KELCIE L. CHIQUILLO, PH.D.
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​Publications: 

10. Chiquillo, K.L., Vasquez, M.L., Cruz-Rivera, E., Winters, G., Barber, P.H., & Fong, P. League of Seagrasses: the outcome of interspecific interactions between native versus invasive seagrasses shows a positive effect on the invasive, Halophila stipulacea. Oikos in Review.
9. Chiquillo, K.L., Ph.D. dissertation: Understanding the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of tropical seagrasses and the factors driving habitat distribution. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2610893536).  https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/understanding-ecological-evolutionary-dynamics/docview/2610893536/se-2
8. Fong, C.R, Chiquillo, K.L., Gaynus, C.J., Grier, S.R., Ha, B.A., Ryznar, E.R., Smith, L.L., Sura, S.A., Anggoro, A.W., Moore, T.N., Fong, P. Flip it and reverse it: reasonable changes in designated controls can flip synergisms to antagonisms. Science of The Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145243
7. Smulders, F.O.H., Chiquillo, K.L., Willette, D.A., Barber, P.H., Christianen, M.J.A. Inconclusive evidence of sexual reproduction of invasive Halophila stipulacea: a new field guide to encourage investigation of flower and fruit production throughout its invasive range. Botanica Marina. https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2020-0046
​6. Chiquillo, K.L., Mims, B.M., Chong, A.U., Johnson, C., Habtes, S., Fong, C.R., Barber, P.H., & Fong P. Herbivory may limit proximity of the seagrass Halophila decipiens to fringing reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2020.103294
5. Muthukrishnan, R., Chiquillo, K.L., Cross, C., Fong, P., Kelley, T., Toline, C.A., Zweng R., & Willette D.A. Little giants: A rapidly invading seagrass alters ecosystem functioning relative to native foundation species. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03689-8​
4. Winters, G., Beer, S., Willette, D.A., Viana, I.G., Chiquillo, K.L., Beca-Carretero, P., Villamayor, B., Azacarate-García, T., Shem-Tov, R., Mwabvu, B., Migliore, L., Rotini, A., Oscar, M.A., Belmaker, J., Inbal, G., Alexandre, A., Engelen, A.H., Procaccini, G., Rilov, G. The Tropical Seagrass Halophila stipulacea; reviewing what we know from its native and invasive habitats, alongside identifying knowledge gaps. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00300
3. Willette, D.A., Chiquillo, K.L., Cross, C., Fong, P., Kelley, T., Toline, C.A., Zweng, R., & Muthukrishnan R. Growth and recovery after disturbance of a rapidly-expanding invasive seagrass. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2019.151265​
2. ​Chiquillo, K.L., Barber, P.H & Willette, D.A. Fruits and flowers of the invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea in the Caribbean Sea. Botanica Marina.109-112. https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2018-0052
 1. Chiquillo, K.L., Ebert, D.A., Slager, C.J., & Crow, K.D. The secret of the mermaid’s purse: Phylogenetic affinities within the Rajidae and the evolution of a novel reproductive strategy in skates. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 75, 245-251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.01.012
 Research accomplishment synoposis
  • Evolutionary forces can influence survivorship traits. I showed that the strategy of having two embryos per egg capsule results in the greatest fitness, as it occurs at the highest frequency and with the highest survivorship (Chiquillo et al. 2014)
  • A variety of factors influence habitat distribution. I used demographic monitoring techniques (e.g., herbivory experiments, quadrats, transects) of transplanted seagrass fragments. I found that the seagrass can grow in shallow habitats adjacent to reefs on Moorea, but that herbivory pressure, presumably from the reef, limits its depth distribution (Chiquillo et al. 2020). 
  • Native species can facilitate invasive species. My research illustrates the factors that influence invasion are strongly driven by the environment and facilitated by the surrounding native community (K.L. Chiquillo- Ph.D. dissertation 2021).
  • Multifaceted consequences influencing invasion success. My work published in peer-reviewed journals helped show that the invasive seagrass, Halophila stipulacea, retains the ability to successfully thrive once established in an area. It can quickly colonize unvegetated habitats and proliferate under small-scale disturbances (Willette D.A., Chiquillo, K.L. et al. 2020).​​
  • Reconstructing invasion history shows widespread secondary invasion stemmed from a particularly successful first invasion.  My research has helped show that Halophila stipulacea, native to the Western Indian Ocean, Eastern Africa, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea, is the first marine angiosperm to invade and form dense meadows in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean Sea, including the Virgin Islands (Winters G., and 19 authors, 2020, including Chiquillo, K.L). I provide the first empirical evidence that pleasure yachts, shipping vessels, and cruise ships were putative vectors of introduction. This suggests a “stepping-stone colonization pattern,” in which a widespread secondary invasion stemmed from a particularly successful first invasion (K.L. Chiquillo- Ph.D. dissertation 2021).​
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