Faculty & Research Index

Collaborative Research

Cluster Groups

Coastal Biology

The nearshore marine environment, the interface of land and sea, is one of the most biologically productive areas on earth. It is also the area where most people interact with the ocean. This interaction occurs in many ways, from urban runoff from large cities, to whale watching expeditions, to teachers taking children to explore tidepools. In large part because of the increase in use and interest in these environments there has been an enhanced interest in the conservation of coastal biological resources.

The coastal biology cluster group concentrates its efforts on species, processes, and environments of the nearshore and their spatial and temporal variations. The methods and approaches the scientists employ are as varied as the species they study. Using molecular tools and innovative field methods, scientists in this group explore population biology and genetics, systematics, reproduction, community structure, evolutionary biology, and ecosystem health and change.