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IMS Affiliated Faculty

Faculty are hired by their respective departments, to which they owe primary responsibility; however, the institute continues to be involved in the identification of hiring and faculty needs of the cross-disciplinary marine program through active involvement in new faculty searches and in support of departmental recommendations. Affiliated faculty and researchers are those individuals that utilize any of the ORU’s resources (space, seawater, equipment, etc) and/or individuals whose research falls within one of the seven research clusters supported by IMS. IMS only appoints affiliates in the ORU based on the individual researchers request to be associated with the ORU.
Eric Palkovacs
  • Pronouns he, him, his, his, himself
  • Title
    • Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
    • Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives
    • Director, Fisheries Collaborative Program; Associate Director, Institute of Marine Sciences
  • Division Physical & Biological Sciences Division
  • Department
    • Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department
    • IMS-Fisheries Collaborative Program
    • Office of Research
  • Affiliations Coastal Science & Policy Program, Environmental Studies Department
  • Phone
    831-502-7387 (Office)
  • Email
  • Website
  • Office Location
    • CSC Coastal Biology Building, CBB 225
  • Mail Stop CBB/EE Biology
  • Mailing Address
    • 130 McAllister Way
    • Santa Cruz CA 95060
  • Faculty Areas of Expertise Biology, Climate Change, Coastal Science, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered Species, Evolution, Fisheries, Genetics, Water
  • Courses BIOE 155 Freshwater Ecology, BIOE 155L Freshwater Ecology Lab, BIOE 200A Scientific Skills

Summary of Expertise

Freshwater ecology, eco-evolutionary dynamics, fisheries and fish ecology

Research Interests

I am interested in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. The study of eco-evolutionary dynamics focuses on bi-directional interactions occurring between ecology and evolution in nature. I examine how evolution shapes populations, communities, and ecosystems and how these ecological changes feed back to shape the trajectory of evolution. Because my research is at the interface of ecology and evolution, I utilize a diversity of techniques and approaches. In particular, I combine surveys of genetic, phenotypic, and ecological variation in nature with field and laboratory experiments to test the mechanisms underlying observed patterns. My research addresses basic questions in evolutionary ecology and applied questions in conservation biology and fisheries management.

Biography, Education and Training

B.S. University of Michigan
Ph.D. Yale University