Peter Roopnarine

Dr. Peter Roopnarine is the Curator of Geology at the California Academy of Sciences and holds dual academic appointments as a Research Professor and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology and Geosciences at San Francisco State University. He earned a B.Sc. in Biology, M.S. in Oceanography, and Ph.D. in Geology from the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on paleoecology, mass extinctions, and the evolution of ecological systems across deep time, with an emphasis on applying paleontological insights to modern conservation challenges.

Roopnarine’s work bridges paleontology and global change science, using food web modeling to understand ecosystem responses to environmental perturbations. He leads the Roopnarine Lab, advising students on projects ranging from kelp forest resilience to Permian-Triassic extinction dynamics. Notable contributions include modeling ecological stability during mass extinctions and advocating for conservation strategies informed by deep-time data.

His research spans interdisciplinary collaborations, including studies on the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, the ecological role of extinct megafauna (e.g., Steller’s sea cow), and socioeconomic network analyses of pandemic impacts. Roopnarine emphasizes the interconnectedness of ecological and human systems, advocating for policies that align with long-term planetary resilience.

Key projects include:

• Modeling paleocommunity food webs to predict ecosystem responses to climate change.
• Quantifying ecological stability across mass extinctions (e.g., Permian-Triassic boundary).
• Assessing the role of invasive species in Ordovician marine ecosystems.

His lab has produced influential publications on topics like economic cascades during pandemics and the resilience of ancient ecological systems. Roopnarine’s work is characterized by a commitment to integrating data from fossils, modern ecosystems, and mathematical models to address pressing environmental challenges.