Transient Pollution Events
Ongoing research into the ecological effects of transient pollution events on communities of sessile marine invertebrates. My program investigates the potential for the timing, frequency and intensity of pollution events to change the nature of their impact. Estimates of recovery times are made along with investigations of pollutant effects on competitive and trophic interactions. The majority of the work focuses on pollution from heavy metals.

Pollution and Marine Biological Invasions
This program aims to determine whether pollution affects the biological resistance of assemblages to invasion. The discharge of toxicants into coastal waters is an increasingly important source of disturbance that has the potential to make marine assemblages more susceptible to biotic invasion. This program asks if pollution events facilitate the colonisation, persistence and spread of non-native species and how initial assemblage diversity modifies this response.

Pollution and Antarctic marine communities
Antarctica is no longer considered a pristine environment and the impact of human activity is likely to increase in coming years. This program examines the potential for contaminated soft sediments to impact on Antarctic hard-substrate communities. The project will assess the vulnerability of Antarctic hard-substrate assemblages compared to those of other regions and will provide information on the responses of individuals, populations and communities to stressors. The project will involve Antarctic subtidal experimental work during the Summers of 2005/6 - 2007/8.