Research in the Carrington Lab follows an ecomechanical approach to the study of living systems, applying the basic engineering principles to evaluate how coastal organisms interact with their environment.  Our work involves both plants and animals and spans many levels of biological organization, from the mechanics of biological materials, to the persistence of populations, to the characterization of the physical environment. A central goal of our research is to understand how coastal organisms with cope with ocean change, such as ocean acidification, ocean warming and hypoxia. The Carrington Lab is located at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories and Department of Biology and comprises a broad range of biomechanical research tools, including several recirculating flumes, materials testing devices, force transducers, flow meters, temperature probes, respirometry chambers, tidal tanks, and a wind tunnel. We rely on (and manage) the FHL Ocean Acidification Experimental Laboratory for many of our investigations.  We also have easy access to a variety of field sites in the San Juan lslands, as well as other coastal areas in Washington and British Columbia. In recent years, there have been three major themes to research in the lab, all of which involve collaboration with students and other researchers: 1) ecomechanics of wave-swept organisms in a high CO2 world, 2) effects of elevated temperature on a model intertidal predator-prey system, and 3) functional morphology of seaweeds. Follow the links to the above to learn more about this research.