Professor Stephen Wing, Our staff, Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, New Zealand

Contact details

Office 310 Castle Street, room 145
Tel +64 3 479 9038
Cell +64 21 279 9038
Email steve.wing@otago.ac.nz

Academic qualifications

PhD (Davis)

Research interests

I am a marine ecologist with a research emphasis on understanding food web structure and metapopulation dynamics within coastal marine communities. Together these processes underpin persistence and stability of biological communities making their study directly relevant to conservation and management of marine ecosystems.

My research group at Otago focuses on biogeochemical cycling in food webs to resolve how diversity of basal organic matter sources and changes to food web structure through species loss influence productivity and resource use by higher trophic level groups such as rock lobsters, reef fish, marine mammals, sea birds and people. The work is supported by direct observations, in situ experiments and state-of-the-art environmental chemistry, including stable isotope and trace metal analysis. We also carry out studies on population structure and metapopulation dynamics of fish and invertebrates in coastal marine environments.

I have active research projects in Fiordland, Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic islands as well as mainland New Zealand focused on understanding ecosystem function and dynamics.

Courses

ECOL 111 Ecology and Conservation of Diversity (co-ordinator)
ECOL 411 Reading Ecology (co-ordinator)
MARI 451 Advanced Topics in Marine Science (co-ordinator)
AQFI 352 Fisheries Ecology
MARI 302 Biology and Behaviour of Marine Vertebrates

Research projects

Food web connectivity in the Fiordland ecosystem: an investigation of trophic links across ecotone boundaries - Marsden Fund.
Analysis of biodiversity patterns and management decision making processes to support stewardship of marine resources and biodiversity in Fiordland- a case study - Ministry for the Environment / Ministry of Fisheries.
Ecophysiology of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island- Otago Research Grant
Biomass survey and yield estimates for the New Zealand littleneck clam (Austrovenus stutchburyi) in Papanui and Waitati Inlets, Otago - Ministry of Fisheries
A Metapopulation Model for the New Zealand Sea Urchin Evechinus chloroticus in Fiordland: Influence of Larval Transport Patterns on Population Structure- Otago Research Grant.
GIS tools for design of marine protected areas -Otago Research Grant/ Department of Conservation
Using Molecular Genetics to Test a Hydrographic Model of New Zealand’s Fjords that Predicts their Ability to Act as Barriers to the Dispersal of Marine Organisms. - Marsden Fund.
2011–2014, Does the sea ice microbial community contribute to secondary production in the Antarctic? Antarctica New Zealand
2011–2014, Does bioaccumulation of iron by seabirds enhance productivity around sub-Antarctic Islands? Royal Society of New Zealand – Marsden Fund
2009-2010, Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area Biodiversity Monitoring 2010, Department of Conservation.
2008, Implications of climate change for flux of organic matter in Antarctic coastal ecosystems, Antarctica New Zealand
2006-2008, Biodiversity research in Fiordland associated with the Fiordland marine reserve network and Fiordland Marine Management Act 2005 (3 projects), Department of Conservation.
Ecosystem Connectivity: Resolving Biochemical Fluxes to inform Ecosystem Based Management. Sustainable Seas, National Science Challenge

Postgraduate students

Current students

Zachary Clark (MSc): The economic value of red rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) under the Fiordland Marine Management System (Wing – Kahui)
Tim Currie (MSc): Uncovering the importance of nursery habitats and their connectivity for flounder species in east Otago, New Zealand
Joseph Curtis (PhD): Kelp Forest Ecology (Wing – Lamare)
Katie Fenton (MSc): Response of adult and juvenile tuaki (A.stutchburyi) to cumulative estuarine stressors
Matthew Jarvis (PhD): Potential impacts of global change on amphidromous fishes (Closs – Wing)
Erik Johnson (PhD): Dynamics of the subtropical convergence 2019 (Smith – Suanda – Wing)
Elli Leinikki (PhD): Influence of shellfish on recovery dynamics in intertidal estuaries in New Zealand
Gretchen McCarthy (PhD): Biogeochemical Interactions in Integrated Kelp and Mussel Aquaculture System (Wing – Sabadel – Lamare)
Mireya Montaño Orozco (PhD): Dispersion and connectivity within the Bay of Plenty using a continental shelf-resolving regional ocean model (Wing – Souza – Suanda)
Katie Nelson (MSc): Heat budget analysis of Blueskin Bay
Veronica Rodriguez-Jurado (MSc): How do cumulative stressors impact rocky reef and kelp forest ecosystem?
Arnaud Valcarcel (PhD): Microstructure of oceanographic frontal systems 2018 (Stevens – Suanda – Wing)

