Research Interests:
We are exploring ecological and evolutionary processes in a wide variety of marine ecosystems (intertidal zone down to the deep sea) to better understand the forces that control the origin and maintenance of biodiversity. Projects include: (1) Experimental studies on the forces that shape patterns of diversity in the deep sea; (2) Population genetic analyses of shallow and deep water organisms to investigate dispersal, gene flow, population differentiation and speciation; (3) The ecological forces that structure subtidal communities and the impact of invasive species; (4) The influence of wave energy on the biology, ecology and evolution of intertidal organisms; and (5) Theoretical metapopulation models of patch dynamics. More details are provided on the project pages.
Ron J. Etter
Biology Department
University of Massachusetts
Boston, MA 02125
617-287-6613
