Despite starting his research career in the UK, Gray has been working in non-temperate intertidal systems for the last 35 years being based at the Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong. He has held visiting Professor/Researcher positions in Florence University, Italy; UNIFESP, Brazil; Northeastern University, USA and Xiamen University, China.
His work concentrates on rocky shores in SE Asia, focusing on thermal stress and its impact on the behaviour and physiology of high shore species with reference to geographic patterns (working from northern China to Singapore) and potential impacts of climate change.
Presentation:
Searching for enlightenment: what can we learn from watching marine gastropods?
Gray A Williams
The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, PR China
Traditionally temperate reef biologists grounded their science in field-based observations and manipulations driven by scientific curiosity, much of which stimulated ecological theory. More recently, as the field of biology has evolved, we have seen a shift to embrace new approaches and a focus on meeting the challenges posed by anthropogenic impacts. It is, however, important not to forget traditional approaches and to integrate laboratory, modelling and field based methods. Here, using three case studies, the importance of quantitative field observations, integrated with ecological models and physiological laboratory experiments, are used to illustrate this approach. Using studies on limpets in Europe and the tropics, spatial and temporal variation in activity patterns illustrate highly plastic patterns; which models suggest can be related to minimizing risk and maximizing favourable environmental conditions. When linked to more fixed physiological responses (lethal and non lethal thermal limits) the importance of behavioural thermoregulation seen in tropical limpets and littorinids further illustrates local acclimation between populations; at both small (between shore) and large (latitudinal scales). These plastic behavioural responses mediate the effective physiological limits of species and can inform predictions of how species may respond to climate warming. Unravelling these interactions, however, requires the incorporation of smaller scale assessments to better inform larger scale models, indicating there is still a lot to be learnt from simply watching marine gastropods …