*student author, bold = Okamoto lab member
In Review/Revision/Submitted
Spindel, NB*, Munstermann, M*, Karelitz, S*, Ferraro, R, Oontier, P, Collicutt, B, Rolheiser, K, Iria Gimenez, I, Cronmiller, E, Foss, M, Mahara, N, Swezey, DS, Rogers-Bennett, L, Okamoto, DK. Contemporary ocean acidification and marine heatwaves shape individual energetics and rates of herbivory in a dominant ecosystem engineer. Submitted. bioRxiv preprint
Karelitz, S, Munstermann, MJ, Spindel, NS,Collicutt, B, Rolheiser, K, Gimenez, I, Swezey, D, Rogers-Bennett, L, Okamoto, DK. Transgenerational effects of ocean warming and acidification on developmental stages of the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Submitted.
‡*Munstermann, MJ, ‡Benoit, J, Karelitz, S. Arambarri, L, Dennis, J, Okamoto, DK. Nucleosome positioning and sensitivity suggest novel functional organization of the purple sea urchin (Stronglyocentrotus purpuratus) genome. In Revision. bioRxiv preprint
‡Authors contributed equally to this work
*Westphal, G, Okamoto, D, Bradshaw, L, DuBose, D, Levy, N, Davis, M, Tarnowski, M, Preziosi, B, Stewart Merrill, T. Marine mass mortalities: leveraging dermo disease to understand the drivers of disease-induced die offs. In Review.
*Schumm, M, Bemis, K, Okamoto, DK, Parenti, L. Estimating Historical Food Web Variation in Chesapeake Bay Using Isotope Variation in Museum Fish Specimens. In Review. bioRxiv preprint
*Spindel, N; Galloway, A, Schram, J, Gwiisihlgaa McNeill, D, Sg̱iids Ḵung Bellis, V, Guujaaw, N, Thompson, M, Lee, L, Okamoto, DK. Biomarkers of recovery: characterizing trophic flow following ecological restoration. Submitted. bioRxiv preprint
*Schumm, M, Okamoto, DK. Variability in food productivity alters and obscures fisheries-induced evolution. In Revision.
Voss, R, Schmidt, J, Lehmann, O, Okamoto, DK, Polte, P, Lancker, K, Grunwald, A, Scotti, M. A historic fishery collapse: the role of climate, overfishing, and socio-economic factors. In Review.
2026
40. *Munstermann, MJ, Karelitz, SK, *Ferraro, R, Rogers-Bennett, L, Simons, R, Okamoto, DK. Accepted. Food limitation alters the thermal response of survival but not rates of development in larvae of the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Ecology. preprint
39. *Spindel, NB, Galloway, AG, Schram, J, Gwiisihlgaa McNeill, D, Sg̱iids Ḵung Bellis, V, Guujaaw, N, Pontier, O, Thompson, M, Lee, L, Okamoto, DK. Accepted. Consumer resilience suppresses the recovery of overgrazed ecosystems. Ecological Applications. bioRxiv preprint
2025
38. Okamoto, DK, *Spindel, NB, *Mustermann, MJ, Karelitz, S, Collicutt, B, Gimenez, I, Rolheiser, K, Cronmiller, E, Foss, M, Mahara, N, Swezey, D, *Ferraro, R, Rogers-Bennett, L, and Schroeter, S. 2025. Thermal suppression of gametogenesis can explain historical collapses in larval recruitment. Communications Biology PDF
37. Sharan, L,*Schumm, M, *Williams, S, Okamoto, DK. 2025. Observing Food and Density Effects on the Reproductive Strategies of Fish. Journal of Emerging Investigators. PDF
36. McHenry, J, Okamoto, DK, …, & Baum, JK. 2025 A blueprint for national assessments of the blue carbon capacity of kelp forests applied to Canada’s coastline. npj Ocean Sustainability 4(30). PDF
35. Pérez-Matus, A, Micheli, F, Konar, B, Shears, N, Low, NHN, Okamoto, DK, Wernberg, T, Krumhansl, K, Ling, S, Kingsford, M, Navarette-Fernandez, T, Ruz, C, Byrnes, JE. 2025. Kelp forests provide nursery habitat and are a foundational species for temperate reef fishes. Ecology. 106(2). PDF
2024
34. Mangubhai, S, Colguín-Jacobson, C, Charles, A, Cinner, J, de Vos, A, Graham, RT, Ishimura, G, Mills, K, Naggea, J, Okamoto, DK, O’Leary, JK, Salomon, AK, Sumaila, UR, White, A, Micheli, F. 2024. COVID-19 highlights the need to improve resilience and equity in managing small-scale fisheries. npj Ocean Sustainability. Link
33. Rogers-Bennett, L, Kawana, SK, Catton, CA, Dondanville, R, Maguire, A, & Okamoto, DK. 2024. Abalone recruitment patterns before and after sea urchin barren formation: incorporating climate change. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. PDF