Completed students

Blake Hornblow (MSc): Changing oceanographic conditions and the effect on foraging behavior of Tawaki / Fiordland crested penguins (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) using satellite
Andrew Hurley (MSc): Mechanisms of shelf-slope exchange and how they impact larval fish communities around Saunders canyon, Otago (Smith – Wing)
Gabrielle Ueland (MSc): Carbon sequestration and mussel productivity in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture

^ Top of page

Publications

Salmond, N. H., & Wing, S. R. (2023). Sub-lethal and lethal effects of chronic and extreme multiple stressors on a critical New Zealand bivalve under hypoxia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 703, 81-93. doi: 10.3354/meps14215

Wing, S. R., Shears, N. T., Tait, L. W., & Schiel, D. R. (2022). The legacies of land clearance and trophic downgrading accumulate to affect structure and function of kelp forests. Ecosphere, 13, e4303. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4303

Pearson, H. C., Savoca, M. S., Costa, D. P., Lomas, M. W., Molina, R., Pershing, A. J., … Wing, S. R. (2022). Whales in the carbon cycle: Can recovery remove carbon dioxide? Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.012

Wing, S. (2022, November). Overexploitation and decline in kelp forests inflate the bioenergetic costs of fisheries. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Marine Sciences (NZMSS) & New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Societies (NZFSS) Joint Conference: Waitī Waitā, Auckland, New Zealand.

Niu, S., Chen, R., Hageman, K. J., McMullin, R. M., Wing, S. R., & Ng, C. (2022). Understanding impacts of organic contaminants from aquaculture on the marine environment using a chemical fate model. Journal of Hazardous Materials. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130090

Wing, S. (2008). Subtidal invertebrates of New Zealand: A diver's guide. Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury University Press, 148p.

Authored Book - Research

Wing, S. R. (2011). Population networks with sources and sinks along productivity gradients in the Fiordland Marine Area, New Zealand: A case study on the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus. In J. Liu, V. Hull, A. T. Morzillo & J. A. Wiens (Eds.), Sources, sinks and sustainability. (pp. 382-398). Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511842399.020

Chapter in Book - Research

Wing, S. R., & McLeod, R. J. (2007). Salinity Stress. In M. W. Denny & S. D. Gaines (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Tidepools & Rocky Shores. (pp. 482-484). Berkeley: University of California.

Chapter in Book - Research

Wing, S. (2003). Fiordland. In N. Andrew & M. Francis (Eds.), The living reef: The ecology of New Zealand's rocky reefs. (pp. 238-247). Nelson, New Zealand: Craig Potton Publishing.

Chapter in Book - Research

Ostrow, D. G., Wing, S. R., Mladenov, P. V., & Roy, M. S. (2001). Genetic differentiation of Terebratella sanguinea in the New Zealand fjords: A dispersal barrier in the marine environment? In C. H. C. Brunton, L. R. M. Cocks & S. L. Long (Eds.), Brachiopods past and present. (pp. 150-159). London: Taylor & Francis.

Chapter in Book - Research

Wing, S. R. (2001). Free-floating larvae of crabs, sea urchins, and rockfishes. In H. A. Karl, J. L. Chin, E. Ueber, P. H. Stauffer & J. I. I. Hendley (Eds.), Beyond the Golden Gate: Oceanography, geology, biology and environmental issues in the Gulf of the Farallones [Circular 1198]. (pp. 40-41). Reston, VA: U.S. Geological Survey.

