Paul K. Dayton
Encyclopedia
Paul K. Dayton is a biological oceanographer and marine ecologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
. Dayton works in Benthic Ecology, Marine Conservation & Policy, Evolution & Natural History, and General Ecology.
During a 35 year career at Scripps, Dayton has researched coastal Antarctic
habitats and the rocky shore habitats of Washington in order to better understand marine ecosystem
s. He has also documented the environmental impacts of overfishing, and phenomena such as El Niño on coastal ecology.
Dayton is the only person to win both the George Mercer Award (1974) and the WS Cooper Award (2000) from the Ecological Society of America
. In 2002. he received the Scientific Diving Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Underwater Sciences; in 2004 he was honored with the Edward O. Wilson Naturalist Award from the American Society of Naturalists
, and in 2006 was the first recipient of the Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences
, awarded by a jury of scientists representing Catalonia
, the European Union
, and the international ecology community. Dayton has been director of The Ocean Conservancy
and the National Research Council Panel on Marine Protected Areas.
He has been a frequent contributor to Science
magazine.
from the University of Arizona
, Tucson, in 1963. He then earned a doctorate in Zoology
at the University of Washington
under Robert T. Paine, known for the Keystone species
concept.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
. Dayton works in Benthic Ecology, Marine Conservation & Policy, Evolution & Natural History, and General Ecology.
During a 35 year career at Scripps, Dayton has researched coastal Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
habitats and the rocky shore habitats of Washington in order to better understand marine ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s. He has also documented the environmental impacts of overfishing, and phenomena such as El Niño on coastal ecology.
Dayton is the only person to win both the George Mercer Award (1974) and the WS Cooper Award (2000) from the Ecological Society of America
Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America is a professional organization of ecological scientists. Based in the United States, ESA publishes a suite of publications, from peer-reviewed journals to newsletters, fact sheets and teaching resources. It holds an annual meeting at different locations in the...
. In 2002. he received the Scientific Diving Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Underwater Sciences; in 2004 he was honored with the Edward O. Wilson Naturalist Award from the American Society of Naturalists
American Society of Naturalists
The American Society of Naturalists was founded in 1883 and is one of the oldest professional societies dedicated to the biological sciences in North America...
, and in 2006 was the first recipient of the Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences
The Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology is a prize awarded annually to recognize an exceptional scientific career or discovery in the field of ecology or other environmental science. The award was created to honor the life and work of Dr. Ramon Margalef , one of the founding fathers of modern ecology...
, awarded by a jury of scientists representing Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and the international ecology community. Dayton has been director of The Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States.-History:...
and the National Research Council Panel on Marine Protected Areas.
He has been a frequent contributor to Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
magazine.
Important Papers
Dayton's 1971 paper titled Competition, disturbance and community organization: The provision and subsequent utilization of space in a rocky intertidal community published in Ecological Monograph has been cited 1433 times as of 8/25/2008, an impressive number considering that most ecology papers only get cited 2-3 times per year.Education
Dayton received his B.S.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Tucson, in 1963. He then earned a doctorate in Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
under Robert T. Paine, known for the Keystone species
Keystone species
A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem and helping to determine the types and...
concept.