Marine Ecology
Marine Ecology is a cross-campus theme focussing on marine ecology and evolution across all scales of biological complexity.
Conservation is central to our work: our specialists in marine vertebrate ecology and conservation use GPS technologies to track and monitor at-risk species such as marine turtles. By processing this data using computer modelling, we can design and implement the best strategies to conserve these species, which has led to the creation of new Marine Protection Areas. The theme is complemented by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)'s Marine and Freshwater Conservation Unit based at the Penryn Campus.
Other key research areas are:
- how marine invertebrate biotic interaction impacts population dynamics
- using a mechanistic understanding of physiology to predict consequences of climate change and improve the efficiency of aquaculture
- the molecular and phenotypic basis of how microbes (viruses, bacteria, protists) adpat to each other, and the implications this has for biogeochemical cycles.
Our research is part of the university-wide Exeter Marine specialism, and makes use of the Aquatic Resources Centre and DNA sequencing facility at Streatham Campus and the aquarium on Penryn Campus.