Dr Chris Fulton works across aquatic ecosystems, from coral reefs, to kelp forests and freshwater streams. Chris tries to understand how and why we get certain collections of species in a given habitat, and what may happen if that environment changes (e.g. through storms, climate change, water extraction, urbanisation, etc). Consequently, much of his work involves understanding how the behaviour of people affects aquatic species and their habitats. It also helps us identify which species have highly specialised habitat needs, and so most likely to be affected when their environmental changes (e.g. reduced flows, warming waters). Chris Fulton hails from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. He studied the biology and ecology of coral reef fishes and seaweeds at James Cook University before taking up his current lectureship at the Australian National University in Canberra. Chris can talk about a diverse range of topics from the basics of marine biology to topical issues such as the effects of dredging on coral reefs and the evidence for how marine parks work.