Dixson, an assistant professor in the School of Biology, investigates the influence sensory cues have on the behavior of coral reef organisms. Her recent work, featured on the cover of the journal Science, found that coral larvae and juvenile fishes can smell the difference between a reef that is unhealthy and one that is a suitable home. She has also published recent work showing that acidic oceans make sharks less interested in their food.

Dixson conducts research around the globe on coral reef ecology, and the Sloan Research Fellowship will allow her to continue conducting the fieldwork vital to her research.
“I am very honored and excited to have been selected as a Sloan Fellow,” Dixson said. “These funds will allow my lab to conduct research in Belize investigating how larval fishes and corals use chemical cues in settlement site selection and predator evasion.”