His research focuses on the environmental factors that structure parasite communities in aquatic organisms. He also uses parasites as tools to study larger questions about ecosystem processes and ecological health. His projects typically involve some combination of fieldwork in critical Florida habitats (Everglades, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, sargassum mats), laboratory-based work, and the use of multivariate statistics. He has also conducted research on nematode biocontrol, parasite-biogeography, and host-pathogen interactions.