Research: Ecology and evolution of hot-vent animals; marine community history.
My general interest lies in the historical and extrinsic controls on the development of marine communities. I collaborate widely across many disciplines from geophysics to molecular biology. Submersible missions have predominated my field work. At present two major programmes are in progress:

• 1) The primary area of research is the ecology of unusual deep-water ecosystems such as hydrothermal vents and subsea volcanoes. Past work has included exploration of Juan de Fuca Ridge and description of major ecological features of community structure. We continue to use elements of this system to understand community maintenance and responses to extreme events. Over the last 25 years, the lab has discovered over 75 new species that have led to publications by systematists. More recent work includes the role of western Pacific volcanic arc systems in the diversity and adaptations of vent animals. Our study systems include mussels in acid waters, dense populations of three new flatfish species, and shrimp inhabiting an erupting volcano. See http://nwrota2009.blogspot.com/ and http://nwrota2010.blogspot.com/ for recent updates.


• 2) I am Director of VENUS, a major infrastructure initiative funded by Canadian Foundation for Innovation and BC Knowledge Development Fund, among others. The Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea is an innovative approach to interacting with the oceans. Scientific instruments under the sea surface and on the sea floor connect directly to a data clearinghouse and to the computers of researchers via fibre optic cables. These cables provide the necessary electrical power and interactive communication. Synoptic, multidisciplinary observations are available in real time to participating scientists, students, and the public anywhere on the Internet. The locations in Saanich Inlet and Strait of Georgia support internationally significant research on a range of topics. Phenomena include the effects of climate change on an important marine ecosystem, the response of a major delta to storm, seismic, and hydrological events, and the processes controlling productivity in a large estuarine system. Research in the lab includes organism responses to hypoxia and pelagic-benthic interactions. I recently gave an interview at Minigeology.com about scavengers in low oxygen zones. The interview is here.

Teaching: Marine Ecology. Each year I offer a course in ecological principles using marine benthic systems as examples. With ocean ecosystems under increasing threats from human activities, we also address ocean issues and ecological approaches.

Verena Tunnicliffe, Professor,
School of Earth & Ocean Sciences
and Department of Biology
University of Victoria
P.O. Box 3020
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3N5
PH: (250)721-7135 FAX: (250)721-7120