Speaker: Dr. Roxanne Banker, Providence College

Title: Quantitative Approaches to Understanding Marine Ecosystems: Insights from Stellar's Sea Cow and Ancient Food Webs

Abstract: Conservation paleobiology is a growing branch of paleontology focused on applying knowledge of the geological record to conserving and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems. Here I present two examples, Stellar’s sea cow and Mesozoic food webs, of how historical and paleontological data combined with modeling can be used to examine how marine ecosystems function and respond to disturbance. These case studies demonstrate how a deep-time perspective can provide a new dimension of understanding to natural systems.