Marine Ecological Theory Lab

The Marine Ecological Theory Lab, led by Dr. Lisa McManus, combines theoretical ecology with marine science to understand and predict ocean ecosystem responses to environmental change. Our research employs dynamical systems approaches to address three core areas: coral-algal regime shifts and ecosystem tipping points, coral adaptive capacity under climate change, and human-environment interactions in reef systems.

We develop cutting-edge mathematical tools that mechanistically link ecological and evolutionary processes across spatial and temporal scales. Our highly collaborative approach brings together theoreticians with empiricists—field ecologists, geneticists, physiologists, oceanographers and climate scientists—to tackle complex marine conservation challenges. Through this work, we advance fundamental ecological theory while providing evidence-based tools for marine conservation and management, with particular emphasis on supporting culturally appropriate and community-driven approaches to reef stewardship.