About

Jonathan Grabowski is an Assistant Director and Professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern University College of Science. His research interests encompass ecology, fisheries, conservation biology, and ecological economics. His lab utilizes a variety of estuarine and marine systems, including oyster reefs, seagrass beds, salt marshes, mud bottoms, kelp beds, and cobble-ledge habitats, to study how resource availability, habitat heterogeneity, and predation risk influence population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem functioning. Much of Prof. Grabowski's work focuses on economically important species such as lobsters, cod, herring, monkfish, and communities associated with oyster reefs and seagrass. His research examines the effects of habitat degradation and restoration on benthic community and population structures, as well as energy transfer to higher trophic levels. He is also interested in how management initiatives like closed areas, gear modifications, and effort reductions impact habitat recovery, fisheries productivity, and the balance of resident and migratory species. Additionally, his work explores topics such as fish migratory behavior, population structure, age validation, the economic valuation of ecosystem services, seafloor habitat mapping, and the influence of climate change and biogeography on species range shifts, ecological interactions, and ecosystem functions.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Environmental science
• Environmental planning
• Economics
• Geography
• Business
• Environmental resource management
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Marketing
• Natural resource economics
• Political Science
• Fishery
• Artificial Intelligence
• Ecology
• Environmental economics
• Management science
• Medicine
• Engineering
• Public administration
• Knowledge management
• Biology
• Mathematics
• Data science

Selected publications

• Habitat context affects sediment nitrogen burial by restored Eastern Oyster reefs

  PLoS ONE · 2026-03-25

  articleOpen access

  Oysters perform essential functions in estuarine environments. Reef restoration has recently become the subject of significant attention to reestablish populations after historic losses and to restore valuable ecosystem functions and services, including nitrogen removal. Nitrogen burial in oyster reef sediments may be an important nitrogen sink, but direct measurements are lacking. We assayed sediments from 11- to 14-year-old restored oyster reefs in three representative habitat contexts in a temperate estuary on the US Atlantic Coast. Elemental analysis of deep core sediments revealed that nitrogen burial rates ranged between 1.02 and 14.7 g N m-2 y-1 and generally scaled positively with reef relief and density. Intertidal flat reefs exhibited the greatest relief values, densities, and nitrogen burial rates. Subtidal flat reefs produced the lowest relief values and burial rates. Intertidal fringing reefs exhibited the lowest mean carbon:nitrogen ratio, 15.5 ± 1.3-burying proportionally more nitrogen than reefs in other habitat contexts. Using avoided cost methods, the value of nitrogen burial by oyster reefs in all habitat contexts ranged from $270 to $3,900 US dollars (USD) per hectare per year with an average of $1,700 USD per hectare per year. Integrating this figure into current estimates of nitrogen removal ecosystem services would increase the value 25-42%. Our findings suggest that specific site selection for restored and protected reefs can maximize nitrogen removal through multiple mechanisms, including burial. Providing empirical measurements of ecosystem function and estimates of economic value can inform site selection and design of restored oyster reefs to maintain water quality.

  PublisherDOI

• Meta-analysis dataset of fish recruitment enhancement in coastal nursery habitats across North America

  DRYAD · 2026-03-11

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  This dataset compiles 2,002 independent effect sizes from 102 published studies quantifying fish density in structured coastal habitats (submerged aquatic vegetation, salt marsh, and oyster reef) relative to adjacent unstructured bottom across North America and the Caribbean. Each row represents one spatially and temporally independent comparison. For each comparison, the dataset includes mean fish density or catch per unit effort (CPUE), standard deviation, replicate sample size, sampling gear, taxonomic identity (species and family), functional guild classification, habitat type, restoration status, abiotic variables (temperature, salinity, tidal regime), and habitat attributes (e.g., percent cover, structure biomass, reef relief, and adjacent habitat type). Recruitment enhancement (RE) is calculated as the log response ratio of mean fish density in structured habitat relative to adjacent unstructured habitat. Fish abundance values are retained in original study units (e.g., individuals per m², per haul, per tow) as documented in the unit column. Missing values are coded as NA. The dataset enables comparative analyses of recruitment enhancement among major North American nursery habitats and evaluation of how restoration, habitat attributes, abiotic conditions, and fish traits shape recruitment responses. All data were extracted from published sources and involve no new ethical considerations. The dataset is publicly available for reuse.

