Josh Drew

My work looks at the ecology evolution and conservation of coral reefs across Melanesia and the Southwest Pacific. While I think broadly about these topics, I specifically focus on processes operating at three different spatial and temporal scales. First, I am interested in quantifying community level connectivity among reefs in the South Pacific. I have used a variety of molecular genetic techniques to understand the spatial scales over which reefs are connected using comparative phylogeographic methods. At deeper evolutionary scales, I have also been using merisitic and morphological data to describe new endemic species throughout the region and to understand the phylogenetics of widespread species. Finally, I have brought these themes together in an explicit conservation context by working with the Fijian government to help incorporate these empirically derived data into their national system of marine protected areas. The second theme I am interested in investigating is historical ecology. Lastly, I am interested in the phylogenetics of community assembly.