Johan EklöfDocent, Associate Professor
About me
My research focuses broadly on understanding the causes and consequences of biodiversity and ecosystem structure, from genes to seascapes. Most of my projects bridge fundamental and applied questions in community and ecosystem ecology, and uses coastal benthic ecosystems (seagrass beds, coral reefs, mussel beds, etc.) as a model.
I am particularly interested in three themes:
i) the relative importance of biodiversity and biotic interactions for ecosystem resilience to disturbance and environmental change,
ii) the role of organisms, particularly marine foundation species and mobile consumers, for ecosystem services and human well-being,
iii) how to optimize natural resource management and nature-based solutions to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services in a rapidly changing world.
I lead a research group currently consisting of one PhD student (Benjamin Jones) and three postdocs (Dr Agnes Olin, Dr Line Holm Andersen, Dr Åsa Nilsson Austin). I also co-supervise three PhD students (Kinlan Jan, Nick Hoad, Johann Stiepani).
I have previously supervised three PhD students to finish (Dr Elisa Alonso Aller, Dr Angelica Chirico, Dr Åsa Austin), three postdocs (Dr Serena Donadi, Dr Tiina Salo, Dr Candace Newman), co-supervised six PhD students (Dr Filip Svensson, Dr Sieglind Wallner-Hahn, Dr Hanna Oscarsson, Dr Linda Eggertsen, Dr Maria Eggertsen, Dr Sven Iburg), and supervised >40 MSc students.
I currently lead two Swedish research projects (funded by the Swedish Science Council VR and the research council Formas), and am work package leader in the EU BiodivERsa project "NordSalt".
Teaching
Teaching is both fun and stimulating, and I teach on several courses:
- Management of Aquatic Resources in the Tropics 15hp (course leader)
- Tropical Marine Biology 7.5hp (course leader)
- Ecology II 15hp (lecturer)
Student/postdoc supervision
I regularly supervise BSc (kandidat), MSc (master) and PhD (doktorand) projects, and mentor postdocs, in subjects relating to my research interests. If you are interested in doing your thesis or postdoc with me, please read my supervisor philosophy, email me and we'll book a first meeting!
Research
Ongoing projects
2021-24. BiodivERsa NordSalt: Climate Change Impacts and Biodiversity Interactions in Nordic Salt Marshes. EU project, Swedish part funded by Formas. Swedish project partner leader; leader of work package 4 (Biodiversity interactions).
2020-22: Spatially cascading regime shifts: using network theory to understand and reverse 'the stickleback wave'. Formas. Project leader.
2018-2020: Seagrass biodiversity, social-ecological systems and poverty alleviation: a collaborative, comparative study in the Indo-Pacific. Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Principal investigator.
2018-2020: “Establishing an Indo-Pacific Seagrass Network (IPSN) to assess linkages among marine biodiversity, ecosystem services and poverty”. Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Co-applicant (headed by Dr Lina Mtwana Nordlund).
2018-20: “From benthic production to fish community structure: towards spatially differentiated strategies for coastal water management”. Oscar and Lilli Lamm’s Foundation. Co-applicant (headed by Docent Magnus Huss, SLU).
Publications
Here's a link to my Google Scholar profile, including a list of my publications.
