ProfessorIslay Marsden

Research interests lie in the physiological ecology of marine invertebrates, especially Crustacea and bivalve molluscs. Research efforts have been targeted towards understanding the mechanisms of adaptation used by animals to survive in intertidal habitats, including sand beaches and estuaries. Laboratory work is an integral part of this research, much of the emphasis being on oxygen uptake, energy demands and utilisation. Recent work is aimed at understanding the effects of environmental factors including toxic dinoflagellates on the metabolism, survival and reproduction of sand beach bivalves and researching the factors that affect trace metal uptake in invertebrates and testing various marine and estuarine species as indicators of environmental stress.