PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES
Kopecky, K. L, Castorani, M. C. N., Tuff, T. A., Barker Plotkin, A., Bell, D. M., Johnstone, J. F., Kominoski, J. S., Nippert, J. B., Nytch, C. J., Pennings, S. C., Reed, D. C., Shiels, A. B., Suding, K. N. (2026). Legacies of dead foundation species shape life after death. Science Advances.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aef9983
Kopecky, K. L., Pavoni, G., Corsini, M., DiFiore, B. P., Brooks, A. B., Nocerino, E., & Menna, F. (2025). Removing dead coral after marine heatwaves can mitigate coral–algae competition and increase viable coral recruitment. Ecological Applications, 35(5), e70077. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70077.
Kopecky, K. L., Holbrook, S. J., Partlow, E., Cunningham, M., & Schmitt, R. J. (2024). Changing disturbance regimes, material legacies, and stabilizing feedbacks: Dead coral skeletons impair key recovery processes following coral bleaching. Global Change Biology, 30(9), e17504. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17504.
Kopecky, K. L., Stier, A. C., Schmitt, R. J., Holbrook, S. J., & Moeller, H. V. (2023). Material legacies can degrade resilience: Structure‐retaining disturbances promote regime shifts on coral reefs. Ecology, e4006. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4006.
Kopecky, K. L., Pavoni, G., Nocerino, E.; Brooks, A. J., Corsini, M., Menna, F., Gallagher, J. P., Capra, A., Castagnetti, C., Rossi, P., et al. (2023). Quantifying the loss of coral from a bleaching event using underwater photogrammetry and AI-assisted image segmentation. Remote Sensing, 5, 4077. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15164077.
Ingeman, K. E., Zhao, L. Z., Wolf, C., Williams, D. R., Ritger, A. L., Ripple, W. J., Kopecky, K. L., Dillon, E. M., DiFiore, B. P., Curtis, J. S., Csik, S. R., Bui, A., & Stier, A. C. (2022). Glimmers of hope in global apex predator recoveries. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 10005. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13671-7.
Kopecky, K. L., Cook, D. T., Schmitt, R. J., & Stier, A. C. (2021). Effects of corallivory and coral colony density on coral growth and survival. Coral Reefs, 40, 283-288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02076-z.
IN REVIEW
Kopecky, K. L., Pavoni, G., Corsini, M., Brooks, A. J., Holbrook, S. J., & Schmitt, R. J. Tracking demographic changes in individual coral colonies through repeated photogrammetric surveys. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. Pre-print available here.
Kopecky, K. L., Barker Plotkin, A., Bell, D. M., Castorani, M. C. N., Huang, D., Johnstone, J. F., Kominoski, J. S., Nippert, J. B., Nytch, C. J., Pennings, S. C., Reed, D. C., Shiels, A. B., Tuff, T., & Suding, K. N. Life after death: A harmonized dataset of live and dead foundation species across marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology.
Balch, J., Nagy, R. C., Hummel do Amaral, C., … Kopecky, K. L., et al.
“The Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL): Accelerating synthesis discovery by fostering a broad community.”
Environmental Data Science.
DISSERTATION
Kopecky, K. L. (2024). The Remains of Change: How the Legacies of Shifting Disturbance Regimes Impact the Resilience of Contemporary Coral Reefs. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/remains-change-how-legacies-shifting-disturbance/docview/3099561094/se-2?accountid=14503
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Kopecky, K. L. (2025). Clearing a Path to Resilience: Removing Dead Coral Skeletons Following Marine Heatwaves Benefits Coral Recovery. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, e70043. https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70043
Kopecky, K. L., Stier, A. C., Schmitt, R. J., Holbrook, S. J., & Moeller, H. V. (2023). Contrasting Impacts of Different Disturbance Types on Coral Reefs: Wave Disturbance vs. Coral Bleaching. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 104(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.2061
Kopecky, K. L, Castorani, M. C. N., Tuff, T. A., Barker Plotkin, A., Bell, D. M., Johnstone, J. F., Kominoski, J. S., Nippert, J. B., Nytch, C. J., Pennings, S. C., Reed, D. C., Shiels, A. B., Suding, K. N. (2026). Legacies of dead foundation species shape life after death. Science Advances.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aef9983
Kopecky, K. L., Pavoni, G., Corsini, M., DiFiore, B. P., Brooks, A. B., Nocerino, E., & Menna, F. (2025). Removing dead coral after marine heatwaves can mitigate coral–algae competition and increase viable coral recruitment. Ecological Applications, 35(5), e70077. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70077.
Kopecky, K. L., Holbrook, S. J., Partlow, E., Cunningham, M., & Schmitt, R. J. (2024). Changing disturbance regimes, material legacies, and stabilizing feedbacks: Dead coral skeletons impair key recovery processes following coral bleaching. Global Change Biology, 30(9), e17504. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17504.
Kopecky, K. L., Stier, A. C., Schmitt, R. J., Holbrook, S. J., & Moeller, H. V. (2023). Material legacies can degrade resilience: Structure‐retaining disturbances promote regime shifts on coral reefs. Ecology, e4006. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4006.
Kopecky, K. L., Pavoni, G., Nocerino, E.; Brooks, A. J., Corsini, M., Menna, F., Gallagher, J. P., Capra, A., Castagnetti, C., Rossi, P., et al. (2023). Quantifying the loss of coral from a bleaching event using underwater photogrammetry and AI-assisted image segmentation. Remote Sensing, 5, 4077. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15164077.
Ingeman, K. E., Zhao, L. Z., Wolf, C., Williams, D. R., Ritger, A. L., Ripple, W. J., Kopecky, K. L., Dillon, E. M., DiFiore, B. P., Curtis, J. S., Csik, S. R., Bui, A., & Stier, A. C. (2022). Glimmers of hope in global apex predator recoveries. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 10005. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13671-7.
Kopecky, K. L., Cook, D. T., Schmitt, R. J., & Stier, A. C. (2021). Effects of corallivory and coral colony density on coral growth and survival. Coral Reefs, 40, 283-288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02076-z.
IN REVIEW
Kopecky, K. L., Pavoni, G., Corsini, M., Brooks, A. J., Holbrook, S. J., & Schmitt, R. J. Tracking demographic changes in individual coral colonies through repeated photogrammetric surveys. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. Pre-print available here.
Kopecky, K. L., Barker Plotkin, A., Bell, D. M., Castorani, M. C. N., Huang, D., Johnstone, J. F., Kominoski, J. S., Nippert, J. B., Nytch, C. J., Pennings, S. C., Reed, D. C., Shiels, A. B., Tuff, T., & Suding, K. N. Life after death: A harmonized dataset of live and dead foundation species across marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology.
Balch, J., Nagy, R. C., Hummel do Amaral, C., … Kopecky, K. L., et al.
“The Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL): Accelerating synthesis discovery by fostering a broad community.”
Environmental Data Science.
DISSERTATION
Kopecky, K. L. (2024). The Remains of Change: How the Legacies of Shifting Disturbance Regimes Impact the Resilience of Contemporary Coral Reefs. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/remains-change-how-legacies-shifting-disturbance/docview/3099561094/se-2?accountid=14503
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Kopecky, K. L. (2025). Clearing a Path to Resilience: Removing Dead Coral Skeletons Following Marine Heatwaves Benefits Coral Recovery. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, e70043. https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70043
Kopecky, K. L., Stier, A. C., Schmitt, R. J., Holbrook, S. J., & Moeller, H. V. (2023). Contrasting Impacts of Different Disturbance Types on Coral Reefs: Wave Disturbance vs. Coral Bleaching. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 104(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.2061