Her areas of interest include marine community ecology, especially food web interactions; species invasions; and conservation. In particular, she looks at the interactions between oysters and non-native oyster drills as well as the impact of aquaculture on the natural habitat, including eelgrass. She is currently a member of the Ecological Society of America, the National Shellfisheries Association, the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, and the Western Society of Naturalists. She has served on two previous NRC committees. Dr. Ruesink received her B.A. in Biology, Summa Cum Laude (Cornell University); her M.Phil. in Botany (Cambridge University, England); and her Ph.D. in Zoology (University of Washington).