Chapter in Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Durante, L., Wing, S., Ingram, T., Sabadel, A., & Shima, J. (2022). Changes in trophic structure of an exploited fish community at the centennial scale are linked to fisheries and climate forces. Scientific Reports, 12, 4309. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-08391-x

Journal - Research Article

Kolodzey, S., & Wing, S. R. (2022). Life history traits vary between geographically distinct populations in a protogynous hermaphrodite. Ecosphere, 13, e4237. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4237

Journal - Research Article

McMullin, R. M., Chen, R., Niu, S., Matthews, W., Murschell, T., Wing, S. R., & Hageman, K. J. (2022). Organic contaminants in imported salmon feed and their effects on reef ecosystems in New Zealand. Environmental Pollution, 298, 118853. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118853

Journal - Research Article

McMullin, R. M., Wing, S. R., Sabadel, A. J. M., & Hageman, K. J. (2022). Experimentally derived biochemical modelling parameters to improve understanding of aquaculture's effect on marine food webs. Marine Environmental Research, 178, 105645. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105645

Journal - Research Article

Meyers, M., Décima, M., Law, C. S., Gall, M., Barr, N., Miller, M. R., … Sabadel, A., Wing, S., & Hoffmann, L. (2022). No evidence of altered relationship between diet and consumer fatty acid composition in a natural plankton community under combined climate drivers. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 551, 151734. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2022.151734

Journal - Research Article

Salmond, N. H., & Wing, S. R. (2022). Sub-lethal and lethal effects of chronic ammonia exposure and hypoxia on a New Zealand bivalve. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 549, 151696. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2022.151696

Journal - Research Article

Schlieman, C. D., Wing, S. R., O'Connell-Milne, S. A., McMullin, R. M., Durante, L. M., Kolodzey, S., & Frew, R. D. (2022). Catchment modifications influence the composition of basal organic matter supporting suspension-feeding bivalves. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2022.107989

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Durante, L. M., Connolly, A. J., Sabadel, A. J. M., & Wing, L. C. (2022). Overexploitation and decline in kelp forests inflate the bioenergetic costs of fisheries. Global Ecology & Biogeography, 31, 621-635. doi: 10.1111/geb.13448

Journal - Research Article

Durante, L. M., Smith, R. O., Kolodzey, S., McMullin, R. M., Salmond, N. H., Schlieman, C. D., O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Frew, R. D., Van Hale, R., & Wing, S. R. (2021). Oceanographic transport along frontal zones forms carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isoscapes on the east coast of New Zealand: Implications for ecological studies. Continental Shelf Research, 216, 104368. doi: 10.1016/j.csr.2021.104368

Journal - Research Article

Kolodzey, S., Durante, L. M., Sabadel, A. J. M., & Wing, S. R. (2021). Larval quality and fecundity trade-offs are linked to the maternal environment in sea perch (Helicolenus percoides, Sebastidae). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 537, 151525. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2021.151525

Journal - Research Article

Kolodzey, S., Wing, S. R., & Durante, L. M. (2021). Maternal age, length, and weight influence larval characteristics and viability in the viviparous temperate reef fish Helicolenus percoides. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 659, 185-198. doi: 10.3354/meps13542

Journal - Research Article

Maia Durante, L., Beentjes, M. P., & Wing, S. R. (2021). Decadal changes in exploited fish communities and their relationship with temperature, fisheries exploitation, and ecological traits in New Zealand waters. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 1-27. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2021.1987281

Journal - Research Article

McMullin, R. M., Sabadel, A. J. M., Hageman, K. J., & Wing, S. R. (2021). A quantitative analysis of organic matter inputs to soft sediment communities surrounding salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds region of New Zealand. Science of the Total Environment, 773, 145146. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145146

