The Castorani Lab studies how ecological processes shape the abundance, distribution, and stability of species and ecosystems across scales in space and time. We are based in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Coastal Research Center at the University of Virginia. Our research addresses fundamental questions in population and community ecology: how disturbance and restoration reshape ecosystems, how biodiversity stabilizes ecological processes, and how spatial connectivity links populations and communities across landscapes.

To address these questions, we combine long-term observations, field experiments, and quantitative models. Much of our work is conducted through large collaborative research programs, including the National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. Together, these efforts integrate ecology with disciplines including geomorphology, physical oceanography, and remote sensing to understand ecological dynamics across ecosystems and over broad spatial and temporal scales.

Our research is grounded in nearshore marine ecosystems such as kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and oyster reefs—environments structured by habitat-forming foundation species that support diverse biological communities and valuable fisheries. By studying these systems, we aim to advance fundamental ecological theory while applying our discoveries to improve the conservation, restoration, and management of coastal ecosystems in a rapidly changing ocean.