Full publication list: Google scholar

Edwards, G., K. Filbee-Dexter, S. Jakop, S. Starko, C. Hurd, and T. Wernberg. 2026. "Temperature and nutrient source drive population-specific patterns of dissolved inorganic nitrogen uptake in a common kel." Marine Ecology Progress Series 776

Starko, S., C. Burkholz, J. Edgeloe, D. Wheeler, K. Filbee-Dexter, J. Batley, A. Minne, M. Coleman, and T. Wernberg. 2026. "Evidence of a genomic basis for growth rate variation in a natural kelp population." Scientific Reports

Starko, S., T. Wernberg, J. M. S. Gil, J. Zertuche-González, R. Cruz-López, D. Wheeler, J. Batley, and M. A. Coleman. 2026. "Environmental Drivers of Genetic Structure and Local Adaptation in a Marine Foundation Species." Ecology and Evolution 16 (3)

Edgeloe, J. M., M. A. Coleman, G. V. Wood, S. Starko, M. J. Nimbs, J. Batley, and T. Wernberg. 2026. "Temporal stability and spatial patterns of genetic diversity in populations of the climate-vulnerable fucoid Scytothalia dorycarpa." Journal of Phycology 62 (2): 715-731.

Edwards, G. E., K. Filbee-Dexter, J. Schwoerbel, S. Starko, C. L. Hurd, and T. Wernberg. 2026. "Temperature and nutrient source drive population-specific patterns of dissolved inorganic nitrogen uptake in a common kelp." Marine Ecology Progress Series 776

Baum, J. K., M. A. Slein, J. C. Garen, Z. Sang, S. Emry, K. J. A. Goodwin, C. G. Collins, J. Lewthwaite, M. Tseng, S. T. Michaletz, and 29 more contributors. 2026. "Widespread ecological responses and cascading effects of the 2021 western North American heatwave." Nature Ecology and Evolution

Starko, S., G. Epstein, L. Chalifour, K. Bruce, D. Buzzoni, M. Csordas, S. Dimoff, R. Hansen, D. G. Maucieri, J. Mchenry, and 3 more contributors. 2025. "Ecological responses to extreme climatic events: A systematic review of the 2014-2016 Northeast Pacific marine heatwave." In Oceanography and Marine Biology an Annual Review, 42-96

Starko, S., A. Allchurch, and C. Neufeld. 2025. "Asynchronous shifts in the demographics of two wave-swept kelp species (Laminariales) after nearly four decades." Journal of Phycology 61 (1): 250-254.

Cornwall, C. E., D. M. Berbece, C. O. Blain, M. D. Johnson, and S. Starko. 2025. "Editorial: Impacts of climate change on seaweeds." Frontiers in Marine Science 12

McHenry, J., D. K. Okamoto, K. Filbee-Dexter, K. A. Krumhansl, K. A. MacGregor, M. Hessing-Lewis, B. Timmer, P. Archambault, C. M. Attridge, D. Cottier, and 12 more contributors. 2025. "A blueprint for national assessments of the blue carbon capacity of kelp forests applied to Canada’s coastline." Npj Ocean Sustainability 4 (1)

Edgeloe, J. M., S. Starko, A. Pessarrodona, M. A. Coleman, J. Batley, T. Wernberg, and G. V. Wood. 2025. "Strong genetic differentiation and low genetic diversity in a habitat-forming fucoid seaweed (Cystophora racemosa) across 850 km of its range." Journal of Phycology 61 (3): 539-557.

Bringloe, T. T., W. S. Grant, D. Zaparenkov, S. Starko, A. Fort, M. Inaba, R. Sulpice, G. W. Saunders, and H. Verbruggen. 2025. "Revisiting the species problem in Northeast Pacific ribbon kelp lineages (genus Alaria): Lessons learned using whole genome data." Journal of Phycology 61 (4): 777-791.

