overview

• Omar Perez-Reyes, faculty in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, has a wide range of scientific interests in ecology focusing on freshwater ecosystems research. These areas will provide many opportunities for students to become acquainted with the diverse Caribbean fauna. I am interested in the effect of climate change (hurricanes, droughts, etc.) and anthropogenic factors on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of native and exotic species (phenology, longitudinal connectivity, habitat, niche, and life cycle) in tropical streams. Many of the species that inhabit our freshwater ecosystems are endemic to the island and have a unique life cycle and critical role in the community as well as in the ecosystem. This research will compare how ecological communities and ecosystems function across a wide range of habitats that are undergoing rapid changes.