Dr. Robert Paine

Dr. Robert Paine was an ecologist renowned for his work on predator-prey relationships in ecosystems. He demonstrated that predators play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling prey populations. His famous experiments with starfish and mussels showed that removing a top predator allowed the prey to overpopulate and disrupt the community, highlighting the importance of predators in preserving biodiversity. Paine's research helped establish the concept of keystone species—organisms that have a disproportionately large impact on their environment—fundamentally advancing our understanding of ecological stability and conservation.