Betsy Stoner

Betsy's teaching and research interests have centered on the role that humans play in nearshore marine environments, and ways we can mitigate potential effects on these ecosystems. Classes that she currently teaches are Environmental Science and Sustainability, Oceanography, and field-intensive courses including Shore to Sea: Ecosystem Services in the Caribbean and Biology of Cape Cod. Betsy strongly believes that teaching and research go hand-in hand, and that engaging in scientific discovery outside the classroom can be an effective teaching tool in the classroom to better inform course content. To this end, Betsy engages in active research, in which she primarily focuses on elucidating how human activities, particularly nutrient enrichment, affect the role that benthic (bottom-dwelling) species interactions have in marine and estuarine environments. Much of Betsy's research has taken her to the Caribbean (The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands), where she has studied human-driven benthic jellyfish blooms and their effects on coastal marine ecosystems. Betsy has also focused on STEM education research, working with students underrepresented in STEM to pursue research experiences, and engaging in inquiry-based experiences for non-STEM students to help advance their science literacy skills.

Education

• Ph.D. Florida International Univeristy
• B.S. Skidmore College

Teaching Interests

Environmental science and sustainability; Oceanography; Ecology; Conservation of Coastal Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems; Biology of Cape Cod; Shore to Sea

Research Interests

Marine community & ecosystem ecology; Benthic Ecology; Effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic community dynamics; STEM education; Gelatinous zooplankton ecology; Nutrient pollution in aquatic habitats

Awards and Honors

• 2022, 2022 Cronin Award for Excellence in Academic Advising and Mentoring, Bentley University
• 2021, Valente Center Undergraduate Research Assistantship, Valente Center
• 2020, Valente Center Undergraduate Research Assistantship, Valente Center
• 2019, Teaching Innovation Award, Bentley University
• 2019, Valente Center Undergraduate Student Research Award, Valente Center, Bentley University
• 2019, Bentley University Research Council Grant, Bentley University
• 2019, Faculty Competitive Grant, Bentley University
• 2018, Valente Center Research Fellowship (PI for Awardee, Justine Gearin), Bentley University, Valente Center
• 2018, Valente Center Undergraduate Student Research Assistantship, Bentley University, Valente Center & Office of Sustainability
• 2018, Bentley University Competitive Faculty Summer Grant, Bentley University
• 2012, College of Arts and Sciences Travel Award, Florida International University
• 2012, Conference and Professional Development Award, Florida International University
• 2011, EPA STAR award, Environmental Protection Agency
• 2011, College of Arts and Sciences Travel Award, Florida International University
• 2011, Conference and Professional Development Award, Florida International University

Publications

Journal Articles

• Stoner, E. (2022). Does nutrient loading affect growth of a benthic jellyfish species? . Food Webs.
• Wilzcek, E. R., Iliff, S., Harris, R., Bouldin, R. M., Stoner, E. (2020). Evidence of microplastics from benthic jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) in Florida estuaries . Marine Pollution Bulletin.
• Iliff, S., Harris, R., Stoner, E. (2019). Effects of Chronic Pesticide Exposure on an Epibenthic Oyster Reef Community. Marine Pollution Bulletin.
• Freeman, C. J., Stoner, E., Easson, C. G., Matterson, K. O., Baker, D. M. (2017). Variation in delta C-13 and delta N-15 values suggests a coupling of host and symbiont metabolism in the Symbiodinium-Cassiopea mutualism. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, (571) 245-251.
• Stoner, E. (2017). Nutrient inputs from an urbanized landscape may drive water quality degradation. Sustainability of Water Quality and Ecology. Volumes 9-10 136-150.
• Stoner, E., Sebilian, S. S., Layman, C. A. (2016). Comparison of zooxanthellae densities from upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana, across coastal habitats of The Bahamas. REVISTA DE BIOLOGIA MARINA Y OCEANOGRAFIA, (51) 1 203-208.
• Yeager, L. A., Stoner, E., Peters, J. R., Layman, C. A. (2016). A terrestrial-aquatic food web subsidy is potentially mediated by multiple predator effects on an arboreal crab. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, (475) 73-79.
• Freeman, C. J., Stoner, E., Easson, C. G., Matterson, K. O., Baker, D. M. (2016). Symbiont carbon and nitrogen assimilation in the Cassiopea-Symbiodinium mutualism. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, (544) 281-286.
• Archer, S. K., Stoner, E., Layman, C. A. (2015). A complex interaction between a sponge (Halichondria melanadocia) and a seagrass (Thalassia testudinum) in a subtropical coastal ecosystem. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, (465) 33-40.
• Stoner, E., Layman, C. A. (2015). Bristle worms attack: benthic jellyfish are not trophic dead ends. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, (13) 4 226-227.
• Metz, J. L., Stoner, E., Arrington, D. A. (2015). COMPARISON OF SUBSTRATES FOR EASTERN OYSTER (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) SPAT SETTLEMENT IN THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER ESTUARY, FLORIDA. JOURNAL OF SHELLFISH RESEARCH, (34) 3 861-865.
• Yeager, L. A., Stoner, E., Zapata, M. J., Layman, C. A. (2014). Does landscape context mediate the nature of density dependence for a coral reef fish?. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, (24) 7 1833-1841.
• Stoner, E., Yeager, L. A., Sweatman, J. L., Sebilian, S. S., Layman, C. A. (2014). Modification of a seagrass community by benthic jellyfish blooms and nutrient enrichment. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, (461) 185-192.
• Layman, C. A., Allgeier, J. E., Yeager, L. A., Stoner, E. (2013). Thresholds of ecosystem response to nutrient enrichment from fish aggregations. ECOLOGY, (94) 2 530-536.
• Stoner, E., Layman, C. A., Yeager, L. A., Hassett, H. M. (2011). Effects of anthropogenic disturbance on the abundance and size of epibenthic jellyfish Cassiopea spp.. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN, (62) 5 1109-1114.