Faculty Spotlight: Jim Morley

College elective courses don’t typically alter the trajectory of a person’s life, but in James (Jim) Morley’s case they did. While an undergrad at the State University of New York at Cortland, needing to fulfill his electives requirement, he randomly chose a couple of marine biology courses. The topics of study piqued his interest: geology of the ocean; the chemical composition of water; marine mammals; fish; plants; biological habitats, etc. With research trips to the coast of Maine and the Caribbean thrown into the mix, he knew he had found his niche.

After graduating from SUNY at Cortland with a bachelor’s degree in biology, he furthered his education at North Carolina State University (NCSU), earning a Master of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and continued on there to receive a PhD in Zoology.

Jim is a coastal ecologist and assistant professor in the ECU Department of Biology. He is broadly interested in habitat use – how marine fish and marine invertebrates use habitat; and how habitat requirements, such as seagrass or oyster beds, for different species change throughout the species’ life history. The life history (or life cycle) of a species includes factors that affect the survival of juveniles and also the reproductive strategies of adults.

With the increasing temperature of the ocean, changing salinity patterns of waterways in marine systems, and urbanization of the coast, Jim is studying how these changes are affecting marine populations in terms of their habitat requirements. “I research how climate change and ocean warming has influenced species distribution and other aspects of their life history, such as their timing of migration,” he says. The data he analyzes results in forecasts of climate impacts and provides insight in understanding changes to habitat structure.

“A large part of what makes my research rewarding,” he says, “is the interest from policy makers and people who make management decisions.” He finds it gratifying to have the opportunity to apply his work to the management process, contributing to the protection and viability of sustainable resources.

Jim works with large data sets, so when conducting modeling it can be a challenge deciding what data are available for use. He’s found that although there are increasingly more extensive data sets available, there are still notable shortcomings – the models are only as good as the data plugged into them. It is arduous work but pulling together large data sets and integrating data that provides useful results gives him a sense of accomplishment. And though he finds the computer and modeling work necessary and productive, it’s being out in the field that he really enjoys.

While conducting graduate research on bluefish, Jim recalls he and his team stumbling upon large aggregations of sheepshead. This species with its funny name and large buck teeth, illustrates the adage: You are What You Eat. The sheepshead uses its sharp teeth to scrape and crush shrimp and crabs, which infuses a sweet flavor into its flesh, making it taste like – you guessed it – shrimp and crabs (should one choose to sample the subject of their research). Still intrigued by the aggregation of sheepshead they had observed, Jim and his colleagues recently revisited the area hoping to collect samples. “We met with success and determined that all the fish were in spawning condition,” he says. As a result, this project has grown into a larger investigation of this species, with collaborators from both UNC Chapel Hill and NCSU.

An oyster aquaculture research project revealed another surprising discovery. “We collected solid results demonstrating that fish and invertebrate densities on oyster aquaculture farms are a lot higher than on adjacent controls. This finding indicates the possibility of some level of habitat enhancement from an oyster farm.”

Jim sees climate change and all that it encompasses – changes in ocean chemistry and temperature, sea level rise, higher salinity conditions in estuaries, and reshuffling ecosystems along the coast – as the biggest threat to our planet. Climate change and structural modifications to the coast are altering the geographic location of species as well as influencing their productivity. This upheaval affects the success rates of various species. Jim’s research is a great help to fishery and resource management programs. By alerting resource managers to these trends, adjustments can be made to guidelines and policies.

And though he finds the computer and modeling work necessary and productive, it’s being out in the field that he really enjoys.

“Coastal Studies Institute on the Outer Banks is the perfect venue to continue my research,” Jim says. “The Pamlico Sound is a hugely important nursery system and at the moment there is a lack of fisheries research going on there, when compared to other major coastal systems across the U.S.” He anticipates working towards filling that knowledge gap.

Jim and his family relocated from the lovely coastal town of Beaufort, NC. Without having to move a great distance, they are happy to continue living on the coast and pursuing their favorite pastimes – enjoying the outdoors, spending time on the beach, and exploring sandbars in their boat.