32. Pontier, O, Rhoades, O, Twist, B, Okamoto, DK, Hessing-Lewis, M. 2024 Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) growth rates as climate stress indicators for Canada’s Pacific coast. FACETS. PDF
2023
31. ‡Salomon, AK, ‡Okamoto, DK. Wilson, Kiiljuus B, Happynook, hiininaasim T, Wickaninnish,, Mack, wiicuckum A, Davidson, Skil Hiilans A, Guujaaw, Gidansda, Humchitt, Wigvilhba Wakas H, Happynook, Tom Mexsis, Cox, Weiwimtaeek C, Gillette, Hyuuštulth F, Christiansen , N’yasim S, Dragon, D,, Kobluk, H, Lee, L, Tinker, MT., Silver, J, Armitage, D, McKechnie, I, MacNeil, A, Hillis, D, Muhl, EK, Gregr, E, Commander, C, Augustine, A. 2023. Disrupting and diversifying the values, voices, and governance principles that shape biodiversity science and management. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. link, PDF
‡Authors contributed equally to this work
30. Galloway, AWE, Gravem, SA, Kobelt, JN, Heady, WN, Okamoto, DK, Sivitilli, DM, Saccomanno, VR, Whippo, R. 2023. Sunflower sea star predation on urchins can facilitate kelp forest recovery. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. PDF
2022
29. *Anh, Yoonjung, Okamoto, DK, Uejio, C. 2022. Investigating City Bike Rental Usage and Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature. International Journal of Biometeorology.
28. Silver, J, Okamoto, DK, Armitage, D, Alexander, S, Atleo, C (Kam’ayaam/Chachim’multhnii), Burt, J, Jones, R (Nang Jingwas), Muhl, EK, Salomon, A, & Stoll, J. 2022. Fish, people, and systems of power: understanding and disrupting feedback between colonialism and fisheries science. The American Naturalist. PDF
27. Elias, M, et al. including Okamoto, DK & *Spindel, NB. 2022. Ten people-centered rules for socially sustainable ecosystem restoration. Restoration Ecology. PDF
2021
26. *Spindel, NB, Lee, LL, Okamoto, DK. 2021. Metabolic depression in sea urchin barrens associated with food deprivation. Ecology. PDF
25. Lee, LL, Gwiisihlgaa (McNeill, D), Ridings, P, Featherstone, M, Okamoto, DK, *Spindel, NB, Galloway, AEW, Saunders, GW, Adamczyk, EG, Reshitnyk, L, Pontier, O, Post, M, Irvine, R, Gulxa taa’a gaagii ng.aang (Wilson, N) and SGiids Kung (Bellis, V). 2021. Chiixuu Tll iinasdll: Indigenous Ethics and Values Lead to Ecological Restoration for People and Place in Gwaii Haanas. Ecological Restoration. PDF
24. Rassweiler, A, Okamoto, DK, Reed, DC, Kushner, D, Schroeder, D, Lafferty, K. 2021. Improving the ability of a BACI design to detect impacts within a kelp-forest community. Ecological Applications. PDF
2020
23. Dee, LE, Okamoto, DK, Gårdmark, A. Montoya, J, Miller SJ. 2020. Temperature variability alters stability and collapse of interacting species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 375: 2019045. PDF
22. *Zampieri, N, Pau, S, Okamoto, DK. 2020. The impact of Hurricane Michael on longleaf pine habitats in Florida. Scientific Reports. PDF
21. DK Okamoto, SC Schroeter, DC Reed. 2020. Effects of Ocean Climate on Spatiotemporal Variation in Sea Urchin Settlement and Recruitment. Limnology and Oceanography. PDF
20. DK Okamoto, M Hessing-Lewis, JF Samhouri, AO Shelton, A Stier, PS Levin, AK Salomon. 2020. Spatial variability within exploited metapopulations obscures risk of collapse. Ecological Applications.PDF
19. L Rogers-Bennett & DK Okamoto. 2020. Mesocentrotus franciscanus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. In: Sea Urchins: Biology and Ecology. Editor: JM Lawrence. Elsevier Science & Technology. Link
18. DK Okamoto, M Poe, T Francis, AE Punt, PS Levin, AO Shelton, D Armitage, JS Cleary, S Dressel, R Jones, H Kitka, LC Lee, AD MacCall, JA McIsaac, S Reifenstuhl, JJ Silver, JO Schmidt, TF Thornton, R Voss, J Woodruff. 2020. Attending to spatial social-ecological sensitivities to improve trade-off analysis in natural resource management. Fish and Fisheries. PDF
2019
17. DI Kline, L Teneva, DK Okamoto, K Schneider, K Caldeira, T Miard, A Chai, M Marker, RB Dunbar, BG Mitchell, S Dove, O Hoegh-Guldberg. 2019. In Situ Study Shows Living Coral Provides Resilience to Ocean Acidification. Nature Ecology & Evolution. PDF
16. AK Salomon, AE Quinlan, G Pang, DK Okamoto, L Vazquez-Vera. 2019 Quantifying social-ecological resilience reveals opportunities for transforming environmental governance. Ecology and Society. PDF
