I'm Richard O'Rorke, a food-web ecologist with a focus on tackling problems in conservation through understanding “multi-trophic” systems. This involves looking at diverse feeding interactions: from microbes (bacteria, phage, fungi, unicellular and colonial Eukaryotes) to multicellular plants and animals. I work across a diverse range of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding the structure of food webs throws light on community succession (species replacing other species), helps us understand why species become invasive, helps us rescue endangered taxa, and potentially informs how macro-evolutionary processes occur (the evolution of species). I use a diverse array of tools such as genomics, genetics, microscopy, behavioural studies and the biochemical measurement of nutrients and energy and as they move through the food web.

Culturing endangered animals
Tree-snails have food preferences. Cultured tree snails eat the "high carb" potato sugar media fungus is grown on. The effect of "high carbs" on their health is unknown.
Phyllosphere Microbiology
Food web ecology and the conservation of a critically endangered Hawaiian snail genus
Phyllosoma Diet
Feeding in the open ocean Molecular and nutritional ecology
Dietary DNA and Contamination
Improving the reliability of a valuable molecular tool
Gelatinous Zooplankton
The surprising ecological importance of jellyfish and other gelatinous animals
Publications
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