Bemmels, J. B., S. Starko, B. L. Weigel, K. Hirabayashi, A. Pinch, C. Elphinstone, M. N. Dethier, L. H. Rieseberg, J. E. Page, C. J. Neufeld, and 1 more contributors. 2025. "Population genomics reveals strong impacts of genetic drift without purging and guides conservation of bull and giant kelp." Current Biology 35 (3): 688-698.e8.

Piñeiro-Corbeira, C., J. Zimmerhackel, R. Barreiro, S. Bennett, M. Burton, A. M. Eger, J. N. Franco, C. Lavoie, L. Rogers-Bennett, S. Starko, and 4 more contributors. 2025. "The Habitat Dependency Index: A new tool for quantifying species-habitat relationships." Ecological Indicators 175

Lindstrom, S. C., M. A. Lemay, C. Janusson, S. Starko, K. R. Hind, and P. T. Martone. 2025. "New and interesting seaweed records from the Hakai area of the central coast of British Columbia: Phaeophyceae." Botany 103

Starko, S., M. van der Mheen, A. Pessarrodona, G. V. Wood, K. Filbee-Dexter, C. J. Neufeld, S. Montie, M. A. Coleman, and T. Wernberg. 2024. "Impacts of marine heatwaves in coastal ecosystems depend on local environmental conditions." Global Change Biology 30 (8)

Li Shing Hiung, D. L. C. Y., J. M. Schuster, M. I. Duncan, N. L. Payne, B. Helmuth, J. W. F. Chu, J. K. Baum, V. Brambilla, J. Bruno, S. W. Davies, and 32 more contributors. 2024. "Ocean weather, biological rates, and unexplained global ecological patterns." Pnas Nexus 3 (8)

Csordas, M., S. Starko, C. J. Neufeld, S. A. Thompson, and J. K. Baum. 2024. "Multiscale stability of an intertidal kelp (Postelsia palmaeformis) near its northern range edge through a period of prolonged heatwaves." Annals of Botany 133 (1): 61-72.

Wernberg, T., M. S. Thomsen, J. K. Baum, M. J. Bishop, J. F. Bruno, M. A. Coleman, K. Filbee-Dexter, K. Gagnon, Q. He, D. Murdiyarso, and 5 more contributors. 2024. "Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Foundation Species." Annual Review of Marine Science 16: 247-282.

Pessarrodona, A., G. Wood, C. Grimaldi, N. Goldberg, G. Kendrick, S. Starko, and T. Wernberg. 2024. "Long-Term Stability of Marine Forests Facing Moderate Gradual Warming in a Remote Biodiversity Hotspot." Diversity and Distributions 30 (11)

Wachmann, A., S. Starko, C. J. Neufeld, and M. Costa. 2024. "Validating Landsat Analysis Ready Data for Nearshore Sea Surface Temperature Monitoring in the Northeast Pacific." Remote Sensing 16 (5)

Wood, G. V., K. Filbee-Dexter, M. A. Coleman, J. Valckenaere, J. D. Aguirre, P. M. Bentley, P. Carnell, P. D. Dawkins, L. N. Dykman, H. S. Earp, and 21 more contributors. 2024. "Upscaling marine forest restoration: challenges, solutions and recommendations from the Green Gravel Action Group." Frontiers in Marine Science 11

Starko, S., B. Timmer, L. Reshitnyk, M. Csordas, J. McHenry, S. Schroeder, M. Hessing-Lewis, M. Costa, A. Zielinksi, R. Zielinksi, and 10 more contributors. 2024. "Local and regional variation in kelp loss and stability across coastal British Columbia." Marine Ecology Progress Series 733: 1-26.

Filbee-Dexter, K., S. Starko, A. Pessarrodona, G. Wood, K. M. Norderhaug, C. Piñeiro-Corbeira, and T. Wernberg. 2024. "Marine protected areas can be useful but are not a silver bullet for kelp conservation." Journal of Phycology 60 (2): 203-213.

Eger, A., J. D. Aguirre, M. Altamirano, N. Arafeh-Dalmau, N. L. Arroyo, A. M. Bauer-Civiello, R. Beas-Luna, T. Bekkby, A. Bellgrove, S. Bennett, and 70 more contributors. 2024. "The Kelp Forest Challenge: A collaborative global movement to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forests." Journal of Applied Phycology 36 (2): 951-964.

