Dr Ashley Rowden

Biography

Ashley Rowden works at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, and Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand. Ashley's research interests are largely focused on the question - What drivers or processes control and maintain biodiversity in the marine environment? Specifically, he is interested in examining the relationship between habitat heterogeneity, productivity and disturbance, and the biodiversity of seafloor fauna. To address this subject, Ashley has been involved in research in a number of marine habitats from the estuaries to the deepest ocean trenches. Some of his research has concerned applied aspects of marine science, including looking at the effects of bottom trawling and deep-sea mining on seafloor communities, and spatial management planning.