About

Food web ecology, community dynamics, and marine conservation are broad descriptors of my research interests and I am particularly fascinated by the intricate relationships connecting organisms of all ecosystems. At present, many of these interactions (e.g., predator-prey, competition, facilitation) are undergoing shifts due to anthropogenic influences.

 

My MSc work focuses on keystone predation (i.e., species that exhibit a disproportionate influence on their environment relative to their biomass) which is an important top-down regulator of many ecosystems as these predators keep certain prey abundances (e.g., grazers, dominant space competitors) at levels that support the growth and persistence of other species. In the rocky intertidal zone, the ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) prevents mussels (Mytilus spp.) from dominating space, which promotes species diversity as other organisms are able to settle in areas of cleared mussel beds. Despite their important role in ecosystem functioning, there remains a lack of information on how predatory sea star populations will react to future climatic stressors. My thesis addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the resilience of juvenile Pisaster to heat stress and by exploring how future climatic conditions may impact their role as keystone predators. 

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