Max C. N. Castorani
Education
Ph.D., University of California, Davis and San Diego State University, 2014
Research
I study how ecological processes shape the abundance, distribution, and stability of species and ecosystems across spatial and temporal scales. My research addresses fundamental questions in population and community ecology, including how disturbance and restoration reshape ecosystems, how biodiversity stabilizes ecological processes, and how spatial connectivity links populations and communities across landscapes. To address these questions, my group combines long-term observations, field experiments, and quantitative models in nearshore marine ecosystems such as kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and oyster reefs. Through studies of these systems, we aim to advance ecological theory while informing the conservation, restoration, and management of coastal ecosystems in a rapidly changing ocean. Much of this work is conducted through large collaborative research programs, including the National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, where I contribute to several cross-site research collaborations.
Publications
CV
Teaching
Theory and Practice of Biodiversity Conservation (EVSC4991 / LAW 9175)
Effective conservation requires integrating ecological science with law, policy, economics, and other social dimensions of environmental decision-making. This seminar course examines the theory and practice of biodiversity conservation through real-world case studies that highlight the scientific, legal, political, and economic factors shaping conservation outcomes. Through faculty and guest lectures, discussions of scientific and policy literature, and analyses of major conservation cases, students evaluate a range of conservation tools, including environmental regulations, market-based incentives, land protection strategies, and restoration/mitigation programs.
During the second half of the semester, students work in small groups to develop their own conservation case studies based on real management or policy decisions. Each group produces a written case analysis and presents its findings to the class, integrating ecological science with the broader institutional and societal contexts that shape conservation decision-making.
This course is co-taught with Professors Howard Epstein and Leon Szeptycki (UVA School of Law).
Fundamentals of Ecology (EVSC 3200)
Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships among organisms and their environments. Among the primary goals of ecology are to understand the distribution and dynamics of life in all its complexity, how living organisms relate to one another, and how they interact with the non-living world (atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere).
In this course, we cover all of the foundational aspects of ecology, including evolution (adaptation, life history, ecological genetics), biogeography, population dynamics, community ecology (species interactions, succession, biodiversity, infectious disease), ecosystem ecology (energy flow, nutrient cycling, biogeochemistry), and interactions between humans and the biosphere (anthropogenic impacts, sustainability, conservation, climate change).
Coastal and Estuarine Ecology (EVSC 4110 / EVEC 7110)
Approximately 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 km of the coast, making coastal ecosystems among the most socially and economically important environments on Earth. In this interdisciplinary course, we explore the ecology of estuaries and coastal marine ecosystems, including their physical, biogeochemical, and biological dynamics.
Topics include major coastal and estuarine ecosystems (e.g., salt marshes, oyster reefs, mudflats, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, coral reefs, rocky shores, kelp forests) and their interactions with hydrodynamics, nutrient cycling, primary production, and food webs. We also examine how human activities—such as coastal development, fisheries, pollution, and climate change—are transforming estuaries and coasts worldwide and consider the scientific and management challenges involved in conserving and restoring these systems.
This course is co-taught with Professor Karen McGlathery.
Spatial Ecology (EVSC 4170 / EVEC 7170)
Our world is fundamentally structured by the interactions of organisms across space. Understanding how spatial processes influence species abundances, distributions, and interactions is a fundamental and enduring challenge in ecology. Knowledge of spatial dynamics is also key to solving ecological problems such as conserving biodiversity in fragmented landscapes, designing effective reserve networks, minimizing the spread of biological invasions, and stopping infectious disease outbreaks.
In this course, we explore how spatial patterns and processes influence ecological systems across a broad range of biological organization, from genes and populations to communities and ecosystems. Our discussions span a wide variety of habitats, from mountaintops to the open ocean. We also learn about the central role of humans in altering the spatial ecology of the biosphere and the consequences of spatial ecological processes for human wellbeing.
Messy Data: Statistical Methods in Ecology and Environmental Sciences (EVSC 5040)
Robust data are the cornerstone for scientists to understand ecological processes and inform solutions to environmental challenges. However, real-world ecological and environmental data are often messy and imperfect, failing the assumptions of classical statistical models and challenging our ability to glean clear interpretations.
This course explores the many types of complex data structures that are common in ecology and environmental sciences, such as heterogeneity of variance, nested data, non-independence (e.g., spatial and temporal correlation, autocorrelation due to repeated measurements), missing data, truncated data, data with non-normal distributions (e.g., count, binary, proportional, Poisson), zero-inflation, mediating covariates, and non-linear effects. Students are introduced to implementing several types of advanced statistical models in R, such as generalized least squares models (GLS), linear mixed-effects models (LMM), generalized linear models (GLM), generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLMM), generalized additive models (GAM), and generalized additive mixed-effects models (GAMM).
Coastal Ecology Seminar (EVSC 7122)
This graduate seminar explores contemporary topics in coastal ecology through readings, discussions, and critical evaluation of primary scientific literature. Students examine recent research addressing the dynamics of coastal ecosystems and their interactions with related environmental disciplines (e.g., physical oceanography, coastal geology, watershed hydrology, atmospheric science).
The seminar emphasizes the development of skills essential for scientific research, including formulating hypotheses, interpreting quantitative results, evaluating empirical evidence, identifying gaps in current knowledge, and communicating scientific ideas clearly. Through discussion and student-led presentations, students critically evaluate recent research and gain insight into current debates and emerging directions in coastal ecological science.