Robert Puschendorf

Academic profile

Dr Robert Puschendorf

Associate Professor in Conservation Biology
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)

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The Global Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Robert's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

Goal 06: SDG 6 - Clean Water and SanitationGoal 14: SDG 14 - Life Below WaterGoal 15: SDG 15 - Life on Land

About Robert

I am a Associate Professor in Conservation Biology, originally from Costa Rica, but having spent 10 years in Australia before moving to the UK. 
My research addresses the ecological and evolutionary consequences of emerging infectious diseases and climate change on biodiversity loss. A lot of my work has focused on the importance of environmental conditions in the frequency and likelihood of frog disease outbreaks, and the impacts on populations across different environmental gradients. Interestingly and significantly, this work has uncovered a pattern of dry forests as environmental refugia from disease driven amphibian extinctions, which is consistent across continents; in Costa Rica and tropical Australia. These refugia allow for powerful comparison to be made with non-refugial areas (rainforest), in which recovery is starting to build up, but the mechanisms by which this occurs can be elucidated.
BUT, I'm generally interested in all aspects of conservation biology, ecology and evolution, especially in tropical ecosystems. 

Supervised Research Degrees

PhD (co-supervisor):Katrin Schmidt (2011-2016 ), ‘The ecological role of tadpoles in rainforest streams’, James Cook University
PhD (co-supervisor):Sofia Rodriguez (2012-2018), ‘Effects of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on the behavior and development of Túngara frogs’, The University of Texas at Austin.
PhD (principal supervisor):Felicity Wynne (2013-2019), ‘Disease ecology of emerging pathogens of amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica’, University of Plymouth
PhD (principal supervisor):Luke Sutton (2017-2020), ‘Distribution Ecology of the Harpy Eagle: Spatial patterns and processes to direct conservation planning’, University of Plymouth

Teaching

I am the current program lead to the Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology program

 

I lead the following modules:

  • MBIO 217  Ecology of shallow waters
  • BIOL308 Applied Conservation Biology

Contact Robert

Davy 611, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
+44 1752 584658