Professor Michael Chadwick

Professor Michael Chadwick is an aquatic biologist interested in exploring both applied and basic ecological questions. His work focuses on understanding how ecosystem structure and function, specifically related to macroinvertebrates, respond to changes in environmental conditions. 

He earned a BSc in Environmental Science at Cook College, Rutgers University. While at Rutgers University, he was employed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to monitor streams, lakes, and estuaries in the Northeastern United States.

He has an MS in Zoology (Auburn University) and a PhD in Ecology and Environmental Science (University of Maine). He has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alabama and the University of Plymouth.

Research

• Environmental Science for sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems
• Effects of natural and human-induced stress on aquatic organisms
• Implications of ecosystem changes on the ecosystems structure and function.

Michael's research goals are to pursue the empirical studies which focuses on addressing questions related to the effects of natural and human-induced ecosystem change on aquatic systems, and implications of these changes for sustaining ecosystem health.

His past research and current research spans large spatial scales in varied aquatic systems. This includes work on the large tidally-influenced rivers to intermittent streams. Most of the studies are in collaboration with a range of people and have a focus on both the biotic and abiotic factors which vary across space and time.

Current projects focus on several topics such as London’s urban rivers, biodiversity invasive species, and macroinvertebrate community structure. In each of these studies, he evaluates the interplay between biotic factors (e.g., competition, predation, food quantity and quality, nutrient cycling) and abiotic factors (e.g., water quality and quantity, habitat availability, climatic variation), which can alter life histories, community composition and ecosystem function.

Teaching

Undergraduate

• 4SSG1011 PGI
• 5SSG2062 BSc Research Tutorials
• 5SSG2046 Fieldwork in Physical Geography

Postgraduate

• 7SSG5172 Environmental Field and Lab Techniques for Sustainability
• 7SSG5223 Environmental Science for Sustainability

PhD supervision

Michael is interested in receiving enquiries from potential PhD students on:

• Ecology of tidally-influenced aquatic systems
• Large river ecology (especially the Thames)
• Spatial arrangement of habitats and reaches in aquatic ecosystems
• Catchment-scale drivers of ecosystem function
• Intermittent systems
• Life histories of aquatic organisms
• Environmental quality of aquatic systems.

Further details

See Michael's research profile