  PublisherDOI

• Habitat context affects sediment nitrogen burial by restored Eastern Oyster reefs

  UNC Libraries · 2026-04-02

  articleOpen access

  Oysters perform essential functions in estuarine environments. Reef restoration has recently become the subject of significant attention to reestablish populations after historic losses and to restore valuable ecosystem functions and services, including nitrogen removal. Nitrogen burial in oyster reef sediments may be an important nitrogen sink, but direct measurements are lacking. We assayed sediments from 11- to 14-year-old restored oyster reefs in three representative habitat contexts in a temperate estuary on the US Atlantic Coast. Elemental analysis of deep core sediments revealed that nitrogen burial rates ranged between 1.02 and 14.7 g N m^-2 y^-1 and generally scaled positively with reef relief and density. Intertidal flat reefs exhibited the greatest relief values, densities, and nitrogen burial rates. Subtidal flat reefs produced the lowest relief values and burial rates. Intertidal fringing reefs exhibited the lowest mean carbon:nitrogen ratio, 15.5 ± 1.3—burying proportionally more nitrogen than reefs in other habitat contexts. Using avoided cost methods, the value of nitrogen burial by oyster reefs in all habitat contexts ranged from $270 to $3,900 US dollars (USD) per hectare per year with an average of $1,700 USD per hectare per year. Integrating this figure into current estimates of nitrogen removal ecosystem services would increase the value 25–42%. Our findings suggest that specific site selection for restored and protected reefs can maximize nitrogen removal through multiple mechanisms, including burial. Providing empirical measurements of ecosystem function and estimates of economic value can inform site selection and design of restored oyster reefs to maintain water quality.

  PublisherDOI

• Habitat characteristics drive fish recruitment enhancement in threatened coastal nursery habitats

  Journal of Applied Ecology · 2026-05-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Structured coastal habitats serve as vital fish nurseries globally, yet the role of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping this function remains unclear. Understanding these relationships will allow more informed conservation and restoration decisions and effective communication of their anticipated effects on fish production. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 102 studies (2002 responses) to evaluate the potential drivers of fish recruitment enhancement (RE), defined as the relative increase in young‐of‐year fish abundance in structured vs. unstructured bottom, in North American salt marshes, oyster reefs and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). All three habitats significantly enhanced fish recruitment, with SAV and salt marshes exhibiting greater RE than oyster reefs. Restoration increased fish recruitment in all three habitats (130%–180%), but only restored marshes and oyster reefs—not SAV—achieved RE comparable to their natural counterparts. Habitat characteristics were consistently influential predictors of RE across habitat types. In SAV, shoot cover and biomass were positively associated with fish recruitment, with RE being 295% higher in SAV with dense (~80%) compared with sparse (~20%) shoot cover. Fish recruitment increased with oyster cover but declined at greater reef heights, with low (<0.2 m) and moderate (0.2–0.5 m) relief reefs each supporting 215% and 110% greater RE than high relief reefs (>0.5 m). Proximity to SAV and oyster reefs increased RE in salt marshes by 170%; however, this positive effect was not reciprocated in SAV and oyster reefs near marshes. RE remained consistent across temperature and salinity gradients, whereas it was strongly influenced by tidal regime in salt marshes and SAV. Synthesis and applications . Our findings underscore the importance of habitat attributes and physical settings as the key predictors of fish enhancement across threatened coastal nurseries of North America. Restoration and management efforts should aim to optimize these factors to maximize fish recruitment potential amid ecosystem degradation.