Journal - Research Article

Tobias-Hünefeldt, S. P., Wing, S. R., Baltar, F., & Morales, S. E. (2021). Changes in microbial community phylogeny and metabolic activity along the water column uncouple at near sediment aphotic layers in fjords. Scientific Reports, 11, 19303. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-98519-2

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Wing, L. C., O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Barr, D., Stokes, D., Genovese, S., & Leichter, J. J. (2021). Penguins and seals transport limiting nutrients between offshore pelagic and coastal regions of Antarctica under changing sea ice. Ecosystems, 24, 1203-1221. doi: 10.1007/s10021-020-00578-5

Journal - Research Article

Durante, L. M., Beentjes, M. P., & Wing, S. R. (2020). Shifting trophic architecture of marine fisheries in New Zealand: Implications for guiding effective ecosystem-based management. Fish & Fisheries, 21, 813-830. doi: 10.1111/faf.12463

Journal - Research Article

Durante, L. M., Sabadel, A. J. M., Frew, R. D., Ingram, T., & Wing, S. R. (2020). Effects of fixatives on stable isotopes of fish muscle tissue: Implications for trophic studies on preserved specimens. Ecological Applications, 30(4), e02080. doi: 10.1002/eap.2080

Journal - Research Article

O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Wing, S. R., Suanda, S. H., Udy, J. A., Durante, L. M., Salmond, N. H., & Wing, L. C. (2020). Interactions between bivalve filter feeding and oceanographic forcing drive the fluxes of organic matter and nutrients at an estuarine-coastal interface. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 655, 29-42. doi: 10.3354/meps13522

Journal - Research Article

Sabadel, A. J. M., Durante, L. M., & Wing, S. R. (2020). Stable isotopes of amino acids from reef fishes uncover Suess and nitrogen enrichment effects on local ecosystems. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 647, 149-160. doi: 10.3354/meps13414

Journal - Research Article

Stokes, M. D., Leichter, J. J., & Wing, S. R. (2020). Spatial variations in the stable isotope composition of the benthic algae, Halimeda tuna, and implications for paleothermometry. Scientific Reports, 10, 16276. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-73283-x

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Wing, L. C., & Reid, M. R. (2020). Trace metals in Antarctic clam shells record the chemical dynamics of changing sea ice conditions. Limnology & Oceanography, 65, 504-514. doi: 10.1002/lno.11318

Journal - Research Article

Desmond, M. J., Pritchard, D. W., Hurd, C. L., Richards, D. K., Schweikert, K., Wing, S., & Hepburn, C. D. (2019). Superior photosynthetic performance of the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida may contribute to continued range expansion in a wave-exposed kelp forest community. Marine Biology, 166(11), 139. doi: 10.1007/s00227-019-3593-2

Journal - Research Article

Lee, B., Cockroft, K., Arkhipkin, A. I., Wing, S. R., & Randhawa, H. S. (2019). Age, growth and mortality estimates for the ridge-scaled grenadier Macrourus carinatus (Günther, 1878) in the south-western Atlantic. Fisheries Research, 218, 174-185. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2019.05.012

Journal - Research Article

Tobias-Hünefeldt, S. P., Wing, S. R., Espinel-Velasco, N., Baltar, F., & Morales, S. E. (2019). Depth and location influence prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial community structure in New Zealand fjords. Science of the Total Environment, 693, 133507. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.313

Journal - Research Article

Udy, J. A., Wing, S. R., Jowett, T., O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Durante, L. M., McMullin, R. M., & Kolodzey, S. (2019). Regional differences in kelp forest interaction chains are influenced by both diffuse and localized stressors. Ecosphere, 10(10), e02894. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.2894

Journal - Research Article

Udy, J. A., Wing, S. R., O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Durante, L. M., McMullin, R. M., Kolodzey, S., & Frew, R. D. (2019). Regional differences in supply of organic matter from kelp forests drive trophodynamics of temperate reef fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 621, 19-32. doi: 10.3354/meps12974

