Overview & images
Research in the Ecology Laboratory addresses the factors that determine the distribution, abundance and diversity of marine organisms, particularly benthic organisms living in and on the seabed sediments. These organisms are important bioindicators used to measure the ecological quality or ecosystem health of our seas and oceans. Field research in combination with in situ field and laboratory experiments are used to understand how natural and anthropogenic disturbances affect the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems (e.g., estuaries, coastal ocean and deep-sea) and the services they provide us. In this laboratory a multidisciplinary approach is employed interfacing with population, community, and behavioral ecology, as well as molecular biology, reproductive biology, taxonomy, phylogenetics, phylogeography, sediment chemistry, and climate change. Our overall goal is to help inform and improve monitoring and management of marine ecosystems in the face of today’s changing environmental conditions.
The ecology laboratory is set up for the integration of molecular techniques in biodiversity and ecological research