“I am an Associate Professor at the University of California, Riverside, and I’m interested in the ecological and evolutionary biomechanics of locomotion and feeding in marine and freshwater fishes, snakes, and lizards. This necessarily integrates field and laboratory research, with the ultimate goal of understanding how animals function in relation to natural variation in ecology. My aim is to put this into a broader context to determine how these relationships have shaped evolutionary patterns. At Bamfield, I am actively studying marine and freshwater fishes to determine the genetic architecture underlying biomechanical traits. This is in collaboration with Dr. Sean Rogers.

I first visited the BMSC as part of my introductory biology class at the University of Calgary in 1997. I then took the Biology of Marine Fishes course in 1999. I fell in love with the area and the marine station, and was determined to return at some point. I jumped at the opportunity to start teaching in 2009, and have since taught Biology of Marine Fishes, Comparative Biomechanics, and Functional Ecology. Teaching at the BMSC is one of the most rewarding parts of my job, and I always look forward to making the trip up to Bamfield every summer. Bamfield is one of the most breathtaking locations on earth, and teaching these small classes with highly motivated students is wonderful and rewarding. Working with students as they work on their first research project, seeing them become confident at driving boats, and seeing them excited and overwhelmed by the diversity of life in the Pacific Northwest are some of my highlights every year.” Dr. Tim Higham