Robert D. Podolsky
Associate Professor

Education
Ph.D. - University of Washington 1995
M.S. - University of Florida 1989
A.B. - Princeton University 1985
Research Interests
Functional biology and evolutionary ecology of marine invertebrates, larval ecology and life-history evolution, fertilization ecology, physiological ecology, phenotypic plasticity.
Courses Taught
BIO 211: Biodiversity, Ecology & Conservation Biology (http://podolskyr.people.cofc.edu/biol211/)
BIO 337: Invertebrate Zoology (http://podolskyr.people.cofc.edu/biol337/)
Publications
Castro DA, Podolsky RD. 2012. Holding On to a Shifting Substrate: Plasticity of Egg Mass Tethers and Tethering Forces in Soft Sediment for an Intertidal Gastropod, Biological Bulletin 223: 300–311. pdf
Fernandes DAO, Podolsky RD. 2011. Developmental consequences of association with a photosynthetic substrate for encapsulated embryos of an intertidal gastropod, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 407: 370-376.pdf
Jacobs MW, Podolsky RD. 2010. Variety is the Spice of Life Histories: Comparison of Intraspecific Variability in Marine Invertebrates. Integrative and Comparative Biology 50(4): 630-642. pdf
Woods HA, Podolsky RD. 2007. Photosynthesis Drives Oxygen Levels in Macrophyte-Associated Gastropod Egg Masses, Biol. Bull. 213: 88-94. pdf
Allen, J.D. and R.D. Podolsky. 2007. Uncommon diversity in larval form and developmental mode in Macrophiothrix brittlestars. Marine Biology 151:85-97. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. and A.L. Moran. 2006. Integrating function across marine life cycles. Integrative and Comparative Biology 46(5): 577-586. pdf
Allen, J.D., Zakas, C. and R.D. Podolsky. 2006. Effects of egg size reduction and larval feeding on juvenile performance in a sea urchin with facultative-feeding development. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 331:186-197. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. and J.S. McAlister. 2005. Developmental plasticity in Macrophiothrix brittlestars: are morphologically convergent larvae also convergently plastic? Biological Bulletin 209:127-138. pdf
Hart, M.W. and R.D. Podolsky. 2005. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny and rates of larval evolution in Macrophiothrix brittlestars. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 34:438-447. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. 2004. Life history consequences of investment in free-spawned eggs and their accessory coats. American Naturalist 163: 735-753. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. 2003. Integrating development and environment to model reproductive performance in natural populations of an intertidal gastropod. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 43: 450-458. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. 2002. Fertilization ecology of egg coats: physical vs. chemical contributions to fertilization success of free-spawned eggs. Journal of Experimental Biology 205: 1657-1668. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. 2001. Evolution of egg target size: an analysis of selection on correlated characters. Evolution 55: 2470-2478. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. and R. R. Strathmann. 1997. Evolution of egg size in free-spawners: consequences of the fertilization-fecundity tradeoff. American Naturalist 148: 160-173. pdf
Podolsky, R.D., P. Virtue, T. Hamilton, J. Vavra and D.T. Manahan. 1995. Energy metabolism during development of the antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri. Antarctic Journal of the US 1994: 157-158.
Podolsky, R.D. 1994. Temperature and water viscosity: physiological versus mechanical effects on suspension feeding. Science 265: 100-103. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. 1993. Evolution of a flower dimorphism: how effective is pollen dispersal by "male" flowers? Ecology 74: 2255-2260. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. and R.B. Emlet 1993. Separating the effects of temperature and viscosity on swimming and water movement by sand dollar larvae (Dendraster excentricus). Journal of Experimental Biology 176: 207-221. pdf
Podolsky, R.D. 1992. Strange floral attractors: pollinator attraction and the evolution of plant sexual systems. Science 258: 791-793. pdf
Groom, M.J., R.D. Podolsky, and C.A. Munn. 1991. Tourism as a Sustained Use of Wildlife: A Case Study of Madre de Dios, Southeastern Peru. In Robinson and Redford, Neotropical Wildlife Use and Conservation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 393-412.
Podolsky, R.D. 1990. Effects of mixed-species association on resource use by Saimiri sciureus and Cebus apella. American Journal of Primatology 21:147-158.