  PublisherDOI

• Non‐Random Mortality in an Experimental Oyster Restoration

  Evolutionary Applications · 2025-07-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Ecological restoration has emerged as a prominent conservation and management strategy widely touted for its utility in evaluating ecological theories when designed experimentally. In comparison, restoration has been underutilized to investigate evolution‐oriented questions, despite the importance of evolutionary processes in conservation and management settings. Here, we leverage an experimental restoration approach using the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica , an economically valuable and ecologically important reef‐building foundation species. Previous small‐scale manipulations of oyster source identity highlight the potential evolutionary implications of sources used in restoration, yet have rarely been empirically evaluated at the scale of a restored reef. We sourced juvenile oysters from four commercial hatcheries spanning a broad geographic range along the Atlantic coast of the United States to build restored oyster reefs of diverse initial source composition in a single New England estuary. We characterized four distinct genetic clusters associated with hatchery source using SNP genotyping data and examined whether the frequencies of these genetic clusters on our mixed reefs shifted over the course of our restoration experiment. We documented strong shifts in the relative abundance of certain genetic lineages, consistent with differential mortality among oyster sources. Further, we found significant variation in ecologically relevant traits, including multi‐parasite infection patterns and oyster size, associated with source identity. Oyster condition index, a commonly used proxy for oyster health, was associated with higher relative mortality over time. Our research highlights how evolutionary processes can influence restoration demographics and how, concurrently, restoration can serve as a powerful platform for gaining fundamental, and sometimes unexpected, insights into eco‐evolutionary dynamics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Subsistence fishing patterns near food deserts

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access

  Fisheries are critical for sustaining waterfront communities. However, subsistence fishing is not well understood in the United States, despite its potential contributions to health and culture. We piloted a multivariable construct to classify subsistence vs. nonsubsistence fishers, identified the strongest predictor of participating in this practice, and tested for differences in place-based fishing motivations, behaviors, and community sharing. Among shore-based fishers in coastal Alabama, lower household income was the most powerful predictor of subsistence fishing. Subsistence fishers held more fishing motivations, targeted more specific fish groups, were more efficient in catching and keeping fish, and more frequently shared fish across social groups. Informed by these findings, we discussed management strategies to addressopportunities and barriers for shore-based subsistence fishing in coastal Alabama. More broadly, the framework piloted here offers a pathway to integrate subsistence fisheries into management using place-based evidence.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Threats perceived by five prominent U.S. commercial fisheries

  North American Journal of Fisheries Management · 2025-08-29 · 1 citations

  article

  ABSTRACT Objective Regulations and ecosystem changes can have profound effects on commercial fishermen’s livelihoods. Consequently, there has been an increasing emphasis on including stakeholder inputs and perceptions into fisheries regulatory processes. However, these assessments typically focus on a single fishery and are often limited to a single pressure. We used a public document review followed by focus groups with members of the commercial fishing industry to compare the array of risks across multiple fisheries. Methods We identified the suite of recent threats perceived by five commercial fisheries in the U.S. Atlantic Northeast and Pacific Northwest: the Alaskan Directed Halibut fishery (Pacific Halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis); the Bering Sea Pollock Catcher–Processor fishery (Walleye Pollock Gadus chalcogrammus); the Central Gulf of Alaska Trawl fishery, homeported in Kodiak, Alaska; the Northeast Multispecies Groundfish fishery; and the Sea Scallop fishery (Atlantic sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus). Risks were identified for each fishery through a public document review (e.g., fishing industry-focused outlets, local news sources, and government documents, including fishery management council meeting minutes and public comments), followed by focus groups with members of each fishery to clarify, refine, and identify additional risks. Results Risks that manifested in public domains were largely different—and incomplete—compared to what members of the fishing industry believed were relevant. Further, the fishing industry is concerned with risks that management is not currently designed to address. Finally, despite each fishery having distinct operational, structural, and geographic differences, many of the identified risks were similar or even identical across fisheries. Conclusions Examining and sharing the lessons learned about risk perceptions across these fisheries highlight both challenges and potential strategies for enhancing fishery resiliency in the United States.

