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Bayden D. Russell

Associate Professor

Research

I'm interested in how marine ecosystems function and what happens when human activities change environmental conditions so that functioning breaks down. Natural ecosystems have a dynamic balance. Human activities, and the waste we produce, are changing this balance. If we remove too many herbivores then algae can  proliferate and overgrow corals. As the oceans are warming, species are being pushed to their thermal limits - what will happen when they are pushed past their limits?

In addition to understanding how systems function, I'm interested in how we can best restore them. We've destroyed 80% of the world's oyster reefs - what is the best way to help them grow back? What are the benefits to the surrounding ecosystems if we can restore oyster reefs?

Finally, the underlying factor in all of my research is humans and their interactions with marine ecosystems. A looming question is, how do we feed 9 billion people? Increasingly, I'm working with teams of people who are interested in how we can develop truly sustainable aquaculture as part of this answer.

 

Publications

Please see our lab publications page for my latest publications

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Rhyn Cheung: TeamMember
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