Starko, S. 2024. "Unusual morphologies raise questions about the evolution of branching in kelps (Laminariales)." Ecology and Evolution 14 (8)

Maucieri, D. G., S. Starko, and J. K. Baum. 2023. "Tipping points and interactive effects of chronic human disturbance and acute heat stress on coral diversity." Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 290 (1996)

Starko, S., J. E. Fifer, D. C. Claar, S. W. Davies, R. Cunning, A. C. Baker, and J. K. Baum. 2023. "Marine heatwaves threaten cryptic coral diversity and erode associations among coevolving partners." Science Advances 9 (32)

Whalen, M. A., S. Starko, S. C. Lindstrom, and P. T. Martone. 2023. "Heatwave restructures marine intertidal communities across a stress gradient." Ecology 104 (5)

Bringloe, T. T., A. Fort, M. Inaba, R. Sulpice, C. N. Ghriofa, A. Mols-Mortensen, K. Filbee-Dexter, C. Vieira, H. Kawai, T. Hanyuda, and 4 more contributors. 2022. "Whole genome population structure of North Atlantic kelp confirms high-latitude glacial refugia." Molecular Ecology 31 (24): 6473-6488.

Starko, S., C. J. Neufeld, L. Gendall, B. Timmer, L. Campbell, J. Yakimishyn, L. Druehl, and J. K. Baum. 2022. "Microclimate predicts kelp forest extinction in the face of direct and indirect marine heatwave effects." Ecological Applications 32 (7)

Hollarsmith, J. A., K. Andrews, N. Naar, S. Starko, M. Calloway, A. Obaza, E. Buckner, D. Tonnes, J. Selleck, and T. W. Therriault. 2022. "Toward a conceptual framework for managing and conserving marine habitats: A case study of kelp forests in the Salish Sea." Ecology and Evolution 12 (1)

Epstein, H. E., A. Hernandez-Agreda, S. Starko, J. K. Baum, and R. Vega Thurber. 2021. "Inconsistent Patterns of Microbial Diversity and Composition Between Highly Similar Sequencing Protocols: A Case Study With Reef-Building Corals." Frontiers in Microbiology 12

Higham, T. E., L. A. Ferry, L. Schmitz, D. J. Irschick, S. Starko, P. S. L. Anderson, P. J. Bergmann, H. A. Jamniczky, L. R. Monteiro, D. Navon, and 14 more contributors. 2021. "Linking ecomechanical models and functional traits to understand phenotypic diversity." Trends in Ecology and Evolution 36 (9): 860-873.

Lemay, M. A., M. Y. Chen, F. Mazel, K. R. Hind, S. Starko, P. J. Keeling, P. T. Martone, and L. W. Parfrey. 2021. "Morphological complexity affects the diversity of marine microbiomes." Isme Journal 15 (5): 1372-1386.

Lindstrom, S. C., M. A. Lemay, S. Starko, K. R. Hind, and P. T. Martone. 2021. "New and interesting seaweed records from the Hakai area of the central coast of British Columbia, Canada: Chlorophyta." Botanica Marina 64 (5): 343-361.

Bringloe, T. T., D. Zaparenkov, S. Starko, W. S. Grant, C. Vieira, H. Kawai, T. Hanyuda, K. Filbee-Dexter, A. Klimova, T. A. Klochkova, and 3 more contributors. 2021. "Whole-genome sequencing reveals forgotten lineages and recurrent hybridizations within the kelp genus Alaria (Phaeophyceae)." Journal of Phycology 57 (6): 1721-1738.

Starko, S., T. T. Bringloe, M. Soto Gomez, H. Darby, S. W. Graham, and P. T. Martone. 2021. "Genomic Rearrangements and Sequence Evolution across Brown Algal Organelles." Genome Biology and Evolution 13 (7)

Demes, K. W., S. Starko, and C. D. G. Harley. 2021. "Multiple stressors drive convergent evolution of performance properties in marine macrophytes." New Phytologist 229 (4): 2311-2323.

