Research

The Castorani Lab investigates how ecological processes shape the abundance, distribution, and stability of species and ecosystems across scales in space and time. Our research addresses fundamental questions in population and community ecology, including 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, as well as investigator- and student-led projects and cross-site synthesis collaborations.

Our research is grounded in nearshore marine ecosystems such as kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and oyster reefs—systems structured by habitat-forming foundation species that modify their physical environment, support diverse biological communities, and sustain economically and ecologically important fish and shellfish. Through studies of these systems, we seek to understand the mechanisms governing ecosystem dynamics and their consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and resilience to environmental change. In doing so, we aim to advance fundamental ecological theory while informing coastal conservation, restoration, and management.

Research in the lab is supported by competitive grants from organizations including the National Science Foundation, Virginia Sea Grant, and the Jefferson Scholars Foundation.

Current flagship projects

 

Selected past projects

  • Patterns, causes, and consequences of synchrony in giant kelp populations (NSF; 2020–2025)
  • Return of foundation species: seagrass restoration and clam productivity (Virginia Sea Grant; 2021–2023)
  • Structural equation models for ecosystem-based fisheries management (Virginia Sea Grant; 2021–2023)
  • Spatial drivers of oyster populations across multiple scales (Virginia Sea Grant; 2019–2021)
  • Cross-scale understanding to optimize oyster restoration success (The Nature Conservancy; 2019–2021)
 

Research themes

Ecosystem disturbance, recovery, and restoration

All ecosystems experience disturbances that alter the physical environment and disrupt ecological structure, yet ecosystems vary greatly in their resilience to disturbance. The recovery of coastal ecosystems is often aided by conservation and restoration practitioners, who rely on ecological insight to guide their strategies. A major focus of our research is understanding the loss and recovery of habitat-forming foundation species such as kelps, seagrasses, and oysters. Our work investigates the drivers of these dynamics, their consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and the ecological knowledge needed to inform restoration and management.

Biodiversity, stability, and community ecology

Understanding the factors that maintain biodiversity and the ecological consequences of biodiversity loss are central challenges in community ecology. Much of our research focuses on how environmental conditions and species interactions shape biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We are particularly interested in how biodiversity stabilizes ecological processes over long time periods and across large spatial scales.

 

Spatial connectivity and landscape ecology

Ecological theory and empirical data show that the spatial structure of habitats—including their size, shape, arrangement, and isolation—strongly influences population and community dynamics. For example, the degree to which populations are connected by dispersal can affect extinction risk and regional stability. Using long-term observations, field experiments, and ecological models, we study how spatial processes shape the dynamics of coastal ecosystems across scales in space and time. We are especially interested in understanding why distant populations fluctuate similarly over time—a phenomenon known as spatial synchrony—and what this means for ecosystem stability.