BOB STENECK

Bob Steneck is a marine ecologist whose laboratories are coral reefs in the Caribbean and Indopacific oceans and kelp forests in North America. There, he has studied sea urchins, fish, corals and lobsters as well as historical ecology, global climate change and the science of managing marine resources. Currently, his research focuses on what drives the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. Since he began studying Caribbean coral reefs in 1972 he has seen remarkable declines. Specifically he is interested in how degraded coral reefs recover from disturbances. This stimulated his current focus on what drives the recruitment of corals and other marine organisms, especially the relative demographic importance of larval connectivity versus the receptivity of the habitats into which larvae recruit.

Bob studies the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems. His laboratories are in the Gulf of Maine and Caribbean. In Maine he has explored kelp forests ecosystems for over twenty years learning about lobsters, sea urchins and fish stocks in this region. Bob has also worked extensively throughout the Caribbean and tropical Pacific studying coral reef from both biological and geological perspectives.