Robert T. Paine

Robert Treat "Bob" Paine III (April 13, 1933 – June 13, 2016) was an American ecologist who spent most of his career at the University of Washington. Paine coined the keystone species concept to explain the relationship between Pisaster ochraceus, a species of starfish, and Mytilus californianus, a species of mussel. Early life and education Paine was born on April 13, 1933, and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was fascinated by biology from a very young age. After graduating from Harvard University in 1954, he served in the U.S. Army, where he was the battalion gardener. Paine later entered graduate school at the University of Michigan, intending to study paleontology. Having taken some courses in zoology and ecology at Michigan, his interests and studies changed after taking a course about freshwater invertebrates taught by ecologist Frederick E. Smith. Upon graduating from the University of Michigan, Paine completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In 1962, Paine joined the University of Washington, where he spent the rest of his career and became well known for his work. Research career