  PublisherDOI

• Spatial density and habitat associations of Atlantic cod on the Northeastern US Continental Shelf

  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · 2025-01-01

  article

  The spatial distribution of the Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua) stock is shaped in part by several habitat and oceanographic variables. In this study, vector autoregressive spatiotemporal models were used to combine data from multiple survey programs to hindcast seasonal spatial densities of three size classes of cod within the Northeast US Continental Shelf from 1982 to 2021. Bottom habitat characteristics, bottom water temperature, depth, and basin-averaged climate indices were included as density covariates. Depth, bottom temperature, and gravel sediments were strongly associated with spatial density. The relative abundance of all size classes generally decreased throughout the time series. Model outputs highlighted patches with persistently high spatial density despite range losses and declining abundance. This aligns with the “basin model”, a spatial dynamic frequently reported in collapsed fish stocks. The availability of habitat with suitable depth and temperature will likely be reduced under current projections of bottom water temperature, further endangering the recovery of the stock. Improving our understanding of cod habitat preferences and variation in spatial density will be important for future management efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Multi‐endmember mixing and primary productivity drive carbonate system variability on a highly heterogeneous, shallow productive bank

  Limnology and Oceanography · 2025-03-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract This study presents the first high‐resolution spatial analysis of carbonate chemistry on Georges Bank, a highly productive shallow bank located at the southeastern edge of the Gulf of Maine. Despite numerous studies on the hydrography, nutrient chemistry, and biology, regional carbonate chemistry remains unexplored, in particular for near‐bottom conditions. Observations from cruises in May and October 2021 were used to identify multi‐endmember mixing, and a Bayesian mixing model was applied to temperature and salinity to separate water mass mixing from non‐conservative drivers such as net community production, air–sea exchange, and other biogeochemical processes/errors. Major findings from this study indicate that carbonate chemistry is highly heterogeneous and driven by multi‐endmember mixing, although biological production and respiration were notable while air–sea CO 2 exchange was minimal. Five water masses with unique carbonate chemistry were observed that varied by season and with depth, showing complexity that is uncommon in other regions along the US Atlantic coast. In both cruises, a Warm Slope Water intrusion was identified at depth that contained a strong signal of CaCO 3 dissolution during the October cruise, observed in situ for the first time in this region. Under a high emissions scenario, our results suggest that much of the bank's bottom waters may become undersaturated with respect to aragonite by 2100. Together, these findings suggest that the in situ dissolution observed may only worsen with future ocean acidification, with potentially significant implications for ecologically and economically important shellfish species on Georges Bank.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Fishers' Local Ecological Knowledge Reveals Complex Food Web Dynamics With Rapidly Warming Waters

  Fish and Fisheries · 2025-09-07

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  ABSTRACT Local ecological knowledge (LEK) can provide insight into ecosystem change, particularly in dynamic ecological conditions, such as those driven by climate change. In New England lobster fisheries, warming waters have the potential to disrupt food webs, as range‐shifting species introduce novel ecological interactions. Here we use interviews with lobster fishers in Maine and Massachusetts to understand lobster fishers' LEK of dynamic food webs, taking a mental modelling approach to construct LEK food web models under rapidly warming waters. We find that fishers are observing a remarkable range of ecological interactions across habitats, collectively reporting knowledge of > 35 species that interact trophically with lobster across larval, juvenile, and adult life stages, ranging from terrestrial species like mink ( Neovison vison ) to deep sea species like redfish ( Sebastes fasciatus ). Our LEK food webs demonstrate perceptions of warming water altering species' abundances and interactions, with an overall negative impact on lobster fisheries. Fishers also report knowledge of complex interactions, including predation, competition, and habitat loss mediated by warming waters and changing species' abundances. Finally, we identify and categorise three main pathways that contribute to fishers' LEK, including observation, word of mouth, and inference. Our findings demonstrate that active fishers have complex understandings of food web interactions in dynamic ecosystems that are changing rapidly. With management unable to keep pace with climate‐driven change, fishers' LEK is an invaluable source of knowledge, whose use could improve the ability to understand the diverse impacts of warming waters on coastal ecosystems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: the influence of predators on community structure and resultant ecosystem functioning at a biogeographic scale

  NSF · $83k · 2011–2014

Frequent coauthors

• Steven B. Scyphers

  University of Mobile

  58 shared

• A. Randall Hughes

  Northeastern University

  51 shared

• Hunter S. Lenihan

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  44 shared

• Sean P. Powers

  Dauphin Island Sea Lab

  40 shared

• Fiorenza Micheli

  Stanford University

  27 shared

• Robert Murphy

  European Organization for Nuclear Research

  27 shared

• Charles H. Peterson

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  27 shared

• David L. Kimbro

  Northeastern University

  27 shared