Robert Leaf Doctoral Candidate, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Tech M.S., Marine Science, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, California Biology of the Red Abalone, Haliotis rufescens, in northern California" B.A., Biology, University of California at Santa Cruz Senior Project: “A Key to the Intertidal Fishes of the Monterey Bay”

Publications:

Leaf, R.T., A.H. Andrews, G.M. Cailliet, and T.A. Brown. 2008. Bomb radiocarbon support for an age-at-length relationship for red abalone, Haliotis rufescens Swainson, in Northern California. Journal of Shellfish Research 27:1177-1182. PDF Abstract

Leaf, R.T., L. Rogers-Bennett, and Y. Jiao. 2008. Exploring the use of a size-based egg-per-recruit model for the Red Abalone fishery in California. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 28:1638-1647 PDF Abstract

Leaf, R.T., L. Rogers-Bennett, and P. Haaker. 2007. Spatial, temporal, and size-specific variation in mortality estimates of red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, from mark-recapture data in California. Fisheries Research 83: 341-350. PDF

Rogers-Bennett, L. and R.T. Leaf. 2006. Elasticity analysis of size-based red and white abalone matrix models: Management and conservation. Ecological Applications 16(1): 213-224. PDF Sea Grant Article Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America Article

Publications Online:

Leaf, R.T. and B.R. Murphy. 2009. Making It Fit: Using Excel to Analyze Biological Systems. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Case Case description

Oral and Poster Presentations:

K. Sorensen* and R.T Leaf. Virginia Tech AFS Student Colloquium, Blacksburg, Virginia, October 17, 2009: Life-history characteristics of Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes. * High school Researcher

Leaf, R.T. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, October 2, 2009: Investigating ontogenetic, ecological, and evolutionary processes in marine populations: implications for management and conservation.

Leaf, R.T. , Y. Jiao, M. Prager, and J. Berkson. American Fisheries Society Meeting. Nashville, Tennessee. September 3, 2009. Exploring an individual-based simulation model to investigate changes in life-history characteristics of a population under size-selective fishing.

Andrews, A.H., G.M. Cailliet, R.T. Leaf, T. Brown, L Rogers-Bennett, and K.H. Coale. The Fourth International Symposium on Fish Otolith Research and Application. Monterey, California. August 23 to 28 2009. Bomb radiocarbon dating of white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni): investigations of age, growth, and lifespan.

Andrews, A.H., G.M. Cailliet, R.T. Leaf, T. Brown, L Rogers-Bennett, and K.H. Coale. 20th International Radiocarbon Conference. Big Island, Hawaii. May 31 to June 5, 2009. Bomb radiocarbon dating of white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni): investigations of age, growth, and lifespan. Abstract

Leaf, R.T. NMFS/SeaGrant Annual Fellows Meeting. Woods Hole, Massachusetts. April 16, 2009. Exploring an individual-based simulation model to investigate changes in yield and egg production characteristics of a fished population under size-selective fishing.

Tobin, E.*, Leaf, R.T., LaPointe, N. and Y. Jiao. Virginia Chapter American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. February 11, 2009. Population abundance of northern snakehead (Channa argus) in a Potomac river tributary. * Undergraduate Researcher

Leaf, R.T. and Y. Jiao. Virginia Chapter American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. February 11, 2009. Exploring an individual-based simulation model to investigate changes in yield and egg production characteristic of a fished population under size-selective fishing.

Sorensen, K.* and R.T. Leaf. 8th Annual American Fisheries Society Student Colloquium, Tennessee Tech University, Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee, November 7 to 8, 2008: A description of maternal effects on egg size and larval performance of medaka (Oryzias latipes). Poster Abstract. * High School Researcher

Kramer, J.* and R.T. Leaf. 8th Annual American Fisheries Society Student Colloquium, Tennessee Tech University, Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee, November 7 to 8, 2008: A description of the optimal salinity to enhance husbandry of medaka (Oryzias latipes) eggs Poster Abstract. * Undergraduate Researcher

Leaf, R.T., Y. Jiao, M. Prager, J. Berkson, and E. Hallerman. National Stock Assessment Workshop, Port Townsend, Washington, May 6 to 8, 2008: Exploring an individual-based model to investigate changes in life-history characteristics of a population under size-selective fishing. Poster Abstract

Leaf, R.T. NMFS/SeaGrant Annual Fellows Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 16, 2008: Exploring an individual-based model to investigate changes in life-history characteristics of a population under size-selective fishing. PDF

Leaf, R.T. Virginia/Virginia Tech AFS Joint Meeting, Blacksburg, Virginia, February 5, 2008: A multi-model approach to the determination of individual growth using tag-recapture data: A case study using red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, in northern California. PDF

Leaf, R.T. NMFS/SeaGrant Annual Fellows Meeting, Miami, Florida, April 2, 2007: The Evolutionary Effects of Fishing: Implications for Stock Management and Rebuilding.

Leaf, R.T., L. Rogers-Bennett, and Y. Jiao. Benthic Ecology Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, March 22, 2007: A size-based egg-per-recruit model and parameter sensitivity analysis of red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, in northern California. Poster

Leaf, R.T., L. Rogers-Bennett, and P. Haaker. National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting, Monterey, California, March 27, 2006: Size-specific survival and fishing mortality estimates for red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, using mark-recapture data.

Leaf, R.T., A.H. Andrews, and G.M. Cailliet. National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting, Monterey, California, March 27, 2006: Preliminary validation of age-at-length of red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, using bomb radiocarbon.

Leaf, R.T.. NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Beaufort, North Carolina, December 22, 2005: Biology of the red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, in California.

Leaf, R.T.. Virginia Tech, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Blacksburg, Virginia, March 21, 2005: Conservation and fisheries biology of red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, in northern California.

Rogers-Bennett, L.K. and R.T. Leaf. Western Society of Naturalists, Monterey, California, November 18, 2005: Elasticity analysis of size-based red and white abalone matrix models: Management and conservation.

Leaf, R.T. and L. Rogers-Bennett. Western Society of Naturalists, Rohnert Park, California, November 12, 2004: A size-based projection matrix model of red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, in northern California..

Leaf, R.T. and L. Rogers-Bennett. CalCOFI Symposium, Asilomar, California, November 3, 2003: Size based demography and prospective elasticity analysis of red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) populations in northern California.

Grants, Scholarships and awards:

A.B. Massey Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in the VT Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, March 2009

Robert D. Ross Graduate Scholarship, Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society February 2009

Virginia Tech Graduate Research and Development Project Grant May 2008

Virginia Tech Graduate Research and Development Project Grant December 2006

NMFS-Sea Grant Graduate Fellowship in Population Dynamics June 2006

National Shellfisheries Association Travel Grant March 2006

Myers Oceanographic Trust Grant May 2004

American Museum of Natural History Grant March 2003

J.T. Harvey Scholarship February 2003

PADI Project Aware grant August 2002