jvoss2@hboi.fau.edu
772-465-2400 ext. 538

Education

• 2006. Ph.D. Biological Science, Florida International University
• 2001. BS. Biology, minors in Chemistry and Philosophy, Elon University

Career

Joshua D. Voss is a Research Associate in the Robertson Coral Reef Program at Harbor Branch with 9 years of experience in coral reef ecology, focusing on coral health and the environmental factors that influence coral degradation in the wider Caribbean.  His research integrates experimental and field monitoring approaches with advanced molecular techniques to understand the short- and long-term effects of stress and disease on coral physiology and ecology.  The overarching goal of this work is to understand and predict the patterns and mechanisms of disease impact on corals in order to facilitate informed, effective management decisions for conserving coral ecosystems.  For example, Voss’s research has demonstrated that excess nutrient availability can exacerbate black band disease severity and increase rates of host coral tissue loss.

Voss has completed over 700 scientific dives primarily in the Bahamas, Florida Keys, and Dry Tortugas with additional investigations in Panama, Curacao, Bonaire, Dominica, USVI, and St. Eustatius.  He previously held visiting appointments as a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Fellow in Panama and as a Perry Institute for Marine Science Research Fellow in the Bahamas, where he continues biannual research expeditions.  Voss currently serves as co-PI on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Annual Coral Condition Cruise and as an instructor in the FAU Biology Department, HBOI Semester by the Sea Program, and Science Under Sail. 

After growing up on the beaches of central Florida near Orlando, Voss attended Elon University in North Carolina and completed a B.S. in biology along with minors in philosophy and chemistry.  He earned his Ph.D. at Florida International University in Miami, and was a member of the marine science faculty at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg before accepting his current position with HBOI at Florida Atlantic University.

Research Interests

Coral reef ecology, development of advance molecular technologies with field-based ecological applications, molecular profiling of bacterial communities, marine conservation and management, integration within and among academic disciplines

Publications

Rogers C, Voss J, and 23 others. 2008. Coral Reefs of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In: Riegl B, Dodge R (eds) Coral Reefs of the United States of America. Springer, Berlin

Voss JD, Mills DK, Remily ER, Myers JL, Richardson LL. 2007. Black band disease microbial community variation on corals in three regions of the Wider Caribbean. Microbial Ecology 54:730-739

Richardson LL, Sekar R, Myers JL, Gantar M, Voss JD, Kaczmarsky L, Remily ER, Boyer GL, Zimba PV. 2007. The presence of the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin in black band disease of corals. FEMS Microbiology Letters 272: 182–187

Voss JD, Richardson LL. 2006. Nutrient enrichment enhances black band disease progression in corals. Coral Reefs 25: 569-576

Mills DK, Entry JA, Voss JD, Gillevet PM, Mathee K. 2006. An assessment of the hypervariable domains of the 16S rRNA genes for their value in determining microbial community diversity: the paradox of traditional ecological indices. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 57: 496-503

Sekar R, Mills DK, Remily ER, Voss JD, Richardson LL. 2006. Microbial communities in the surface mucopolysaccharide layer and the black band microbial mat of black band diseased Siderastrea siderea. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72:5963-5973

Voss JD, Richardson LL. 2006. Coral diseases near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas: patterns and potential drivers. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 69:33-40

Richardson LL, Mills DK, Remily ER, Voss JD. 2005. Development and field application of a molecular probe for the primary pathogen of the coral disease white plague type II. Revista de Biologia Tropical 53:1-10

Richardson LL, Voss JD. 2005. Changes in a coral population on reefs of the northern Florida Keys following a coral disease epizootic. Marine Ecology Progress Series 297:147-156

Detailed CV