Sally Keith

Dr. Sally Keith is a Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology at the Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University. She serves as Assistant Undergraduate Admissions Tutor for Ecology & Conservation Degree Programmes and leads the Macrobehaviour Lab, which is part of the wider LEC-REEFS research group. Her research focuses on understanding how animal behavior scales up to influence biodiversity and ecosystem function, particularly in coral reef systems.

Research Interests
Using coral reefs as a model system, Dr. Keith's research aims to: (1) determine if, when, how and why animal behavior can scale up to influence the diversity and distribution of life on Earth; (2) identify and explain global geographical patterns in animal behavior; and (3) capture the impact of environmental change on these processes, predict ecological vulnerability, and offer solutions to increase ecosystem resilience. Her work combines purpose-built fieldwork with a macroecological approach, conducting behavioral research in multiple locations worldwide to identify generalizable "rules" for how animals behave in real-world systems.

Research Themes
Dr. Keith's current research focuses on four main areas: (1) Testing fundamental behavioral theory using a macroecological lens; (2) Exploring the effects of rapid environmental change on animal behavior; (3) Understanding implications of behavioral adjustments across ecological scales; and (4) Explaining geographical patterns in animal behavior. Her recent publications show a strong focus on coral reef fish behavior, particularly damselfish and butterflyfish, and how these behaviors respond to environmental changes such as coral bleaching and habitat degradation.

Scientific Contributions
Dr. Keith has published extensively in top ecology and marine science journals including Nature Climate Change, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and Global Ecology & Biogeography. Her work has been influential in demonstrating how behavioral shifts in reef fishes are linked to mass coral bleaching events and how environmental changes can erode established behavioral patterns among species.

Teaching and Mentoring
Dr. Keith teaches several courses including LEC.101 Global Environmental Challenges, LEC.144 Global Change Biology, LEC.248 Vertebrate Biology, and LEC.351 Coral Reef Ecology. She has supervised numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with current students working on diverse topics such as reef fish cognition, coral reef diversity patterns, and impacts of habitat degradation on competitive networks.

Research Groups
Dr. Keith leads the Macrobehaviour Lab and is an active member of the LEC-REEFS research group at Lancaster University. Her lab brings together researchers interested in understanding animal behavior at macroecological scales, with a particular focus on coral reef ecosystems.