The Centre for Ecology and Conservation
Ecology and Conservation
Ecology and Conservation
The Centre for Ecology and Conservation delivers cutting-edge teaching and research to address the factors that influence biodiversity and complexity in the natural world. We host the highest concentration of organismal biology academics anywhere in the UK.
We offer a wide range of degrees and have a thriving community of PhD students working at sites across the UK and around the world, from South Africa to Gabon and the Cayman Islands.
We are proud holders of an Athena Swan silver award for promoting gender equality in Science.
The hallmark of the Centre is an interactive, dynamic and welcoming group of internationally known researchers as well as our innovative and enthusiastically engaged student body. Our enthusiasm and passion for our areas of study and the respect we have for diverse approaches to understanding our natural world has led to rapid growth and success.
Research
Situated on Penryn Campus in an area renowned for its natural beauty, much of our research is focused around local biodiversity, with studies in natural, agricultural, marine and urban systems.
Our researchers also study species at sites worldwide, from Australia to Africa, Europe to North America.
Academics work across six research themes to collaborate and share expertise:
- Behavioural Ecology
- Disease Ecology and Evolution
- Ecosystems
- Insect Evolutionary Ecology
- Marine Ecology
- Microbial Evolutionary Ecology
Facilities
Ecology and Conservation is based in the Daphne du Maurier building on Penryn Campus. In addition to state-of-the-art seminar rooms and computer suites, our facilities include:
- Controlled environment rooms
- Two large, fully programmable greenhouses
- 100 tank freshwater aquarium facility
- Teaching and research laboratories with temperature- and light-controlled incubators
- Molecular biology laboratories including a class 2 tissue culture room, radioactive area and protein purification equipment
- Metabolomics laboratory dedicated to HPLC, Gas Chromatography and mass spectrometry
Read more about all of these facilities on the department website.