Journal - Research Article

Udy, J., Wing, S., O'Connell-Milne, S., Kolodzey, S., McMullin, R., Durante, L., & Frew, R. (2019). Organic matter derived from kelp supports a large proportion of biomass in temperate rocky reef fish communities: Implications for ecosystem-based management. Aquatic Conservation, 29, 1503-1519. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3101

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Leichter, J. J., Wing, L. C., Stokes, D., Genovese, S. J., McMullin, R. M., & Shatova, O. A. (2018). Contribution of sea ice microbial production to Antarctic benthic communities is driven by sea ice dynamics and composition of functional guilds. Global Change Biology, 24(8), 3642-3653. doi: 10.1111/gcb.14291

Journal - Research Article

McMullin, R. M., Wing, S. R., & Reid, M. R. (2017). Ice fish otoliths record dynamics of advancing and retreating sea ice in Antarctica. Limnology & Oceanography, 62(6), 2662-2673. doi: 10.1002/lno.10597

Journal - Research Article

McMullin, R., Wing, S. R., Wing, L. C., & Shatova, O. (2017). Trophic position of Antarctic ice fishes reflects food web structure along a gradient in sea ice persistence. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 564, 87-98. doi: 10.3354/meps12031

Journal - Research Article

Shatova, O. A., Wing, S. R., Hoffmann, L. J., Wing, L. C., & Gault-Ringold, M. (2017). Phytoplankton community structure is influenced by seabird guano enrichment in the Southern Ocean. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science, 191, 125-135. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2017.04.021

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Gault-Ringold, M., Stirling, C. H., Wing, L. C., Shatova, O. A., & Frew, R. D. (2017). δ⁵⁶Fe in seabird guano reveals extensive recycling of iron in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Limnology & Oceanography, 62(4), 1671-1681. doi: 10.1002/lno.10524

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Wing, L. C., Shatova, O., & Van Hale, R. (2017). Marine micronutrient vectors: Seabirds, marine mammals and fishes egest high concentrations of bioactive metals in the subantarctic island ecosystem. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 563, 13-23. doi: 10.3354/meps11978

Journal - Research Article

Shatova, O., Wing, S. R., Gault-Ringold, M., Wing, L., & Hoffmann, L. J. (2016). Seabird guano enhances phytoplankton production in the Southern Ocean. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 483, 74-87. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2016.07.004

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., & Wing, L. (2015). Ontogenetic shifts in resource use by the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus across an ecotone. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 535, 177-184.

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Wing, L. C., & Fujita, Y. (2015). Overthrowing a regime shift: Displacement of sea urchins by abalone in a kelp forest ecosystem. Ecosphere, 6(12), 1-13. doi: 10.1890/ES15-00179.1

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., & Jack, L. (2014). Fiordland: The ecological basis for ecosystem management. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 48(4), 577-593. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2014.897636

Journal - Research Article

Wing, S. R., Jack, L., Shatova, O., Leichter, J. J., Barr, D., Frew, R. D., & Gault-Ringold, M. (2014). Seabirds and marine mammals redistribute bioavailable iron in the Southern Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 510, 1-13. doi: 10.3354/meps10923

Journal - Research Article

Beer, N. A., & Wing, S. R. (2013). Trophic ecology drives spatial variability in growth among subpopulations of an exploited temperate reef fish. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 47(1), 73-89. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2012.751037

Journal - Research Article

Beer, N. A., Wing, S. R., & Carbines, G. (2013). First estimates of batch fecundity for Parapercis colias, a commercially important temperate reef fish. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 47(4), 587-594. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2013.789440

Journal - Research Article

Jack, L., & Wing, S. R. (2013). A safety network against regional population collapse: Mature subpopulations in refuges distributed across the landscape. Ecosphere, 4(5), 57. doi: 10.1890/ES12-00221.1

Journal - Research Article

More publications...