Staff
Heidi K. Mahon, Research Assistant

Teaching Responsibilities:

Invertebrate Zoology lecture and laboratory (Fall 2004)

My main research interest focuses on the feeding morphology and behavior of polychaetes and other taxa of surface deposit feeders.  Specifically I am interested in how surface deposit feeders acquire energy from a poor food source such as deposited sediments.  Other research interests include determining the ciliary morphology on the feeding palps of spionid polychaetes.  To analyze the ciliary morphology, I use a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Publications

Mahon HK and Dauer DM. Organic coatings and ontogenetic particle selection in Streblospio benedicti Webster (Spionidae: Polychaeta). submitted

Dauer DM, Mahon HK, and Sardá R. (2003) Functional morphology and feeding behavior of Streblospio benedicti and S. shrubsolii (Polychaeta: Spionidae).   Hydrobiologia 496:207-213

 Oral Presentations

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Particle selection dynamics of surface deposit feeding guilds: roles of organic coatings, particle size and adaptive morphologies," Atlantic Estuarine Research Society meeting, Fall 2004, Meadowlands New Jersey.

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Particle selection dynamics of surface deposit feeding guilds: roles of organic coatings, particle size and adaptive morphologies," 8th International Polychaete Conference, 2004, Madrid Spain.

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Feeding responses of Streblospio benedicti (Spionidae) to organic compounds bound to glass microbeads," Atlantic Estuarine Research Society meeting, Spring 2002, Lewes Delaware.

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Feeding responses of Streblospio benedicti (Spionidae) to organic compounds bound to glass microbeads," Aquatic Sciences Limnology and Oceanography meeting, Summer 2002, Victoria British Columbia.

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Feeding responses of Streblospio benedicti (Spionidae) to organic compounds bound to glass microbeads," Benthic Ecology Meeting, 2002, Orlando Florida.

Dauer DM*, Mahon HK, Mahon AR, and Read GB. "Integration of functional morphology and molecular biology: Boccardia species from New Zealand and British Columbia." Invited symposium, "Morphology, molecules, evolution and phylogeny of the polychaete and related taxa", 2002, Osnabruck Germany.

Dauer DM*, Mahon HK, Williams TL, and Sardá R."Trophic dynamics and feeding biology of interface feeding polychaetes: techniques, interpretations and future directions." 7th International Polychaete Conference, 2001, Reykjavik Iceland.

Poster Presentations

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Particle selection dynamics of surface deposit feeding guilds: roles of organic coatings, particle size and adaptive morphologies," Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2005, San Diego California.

Mahon AR*, Mahon HK, Dauer DM, and Read GR. "Morphological, molecular, and biogeographical relationships among six species of Boccardia (Polychaeta: Spionidae)," 8th International Polychaete Conference, 2004, Madrid Spain.

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM. "Particle size and organic coating effects on feeding in the Neridid polychaete Neanthes succinea (Polychaeta: Nereididae)," Benthic Ecology Meeting, 2004, Mobile Alabama.

Mahon HK* and Dauer DM."Feeding responses of Marenzelleria viridis (Polychaeta: Spionidae) to organic compounds bound to glass microbeads," Benthic Ecology Meeting, 2003, Gorton Connecticut.

* asterisk indicates presenter.

Organizations and Appointments

Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (member since 2000)

Student representative to the AERS board (February 2004 to present)

Sigma Xi (member since 2004)

Awards and Honors

Best Student Oral Presentation, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society, Spring 2002 meeting

Best Student Oral Presentation in functional morphology, International Polychaete Conference 2004

Best Student Oral Presentation, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society, Fall 2004 meeting.