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
- Zachary Clark – (MSc): The economic value of red rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) under the Fiordland Marine Management System (Wing – Kahui)
- Joseph Curtis (PhD): Kelp Forest Ecology (Wing – Lamare)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Gabrielle Ueland (MSc): Carbon sequestration and mussel productivity in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture
- Arnaud Valcarcel (PhD): Microstructure of oceanographic frontal systems 2018 (Stevens – Suanda – Wing)
Publications
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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., Durante, L. M., Connolly, A. J., Sabadel, A. J. M., & Wing, L. C. (2021). Overexploitation and decline in kelp forests inflate the bioenergetic costs of fisheries. Global Ecology & Biogeography. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/geb.13448
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
Wing, S. R., & Jack, L. (2013). Marine reserve networks conserve biodiversity by stabilizing communities and maintaining food web structure. Ecosphere, 4(11), 135. doi: 10.1890/ES13-00257.1
Journal - Research Article
Davis, J. P., & Wing, S. R. (2012). Niche partitioning in the Fiordland wrasse guild. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 446, 207-220. doi: 10.3354/meps09452
Journal - Research Article
Wing, S. R., Beer, N. A., & Jack, L. (2012). Resource base of blue cod Parapercis colias subpopulations in marginal fjordic habitats is linked to chemoautotrophic production. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 466, 205-214. doi: 10.3354/meps09929
Journal - Research Article
Wing, S. R., McLeod, R. J., Leichter, J. J., Frew, R. D., & Lamare, M. D. (2012). Sea ice microbial production supports Ross Sea benthic communities: Influence of a small but stable subsidy. Ecology, 93(2), 314-323. doi: 10.1890/11-0996.1
Journal - Research Article
Wing, S., & Jack, L. (2012). Resource specialisation among suspension-feeding invertebrates on rock walls in Fiordland, New Zealand, is driven by water column structure and feeding mode. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 452, 109-118. doi: 10.3354/meps09588
Journal - Research Article
Beer, N. A., Wing, S. R., & Hu, Y. (2011). Physical versus biological control of element incorporation into biogenic carbonate: An in situ experiment in a New Zealand fjord. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 433, 289-301. doi: 10.3354/meps09199
Journal - Research Article