15. Armitage, DR, DK Okamoto, JJ Silver, TB Francis, PS Levin, AE Punt, IP Davies, JS Cleary, SC Dressel, RR Jones, H Kitka, LC Lee, AD MacCall, JA McIsaac, MR Poe, S Reifenstuhl, AO Shelton, JO Schmidt, TF Thornton, R Voss, J Woodruff. 2019. Integrating governance and quantitative evaluation of resource management strategies to improve social and ecological outcomes. BioScience. PDF
2018
14. Burt, JM, TB Tinker, DK Okamoto, KW Demes, K Holmes AK Salomon. 2018. A mesopredator alters the resilience of alternative states through complementarity with a keystone predator. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 285(1883). PDF
13. Punt, AE, DK Okamoto, A MacCall, AO Shelton, DR Armitage, JS Cleary, IP Davies, SC Dressel, TB Francis, PS Levin, RR Jones, H Kitka, LC Lee, JA McIsaac, MR Poe, S Reifenstuhl, JJ Silver, JO Schmidt, TF Thornton, R Voss, J Woodruff. 2018. When are estimates of spawning stock biomass for small pelagic fishes improved by taking spatial structure into account? Fisheries Research. PDF
12. MacCall, A, TB Francis, Punt, AE, , AO Shelton, DR Armitage, JS Cleary, SC Dressel, PS Levin, RR Jones, H Kitka, LC Lee, JA McIsaac, DK Okamoto, MR Poe, S Reifenstuhl, JJ Silver, JO Schmidt, TF Thornton, R Voss, J Woodruff. 2018. A heuristic model of learned migration behavior exhibits distinctive spatial and reproductive dynamics. ICES Journal of Marine Science. PDF
11. R Voss, MF Quaas, JO Schmidt, MT Stoeven, TB. Francis, PS Levin, DR Armitage, JS Cleary, RR Jones, LC Lee, DK Okamoto, JJ Silver, MC Siple, TF Thornton, SC Dressel, AD MacCall, AE Punt.Quantifying the benefits of spatial fisheries management – an ecological-economic optimization approach. Ecological Modeling.
10. Pau, S, DK Okamoto, O Calderón, SJ Wright. 2018. Long-term increases in tropical flowering activity across growth forms in response to rising CO2 and climate change. Global Change Biology. PDF
2017
9. ‡Kapsenberg, LK, ‡DK Okamoto, JM Dutton & GE Hoffman. 2017. Sensitivity of sea urchin fertilization to pH varies across a natural pH mosaic. Ecology & Evolution. 7:6, 1737–1750. PDF .
‡Authors contributed equally to this work
8. Keeling, B, M Hessing-Lewis, C Housty, DK Okamoto, E Gregr, & AK Salomon. 2017. Factors driving spatial variation in egg survival of an ecologically and culturally important forage fish. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 27:4, 814-827. PDF
2016 & beyond
7. Okamoto, DK. 2016. Competition among eggs shifts to cooperation along a sperm supply gradient in an external fertilizer. The American Naturalist. 187:5, E129-E142. PDF
6. Okamoto, DK, RJ Schmitt, & SJ Holbrook. 2016. Stochastic density effects on adult fish survival and implications for population fluctuations. Ecology Letters, 9:153 -162. Source. PDF
5. Krumhansl, K, DK Okamoto et al. 2016. Global patterns of kelp forest change over the past half-century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 113:48, 13785–13790. PDF
4. Okamoto, DK, MS Stekoll, & GL Eckert. 2013. Coexistence despite recruitment inhibition of kelps by subtidal algal crusts. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 493:103-112. PDF
3. Okamoto, DK, RJ Schmitt, SJ Holbrook, & DC Reed. 2012. Fluctuations in food supply drive recruitment variation in a marine fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 279(1747):4542-4550. PDF
2. Britton-Simmons, KH, B Pister, I Sanchez, & DK Okamoto. 2011. Response of a native, herbivorous snail to the introduced seaweed Sargassum muticum. Hydrobiologia, 661(1):187-196. PDF
1. Britton-Simmons, KH, G Foley, & DK Okamoto. 2009. Spatial subsidy in the subtidal zone: utilization of drift algae by a deep subtidal sea urchin. Aquatic Biology, 5(3):233-243. PDF.Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Council of the Haida Nation, Parks Canada. 2025.
Reports/Other Documents
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Council of the Haida Nation, Parks Canada. 2025. Haida Gwaii ʹíináang | iinang Pacific Herring Rebuilding Plan: An Ecosystem Approach. 204pp. PDF
The Okamoto Lab 