombe, E. M., and Taylor, R. B. 2010. Trophic cascade in a seaweed-epifauna-fish food chain. Marine Ecology Progress Series 408:161-167.
• Freeman, D. J., MacDiarmid, A. B., and Taylor, R. B. 2009. Habitat patches that cross marine reserve boundaries: consequences for the lobster Jasus edwardsii. Marine Ecology Progress Series 388: 159-167.
• Cowles, A., Hewitt, J. E., and Taylor, R. B. 2009. Density, biomass and productivity of small mobile invertebrates in a wide range of coastal habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series 384: 175-185.
• Taylor, R. B. 2008. Epifauna and epiflora. In: Encyclopedia of ecology.Vol. 2. Jørgensen, S. E., Fath, B. D. (eds). Elsevier, Oxford. pp.1389-1393.
• Barr, N. G., Kloeppel, A., Rees, T. A. V., Scherer, C., Taylor, R. B., and Wenzel, A. 2008. Wave surge increases rates of growth and nutrient uptake in the green seaweed Ulva pertusa maintained at low bulk flow velocities. Aquatic Biology 3: 179-186.
• Taylor, R. B., and Morrison, M. A. 2008. Soft-sediment habitats and fauna of Omaha Bay, northeastern New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 38: 187-214.
• Taylor, R. B. 2008. Review of 'Subtidal Invertebrates of New Zealand' by S. Wing. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42: 269-270.
• Taylor, R. B., and Brown, P. J., 2006. Herbivory in the gammarid amphipod Aora typica: relationships between consumption rates, performance and abundance across ten seaweed species. Marine Biology, 149: 455-463.
• Taylor, R. B., and Steinberg, P. D. 2005. Host use by Australasian seaweed mesograzers in relation to feeding preferences of larger grazers. Ecology 86: 2955-2967.
• Taylor, R. B., Lindquist, N., Kubanek, J., and Hay, M. E. 2003. Intraspecific variation in palatability and defensive chemistry of brown seaweeds: effects on herbivore fitness. Oecologia 136: 412-423.
• Sotka, E. E.*, Taylor, R. B.*, and Hay, M. E. 2002. Tissue-specific induction of resistance to herbivores in a brown seaweed: the importance of direct grazing versus waterborne signals from grazed neighbors. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 277: 1-12. [*denotes equal authorship]
• Taylor, R. B.*, Sotka, E. E.*, and Hay, M. E. 2002. Tissue-specific induction of herbivore resistance: seaweed response to amphipod grazing. Oecologia 132: 68-76. [*denotes equal authorship]
• Taylor, M. W., Taylor, R. B., and Rees, T. A. V. 1999. Allometric evidence for the dominant role of surface cells in ammonium metabolism and photosynthesis in northeastern New Zealand seaweeds. Marine Ecology Progress Series 184: 73-81.
• Brown, P. J., and R. B. Taylor. 1999. Effects of trampling by humans on animals inhabiting coralline algal turf in the rocky intertidal. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 235: 45-53.
• Taylor, R. B. 1998. Density, biomass and productivity of animals in four subtidal rocky reef habitats: the importance of small mobile invertebrates. Marine Ecology Progress Series 172: 37-51.
• Taylor, R. B., J. T. A. Peek, and T. A. V. Rees. 1998. Scaling of ammonium uptake by seaweeds to surface area:volume ratio : geographical variation and the role of uptake by passive diffusion. Marine Ecology Progress Series 169: 143-148.
• Taylor, R. B., and T. A. V. Rees. 1998. Excretory products of mobile epifauna as a nitrogen source for seaweeds. Limnology and Oceanography 43: 600-606.
• Taylor, R. B., and T. J. Willis. 1998. Relationships amongst length, weight and growth of northeastern New Zealand reef fishes. Marine and Freshwater Research 49: 255-260.
• Taylor, R. B. 1998. Seasonal variation in assemblages of mobile epifauna inhabiting three subtidal brown seaweeds in northeastern New Zealand. Hydrobiologia 361: 25-35.
• Taylor, R. B. 1998. Short-term dynamics of a seaweed epifaunal assemblage. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 227: 67-82.
• Rees, T. A. V., C. M. Grant, H. E. Harmens, and R. B. Taylor. 1998. Measuring rates of ammonium assimilation in marine algae: use of the protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone to distinguish between uptake and assimilation. Journal of Phycology 34: 264-272.
• Taylor, R. B., R. I. Blackburn, and J. H. Evans. 1995. A portable battery-powered suction device for the quantitative sampling of small benthic invertebrates. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 194: 1-7.
• Taylor, R. B., and R. G. Cole. 1994. Mobile epifauna on subtidal brown seaweeds in northeastern New Zealand. Marine Ecology Progress Series 115: 271-282.