Mark C. Benfield
Position: Professor, Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences
Phone: 225-578-6372
Fax: 225-578-6513
E-mail: mbenfie@lsu.edu
Office: 2271 Energy, Coast and Environment Building, Lab: ECE 2266
Bachelor's Degree(s): B.S. University of Toronto, 1980
Master's Degrees(s): M.S. University of Natal, 1985
Ph.D.(s): Ph.D. Texas A&M University, 1991
Research Interests
Zooplankton ecology, optical and acoustic sensing of zooplankton, computer-based classification of zooplankton, acoustical telemetry studies of fish and invertebrates, application of industrial remotely operated vehicles (ROV) in biological observatories.
Classes Taught
OCS 2008. Introduction to Marine Life Processes (every Spring)
OCS 2011. Introduction to Matlab for Coastal Sciences
Awards & Honors
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Post-doc (Biology Department)
Recent Publications
Song, J., Bi, H., Cai, Z., Xuemin, C., He, Y., Benfield, M. C., Chunlei, F. Early warning of Noctiluca scintillans blooms using in-situ plankton imaging system: An example from Dapeng Bay, PR China. Ecological Indicators, 112, 106123. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20300601
McClain, C. R., Nunnally, C., Dixon, R., Rouse, G. W., Benfield, M. C. (2019). Alligators in the abyss: The first experimental reptilian food fall in the deep ocean. PLoS One, 14(12), e0225345.. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225345
McClain, C. R., Nunnally, C., Benfield, M. C. Persistent and substantial impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep-sea megafauna. Royal Society Open Science, 6, 191164. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.191164
Cheng, K., Cheng, X., Wang, Y., Bi, H., Benfield, M. C. (2019). Enhanced convolutional neural network for plankton identification and enumeration. PLOS One, 14(7), e0219570. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219570
Benfield, M. C., Kupchik, M. J., Palandro, D. A., Dupont, J. M., Blake, J. A., Winchell, P. (2019). Documenting deepwater habitat utilization by fishes and invertebrates associated with Lophelia pertusa on a petroleum platform on the outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico using a remotely operated vehicle. Deep Sea Research Part 1: Oceanographic Research Papers, 149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967063718301432
Levin, L. A., Bett, B. J., Gates, A. R., Heimbach, P., Howe, B. M., Janssen, F., McCurdy, A., Ruhl, H. A., Snelgrove, P., Stocks, K. I., Bailey, D., Baumann-Pickering, S., Beaverson, C., Benfield, M. C., Booth, D. J., Carreiro-Silva, M., Colaço, A., Eblé, M. C., Fowler, A. M., Gjerde, K. M., Jones, D. O., Katsumata, K., Kelley, D., Le Bris, N., Leonardi, A. P., Lejzerowicz, F., Macreadie, P. I., McLean, D., Meitz, F., Morato, T., Netburn, A., Pawlowski, J., Smith, C. R., Sun, S., Uchida, H., Vardaro, M. F., Venkatesan, R., Weller, R. A. (2019). Global observing needs in the deep ocean. Frontiers in Marine Sciences, 6, 1-241. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00241/full
Kupchik, M. J., Benfield, M. C., Sutton, T. T. (2018). The first in situ encounter of Gigantura chuni (Giganturidae: Giganturoidei: Aulopiformes: Cyclosquamata: Teleostei), with a preliminary investigation of pair-bonding. Copeia, 106, 641 – 645. http://www.copeiajournal.org/ce-18-034
Macreadie, P. I., McLean, D. L., Thomson, P. G., Partridge, J. C., Jones, D. O.B., Gates, A. R., Benfield, M. C., Collin, S. P., Booth, D. J., Smith, L. M., Techera, E., Skropeta, D., Horton, T., Pattiaratchi, C., Bond, T., Fowler, A. M. Eyes in the sea: unlocking the mysteries of the ocean using industrial, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Science of the Total Environment, 634, 1077 - 1091. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718312063
Minello, T. J., Benfield, M. C. Effects of turbidity on feeding of southern flounder on estuarine prey. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 594, 203-212. https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v594/p203-212/
Di Mauro, R., Kupchik, M. J., Benfield, M. C. (2017). Abundant plankton-sized microplastic particles in shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Pollution, 230, 789-809.
Gates, A. R., Benfield, M. C., Booth, D. J., Fowler, A. M., Skropeta, D., Jones, D. O. (2017). Deep-sea observations at hydrocarbon drilling locations: Contributions from the SERPENT Project after 120 field visits. Deep-sea Research II, 137, 463-479.
Wiebe, P. H., Harris, R., Gislason, A., Margonski, P., Skjoldal, H. R., Benfield, M. C., Hay, S., O'Brien, L., Valdés, L. (2016). The ICES Working Group on Zooplankton Ecology: Accomplishments of the first 25 years. Progress in Oceanography, 141, 179-201.
Gates, A. R., Benfield, M. C., Booth, D. J., Fowler, A. M., Skropeta, D., Jones, D. O.B. Contributions from the SERPENT Project after 120 field visits. Deep-sea Research II.
Bi, H., Guo, Z., Benfield, M. C., Fan, C., Ford, M., Shahrestani, S., Sieracki, J. M. (2015). A semi-automated image analysis procedure for in situ plankton imaging systems. PLoS ONE, 10(5), e0127121.
McClain, C. R., Balk, M. A., Benfield, M. C., Branch, T. A., Chen, C., Cosgrove, J., Love, A. M., Gaskins, L. C., Helm, R. R., Hochberg, F. G., Lee, F. B., Marshall, A., McMurray, S. E., Schanche, C., Stone, S. N., Thaler, A. D. (2015). Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna. PeerJ, 31, e715. https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.715
Culverhouse, P. F., Macleod, N., Williams, R., Benfield, M. C., Lopes, R. M., Picheral, M. (2014). An empirical assessment of the consistency of taxonomic identifications. Marine Biology Research, 10, 73-84.