Peter A. TODD

As an ecologist and SCUBA diver it was almost inevitable that I should end up studying coral reefs and coastal systems. I conducted my doctoral research here in Singapore on intraspecific variation, phenotypic plasticity, and symmetry in scleractinian corals. After my PhD I spent two years in Scotland where I focused on crypsis and polymorphism in crabs (the only corals in those chilly waters are deep in the sea)! After returning to Singapore, I started working on the autecology of giant clams, the effects of sediments on corals, and other coastal change related issues. More recently, I have been working on the ecological engineering of seawalls. Much of my research has involves extensive fieldwork and experimentation, and often requires the development of novel methods and techniques. 

Research interests

I am an experimental marine ecologist who focusses on organism-environment interactions in nearshore waters, especially those close to urban centres. In both my curiosity-driven and translational work, I emphasise the design, build, implementation, and analysis of high-quality novel experiments. My research generates large quantities of new information and the great majority of my publications are data based. I am fundamentally concerned with increasing understanding of the ecology and functioning of tropical coastal marine organisms and communities.

Keywords: Marine biology; Ecological engineering; Coastal change; Coral reefs; Giant clams; Functions of colour and morphology

Editorial Activities

• Editor-in-Chief for Oceanography and Marine Biology – An Annual Review (2022 to present)

• Series Editor for Oceanography and Marine Biology – An Annual Review (2018 to 2022)

• Associate Editor [Zoology] for Nature in Singapore (2013 to present)

• Subject Editor [Marine Ecology] for Oikos (2011 to present)

• Review Editor for Aquatic Biology (2007 to present)

• Associate Editor [Conservation and Ecology] for the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (2005 to 2020)

• Academic Editor [Marine Biology] for PLoS ONE (2013 to 2018)

• Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (2008 to 2016)

• International Advisory Board Member for the Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography (2007 to 2011)