By experimentally removing a predatory starfish from the intertidal zone, Dr. Paine demonstrated convincingly that a relatively uncommon species had inordinate influence on structure and diversity of the community. This concept has since been applied to sea otters, whose absence leads to the utter destruction of kelp forests. This work has shown that communities are not simply collections of species that happen to share a common location, but rather are intricate webs of relationships between the various members. The implications of these relationships can be far-reaching, and are not immediately recognizable to the casual observer, or careful scientist for that matter. This realization has a fundamental role to play in conservation as we realize that you cannot consider species in isolation, but instead must consider each as a member of its community.
Many species compete vigorously for space.
Competition is a fundamental ecological process. Coralline algae provide an excellent experimental system with which to explore in nature the consequences of multi-species interactions and the basic mechanisms leading to coexistence. Human activities are forcing changes in natural ecosystems that are generally unwanted and may have dire consequences. I will show how marine ecology as practiced on rocky shorelines has played a leading role in proving that species are dynamically connected. My take home message is that esthetic appreciation of nature's complexity is enhanced by the mechanistic understanding provided by simple experiments.