• Ph.D. Biological Science, University of Washington
• M.S. Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine

My research program is focused on the impact of climate change on marine foundation species and is rooted in natural history, motivated by global change and conservation, and spans multiple scales, times, and disciplines. Climate change poses a major threat to foundation species and the important and diverse communities that they support. My work addresses questions surrounding: 1) understanding responses to climate stress by integrating processes, such as photosynthesis and nutrient cycling, across scales, 2) understanding community interactions and the role of foundation species, 3) documenting biodiversity and long-term change, and 4) collating larger trends in marine ecology through meta-analysis and reviews. I use a range of tools including laboratory physiology experiments, biogeochemical analysis, functional trait analysis, field surveys, field manipulations, and literature reviews.

• Fales RJ, Weigel BL, Berry HD, Carrington E, and Dethier M. 2023. Interactive effects of temperature and nitrogen on the physiology of kelps (Nereocystis luetkeana and Saccharina latissima). Frontiers in Marine Science. 10:1281104. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1281104
• Whitaker SG, Ambrose RF, Anderson LM, Fales RJ, Smith JR, Sutton SG, and Miller RJ. 2023. Ecological restoration using intertidal foundation species: Considerations and potential for rockweed restoration. Ecosphere.14:e4411. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4411
• Fales RJ and Smith JR. 2022. Long-term change in a high-intertidal rockweed (Pelvetiopsis californica) and community-level consequences. Marine Biology. 169:34. doi: 10.1007/s00227-022-04022-1
• Fales RJ, Boardman FC, and Ruesink JL. 2020. Reciprocal interactions between bivalves and seagrass: a review and meta-analysis. Journal of Shellfish Research. 39(3):547-562. doi:10.2983/035.039.0305. Awarded Open Access & Best Student Paper.
• Elsberry LA, Fales RJ, and Bracken MES. 2018. Changes in biodiversity and species associations along a latitudinal gradient. Frontiers of Biogeography. 10:1-10.

• 2023 – 2024, Post-Doctoral Scholar, University of California, Irvine, Bracken Laboratory
• 2019 – 2023, Graduate Student Researcher, University of Washington
• 2016 – 2019, Graduate Student Researcher, Cal Poly Pomona