Apart from Darwinian natural selection, ecologists possess a limited set of quantifiable, testable hypotheses and predictive theories that might be used to construct models and advise managers facing changes to coastal ecosystems. Existing simulation efforts most commonly rely on empirical data and parameterization rather than fundamental laws. I will present efforts to apply thermodynamic constraints on metabolism, body size, and population densities to predict primary production and ecosystem processes.

Dr. Harris received a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Smith College in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Oceanography in 2006 from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. She is presently an Assistant Professor at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Her research interests are in the areas of systems ecology, theoretical ecology, primary producers from phytoplankton to macrophytes, and ecosystem modeling. Her recent work has focused on ecological studies of estuarine systems.

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