Dr. Kaustuv Roy

Biography

Kaustuv Roy is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Research. His research focuses on the physical and biotic processes that determine large-scale spatial patterns of biodiversity, particularly in marine systems. He employs interdisciplinary approaches that combine ecological and genetic information from living species and populations, leveraging the temporal perspective afforded by the rich fossil record of marine invertebrates. His work investigates the origin and maintenance of latitudinal diversity gradients, examining the dramatic increase in the number of species and higher taxa from poles to tropics—a global biodiversity pattern that is shared across marine and terrestrial systems. Understanding the processes responsible for the origin and maintenance of these gradients is essential for informed management and conservation of biodiversity, particularly in a world facing rising temperatures and overexploitation of natural resources. His research also addresses the anthropogenic impacts on coastal marine ecosystems and quantifies the ecological consequences of human activities such as harvesting and urbanization along the California coast.

Research Interests