Biography
Dr. Megan Dethier did her undergraduate work at Carleton College in Minnesota, despite the apparent lack of ocean there, then Ph.D. work under Bob Paine at the University of Washington, near a real ocean. Since ~1978 she has been in residence at the Friday Harbor Labs and is a Research Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Washington, working on shoreline ecology of the Pacific Northwest. Dr Dethier is interested in marine ecology, especially the ecology of shorelines. Specific topics of interest are: plant-herbivore interactions, especially the roles of algal functional morphology, chemical defenses, and ecological refuges; the effects of intertidal stresses (e.g., desiccation) on energy allocation patterns in intertidal algae - how algae make "decisions" when stressed about how to allocate energy between growth, reproduction, and defense; the classification, long-term monitoring, and maintenance of biodiversity of intertidal habitats. She also is interested in invertebrate functional morphology, especially morphological features that confer resistance to predators.