Chugey A. Sepulveda, Ph.D., Senior Research Biologist, USCG - Licensed Captain

Education

• Ph.D. Marine Biology (2005)
  Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
• U.S. Coast Guard Captains License (2003)
  Maritime Academy
• M.A. Biology (1999)
  California State University Fullerton
• B.A. Biology (1997)
  California State University Fullerton

PIER project involvement

• Satellite Tagging of Swordfish in the Southern California Bight
• Swimming Muscle Physiology of Thresher Sharks
• Catch-and-Release Survivability of Thresher Sharks
• Passive Acoustic Localization of White Seabass Spawning Aggregations
• Costa Rica Roosterfish Project
• Digestion and Gastric Evacuation Studies on Mako Sharks
• Archival Tagging and Physiological Studies of Wahoo in the Eastern Pacific
• White Sharks of Guadalupe

Background & interests

Chugey is a fish physiologist with a focus in pelagic fish biology.  In particular, he is interested in answering questions related to physiological specializations that enable fish to operate at an increased performance level.  Regional endothermy is one such specialization that has been the focus of much of his work. 

Selected Publications

Sepulveda, C.A., J. B. Graham, and D. Bernal. 2007. Aerobic metabolic rates of swimming juvenile mako sharks, Isurus oxyrinchus. Marine Biology DOI 10.1007/s00227-007-0757-2.

Sepulveda, C.A., N. Wegner, D. Bernal, and J.B. Graham. 2007.  The red muscle morphology of the thresher sharks (Alopiidae). Journal of Experimental Biology (In press)

Donley J. M., C.A Sepulveda, S. Gemballa, and R.E. Shadwick. 2005. Patterns of red muscle strain/activation and body kinematics during steady swimming in a lamnid shark, the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). Journal of Experimental Biology 208: 12. (Accepted)

Bernal, D. and C.A. Sepulveda. 2005. Evidence for temperature elevation in the aerobic swimming musculature of the common thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus. Copeia 2005. 163-168.

Donley J.M., C.A. Sepulveda, P. Konstantinidis, S. Gemballa, and R.E. Shadwick. 2004.  Convergent evolution in mechanical design of lamnid sharks and tunas. Nature. 429: 61-65.

Sepulveda, C.A., K.A. Dickson, and J.B. Graham. 2003. Swimming performance studies on the eastern Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis), a close relative of the tunas (Family Scombridae). I. Energetics. Journal of Experimental Biology 206: 2739-2748.

Dowis, H.J., C.A. Sepulveda, J.B. Graham, and K.A. Dickson.  2003. Swimming performance studies on the eastern Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis), a close relative of the tunas (Family Scombridae). II.  Kinematics. Journal of Experimental Biology 206: 2749-2758.

Bernal, D., C.A. Sepulveda, O. Mathieu-Costello, and J.B. Graham. 2003. Comparative studies of high performance swimming in sharks. I. Red muscle morphometrics, vascularization, and ultrastructure. Journal of Experimental Biology 206: 2831-2843.

Dickson, K.A., J.M. Donley, C.A. Sepulveda, and L. Bhoopat.  2002.  Effects of temperature on sustained swimming performance and swimming kinematics of the chub mackerel Scomber japonicus.  Journal of Experimental Biology  205: 969-980.

Bernal, D. C.A. Sepulveda, and J.B. Graham. 2001. Water tunnel studies of heat balance in swimming mako sharks. Journal of Experimental Biology 204: 4043-4054.

Sepulveda, C. and K. A. Dickson. 2000. Maximum sustainable speeds and cost of swimming in juvenile kawakawa tuna, Euthynnus affinis, and chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus. Journal of Experimental Biology 203: 3089-3101.