Mark BenfieldMark 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

Google Scholar Profile

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.