Campbell, J., and S. Starko. 2021. "Allometric models effectively predict Saccharina latissima (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) fresh weight at local scales." Journal of Applied Phycology 33 (1): 491-500.

Claar, D. C., S. Starko, K. L. Tietjen, H. E. Epstein, R. Cunning, K. M. Cobb, A. C. Baker, R. D. Gates, and J. K. Baum. 2020. "Dynamic symbioses reveal pathways to coral survival through prolonged heatwaves." Nature Communications 11 (1)

Bringloe, T. T., S. Starko, R. M. Wade, C. Vieira, H. Kawai, O. De Clerck, J. M. Cock, S. M. Coelho, C. Destombe, M. Valero, and 5 more contributors. 2020. "Phylogeny and Evolution of the Brown Algae." Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 39 (4): 281-321.

Starko, S., K. W. Demes, C. J. Neufeld, and P. T. Martone. 2020. "Convergent evolution of niche structure in Northeast Pacific kelp forests." Functional Ecology 34 (10): 2131-2146.

Hind, K. R., S. Starko, J. M. Burt, M. A. Lemay, A. K. Salomon, and P. T. Martone. 2019. "Trophic control of cryptic coralline algal diversity." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 116 (30): 15080-15085.

Starko, S., M. Soto Gomez, H. Darby, K. W. Demes, H. Kawai, N. Yotsukura, S. C. Lindstrom, P. J. Keeling, S. W. Graham, and P. T. Martone. 2019. "A comprehensive kelp phylogeny sheds light on the evolution of an ecosystem." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136: 138-150.

Starko, S., L. A. Bailey, E. Creviston, K. A. James, A. Warren, M. K. Brophy, A. Danasel, M. P. Fass, J. A. Townsend, and C. J. Neufeld. 2019. "Environmental heterogeneity mediates scale-dependent declines in kelp diversity on intertidal rocky shores." Plos One 14 (3)

Starko, S., S. D. Mansfield, and P. T. Martone. 2018. "Cell wall chemistry and tissue structure underlie shifts in material properties of a perennial kelp." European Journal of Phycology 53 (3): 307-317.

Starko, S., G. H. Boo, P. T. Martone, and S. C. Lindstrom. 2018. "A molecular investigation of Saccharina sessilis from the Aleutian Islands reveals a species complex, necessitating the new combination Saccharina subsessilis." Algae 33 (2): 157-166.

Neufeld, C. J., S. Starko, and K. C. Burns. 2017. "Disturbance and diversity in a continental archipelago: A mechanistic framework linking area, height, and exposure." Ecosphere 8 (10)

Starko, S., and P. T. Martone. 2016. "An empirical test of ‘universal’ biomass scaling relationships in kelps: evidence of convergence with seed plants." New Phytologist 212 (3): 719-729.

Starko, S., and P. T. Martone. 2016. "Evidence of an evolutionary-developmental trade-off between drag avoidance and tolerance strategies in wave-swept intertidal kelps (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae)." Journal of Phycology 52 (1): 54-63.

Starko, S., C. Smyth, and H. Kucera. 2016. "Attachment strength of the herbivorous rockweed isopod, Idotea wosnesenskii (Isopoda, Crustaceae, Arthropoda), depends on properties of its seaweed host." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 477: 1-6. 2015

Starko, S., B. Z. Claman, and P. T. Martone. 2015. "Biomechanical consequences of branching in flexible wave-swept macroalgae." New Phytologist 206 (1): 133-140.

Other publications 

Starko, S., Timmer, B., Neufeld, C.J. & Baum, J.K. (2024). Why some of British Columbia’s kelp forests are more threatened than others. The Conversation. 

Starko, S. & Baum, J.K. (2023). Coral Reefs : How climate change threatens the hidden diversity of marine ecosystems. The Conversation. *Republished by The Globe & Mail