Professor
Stanford University
Bio:
Mark Denny is the John B. & Jean DeNault Professor in Marine Sciences Biomechanics at Stanford University. The Denny lab explores the reasons behind the unique blend of physical adversity and biological diversity found in the intertidal. Using the tools of physics and engineering, he and his students examine the size and shape of wave-swept organisms – and the materials from which they are constructed – in an attempt to explain how individuals cope with the physical stress of the wave-swept shore. In his work with PISCO, Mark has determined how much physical stress limpets and mussels can withstand, which is used to help predict the fraction of mussels, a foundational intertidal organism, are ripped out in a given year. This is a critical figure for community ecologists studying intertidal community dynamics. He also studies the way that waves interact with kelp in an attempt to understand how these flexible and seemingly fragile plants survive. Dr. Denny received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.