Leo Chan Gaskins

Research and published worK

Leo Chan Gaskins, pronouns he/they, is a community ecologist, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, proud LGBTQ+ scientist, and research partner with Audubon Great Lakes.

Leo investigates how organisms impact the diversity, structure and function of wetlands through both consumptive and ecosystem engineering pathways, and how to harness these effects to inform future conservation and restoration efforts. He is currently a PhD candidate at Duke University in the Silliman lab.

Publications

13. Gaskins LC, Pétillon J. (2024) Mantid expansion into North American salt marshes. The Canadian Entomologist. 2024;156:e12. Free Open Access Copy

12. Shiffman DS, Arguedas Álvarez T, Bangley CW, Boyt R, Côté IM, Daly-Engel TS, Davis ACD, Gaskins LC, Graham J, Graham RT, Johri S, Macdonald CC, Paig-Tran EWM, Roca AI, Schwieterman GD, Whitenack LB, Wiley TR, Ferry LA. (2022) What can Professional Scientific Societies do to Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Case Study of the American Elasmobranch Society’s Young Professional Recruitment Fund Diversity Scholarship. Frontiers in Education, 7: 842618. Free Open Access Copy

11. Gaskins LC & McClain CR. (2021) Visible name changes promote inequity for transgender researchers. PLoS Biology 19(3): e3001104. Free Open Access Copy

10. Gaskins LC, Paxton AB, and Silliman BR. 2020. Megafauna in salt marshes. Frontiers in Marine Science. 7, 975. Free Open Access Copy

9. Whalen MA, Whippo RDB, Stachowicz JJ, York PH … Gaskins LC … Duffy JE. 2020. Climate drives the geography of marine consumption by changing predator communities. PNAS, 202005255. Free PDF Copy

8. Gaskins LC, Morton JP, Renzi JJ, Valdez SR, Silliman BR. 2020. Habitat features associated with newborn Giant Shovelnose Rays (Glaucostegus typus). North Queensland Naturalist, 50, 73-79. Free Open Access Copy

7. Gaskins LC. (2019). House finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) successful use of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nest. Western Birds, 50, 176-177.  Free Open Access Copy

6. Gaskins LC. (2019). Pregnant giant devil ray (Mobula mobular) bycatch reveals potential Northern Gulf of California pupping ground. Ecology, e02689-e02689. Free Full Text Copy

5. Silliman BR, Hughes BB, Gaskins LC, He Q, Tinker MT, Read A, Nifong J, and Stepp R. (2018) Are the ghosts of nature’s past haunting ecology today?. Current Biology, 28(9), R532-R537. Free Open Access Copy

4. Whitney NM, Lear KO, Gaskins LC, & Gleiss AC. (2016). The effects of temperature and swimming speed on the metabolic rate of the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum, Bonaterre). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 477, 40-46. Free Open Access Copy

3. Kraska J, & Gaskins LC. (2015). Can Sharks Be Saved: A Global Plan of Action for Shark Conservation in the Regime of the Convention on Migratory Species. Seattle Journal of Environmental Law, 5, i. Free Open Access Copy

2. Gaskins LC, Silliman BR. (2015). Crab Predation by the San Salvadorian Rock Iguana (Cyclura rileyi). Herpetological Bulletin, 132, 2015: 27.  Free Open Access Copy

1. McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, Dove ADM, Gaskins LC, Helm RR, Hochberg FG, Lee FB, Marshall A, McMurray SE, Schanche C, Stone SN, Thaler AD. (2015) Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna. PeerJ, 3:e715. Free Open Access Copy

Media

Watch Leo’s talk for Chicago Ornithological Society about his Great Lakes research examining how muskrats may facilitate marsh birds: Youtube link

See Leo featured in the New Science Exhibit at California Academy of Sciences

Watch Leo speak at California Academy of Sciences: Youtube link (start at 21:37)

Contact

Email: Leo.gaskins (at) duke.edu

Twitter: @leogaskins

Google Scholar