My interests in coastal issues focus on the ecology of the terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems that make up coastal Rhode Island. This diverse array of landscapes and community types has provided my students and me with the opportunity to search for answers to questions regarding the biology, ecology, and evolution of coastal plant species and the environments in which they reside. We have studied fragrant water lily (Nymphaea odorata) and bayonet rush (Juncus militaris) in coastal ponds, bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) on beachgrass-covered dunes, yellow-fringed orchid (Platanthera ciliaris) and stargrass (Aletris farinosa) in the disturbed coastal grasslands/shrublands of the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, and hightide bush (Iva frutescens) in salt marshes from Warwick to Connanicut Island. All of the social, political, economic, and biological issues that impact coastal ecosystems are of utmost concern because of their direct linkages to the organisms and environments that are the lifeblood of coastal Rhode Island, and coastal ecosystems elsewhere.