Behavioral studies of coral-reef fishes have provided many insights into the ecological
and evolutionary processes occurring in the marine environment. Work with herbivorous
species has proven especially fruitful in this regard, both because their algal food
resources can be quantified within the context of specific environmental or demographic
conditions, and because these variables can often be manipulated within controlled field
experiments. My studies of coral-reef fishes exploit this unique research opportunity by
integrating a suite of methods that, together, identify how specific ecological factors
affect fish behavior and life history. In this paper, I outline this integrative approach
with a discussion of basic techniques including: methods for the capture and marking of
fishes; protocols for assessing the life history characteristics of growth, reproduction,
and mortality; and, procedures for monitoring fish behavior and resource availability
under a variety of natural and experimental conditions.