The vitality of coastal ecosystems is of critical importance to life on Earth. Professor Brian Helmuth's lab carries out very complex investigations of these ecosystems. He discusses this fascinating area of science, his role in the international effort to sustain the coastal ecosystems, and how this work is used by policy makers.
Helmuth's research explores the effects of climate and climate change on the physiology and ecology of marine organisms. Specifically, he uses thermal engineering techniques, including a combination of field work, remote sensing and mathematical modeling, to explore the ways in which the environment determines the body temperatures of coastal marine animals such as mussels and seastars. Combined with energetics models, this approach provides a quantitative method of mapping patterns of growth, reproduction, and survival in economically and ecologically important coastal species.