I am interested in understanding how abiotic factors influence an organism's ecology and evolution; in particular, how temperature can affect patterns of local adaptation and population dynamics over both local and latitudinal spatial scales.

Here's recent article about my research that appeared in On Earth magazine.

One major goal of my research is to understand how temperature influences the ecology and distribution of intertidal species. Most recently I have been studying the effects of temperature on predator-prey interactions between snails in the genus Nucella and the barnacle Balanus glandula. Barnacles are one of the major space occupying organisms in the rocky intertidal, and predation by whelks such as Nucella spp. is well-known to influence barnacle distribution and abundance. Using techniques to manipulate the body temperature of each species in the field, I am exploring the effect of temperature on the feeding and growth rates of both predator and prey independently. One long term goal is to combine modeling techniques that predict body temperatures with ecological models that relate body temperature to changes in individual performance or population dynamics.

Click on the links to the left for more information about my research and teaching

New NSF Grant and opportunities for undergraduate research
Emily Carrington and I have just received an NSF grant to study the effect of temperature on a marine community. The project involves developing a model of how temperature affects three species, both individually and in concert. It will integrate aspects of physiology, biophysics, modeling, and community ecology. There may be funded opportunities for students to work with us at the Friday Harbor Labs on projects in any of these four areas.

Please contact me for additional information