Doug Rasher, Phd

Education

B.S., Zoology, Michigan State University, 2005

Ph.D., Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012

Research Interests

I am a marine community ecologist. I study reef habitats in the coastal realm, where people live and interact with the ocean. Broadly, I seek to understand (1) the causes and consequences of abrupt habitat shifts in reef ecosystems, (2) the ways and degree to which large consumers shape reef function, and (3) how human activity (e.g., fishing, climate change) is altering the biodiversity and resilience of these ecosystems. To address such questions, my collaborators and I employ an interdisciplinary approach; we combine field observations with controlled experiments, historical reconstructions, chemical and geological analyses, and statistical models. Members of the Rasher Lab are currently exploring these and related questions in both temperate kelp forest and tropical coral reef ecosystems.

If you would like to collaborate or seek training in my lab, I encourage you to contact me.