Marine Ecological Processes

Dr. Ivan Valiela serves as Senior Research Scientist for The Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory. His research includes analysis structure and controls on coastal ecosystems, land-sea couplings, impacts of urbanization and deforestation on coastal ecosystems, management of coastal environments, and international environmental policy.

Primary producers in the sea.- Production: the formation of organic matter.- Factors affecting primary production.- Dynamics of Populations of Consumers.- Competition for Resources Among Consumers.- Feeding and Responses to Food Abundance.- Food Selection by Consumers.- Processing of Consumed.- Trophic Structure 1: Controls in Benthic Food Webs.- Trophic Structure 2: Components and Controls in Water Column Food Webs.- Taxonomic Structure: Species Diversity.- Spatial Structure: Patchiness.- Development of Structure in Marine Communities: Colonization and Succession.- The Carbon Cycle: Production and Transformations of Organic Matter.- Nutrient Cycles and Ecosystem Stoichiometry.- Seasonal Changes in Marine Ecosystems.- Long-Term and Large-Scale Change in Marine Ecosystems.