Biological Oceanography

Cameron Ainsworth

Associate Professor
Physical Oceanography
Fisheries Oceanography
Ph.D. University of British Columbia, 2006
Office Phone: 727.553.3373
Email: ainsworth@usf.edu
CV: View PDF
Fisheries and Ecosystems Ecology Lab Website
Dr. Cameron Ainsworth on Google Scholar

Research: Fisheries Biology; Ecosystem and Resource Management

Specialties: Fisheries Management, Food Webs, Population Dynamics, Marine Ecosystems, Population Modeling


Dr. Ainsworth’s research is focused on understanding how human activities and climate influence the structure and functioning of marine communities and developing new tools and methodologies to support ecosystem-based management. As part of this research, Dr. Ainsworth and his students employ a variety of statistical and numerical simulation models to characterize trophic linkages in marine ecosystems, habitat use by fish and invertebrates, and the influence of physical oceanography on the distribution of marine life. His ongoing studies include a management strategy evaluation (MSE) of Gulf of Mexico marine protected area design. The MSE approach is a type of closed-loop policy analysis that simulates each part of Holling’s adaptive management cycle (stock assessment, implementation of harvest rules, and policy evaluation). Key to this approach is recognizing feedbacks from the ecosystem that occur in response to management actions and evaluating tradeoffs with respect to socioeconomic and ecological policy objectives. This work is being done in collaboration with NOAA as part of their Integrated Ecosystem Assessment for the Gulf of Mexico, and other Gulf-area agencies. Another major project ongoing in the Ainsworth lab is the evaluation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This study focuses on the short and long-term impacts of oil toxicity in the ecosystem, as well as the impacts of mediation actions like the use of dispersants and fishery closures.

In 2013, Dr. Ainsworth received a Sloan Research Fellowship, awarded to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These two-year fellowships are awarded yearly to 126 researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field. Dr. Ainsworth is one of only two Sloan Fellowships awarded in the state of Florida.