Christopher Harley

Christopher Harley is a full Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 2005 and a member of the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries since 2016. His research focuses on understanding how climatic factors (temperature, ocean acidification, salinity) and biological interactions (predation, competition, facilitation) structure coastal marine communities.

Education includes a BSc from Brown University (1994), a PhD from the University of Washington (2001), and postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford University (2001-2003) and University of California, Davis (2003-2005). His lab at UBC investigates five priority areas: changing environmental variability, multiple stressors, life-cycle effects, genetic diversity, and interspecific interactions.

Recent publications highlight his work on thermal stress, invasive species, and ocean acidification across marine ecosystems. Over 15 years, his research has spanned topics like Seaweed Responses to Climate Change, Sea Otter Impacts on Mussel Beds, and Ocean Acidification Effects on Calcifiers. Notable awards include the Murray A. Newman Award (2017), Peter Wall Scholar (2016), and Killam Faculty Research Fellowship (2011).

• Key Research Themes
  • Climate Change Impacts on Rocky Coasts
  • Abiotic-Biotic Interaction Dynamics
  • Intertidal Species Distribution Shifts
  • Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function
• Scientific Awards
  • Murray A. Newman Award for Excellence in Coastal Ocean Research (2017)
  • Peter Wall Scholar (2016)
  • Killam Faculty Research Fellowship (2011)
  • Distinguished Scholar Award (2012)
• Current Lab Members
  • Graduate Students: G. Hall, S. Johnston, E. Kabanova, K. Ma, S. Park
  • Collaborative Research on Stressors and Community Resilience