Research Interests Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Coastal marine systems, from tropical to polar latitudes, play critical roles in the global cycling of carbon, habitats for commercially important species of fish and shellfish, and as a hydrological link between terrestrial and oceanic environments. Research in Dunton’s Lab evaluates aspects of ecosystem resilience, in particular how changes in regional climate are redefining plant species composition, carbon storage, and benthic community structure. A strong research focus is how the transfer of carbon to the benthos affects the food web structure of our lagoons, bays, and estuaries. We use stable isotopic signatures to identify the major sources of organic carbon that are assimilated by consumers and look for patterns of dependence across broad geospatial scales.