Robert Treat “Bob” Paine III was born in 1933, and died on June 13, 2016.

He was an American ecologist.

Paine had spent most of his career at the University of Washington.

He had successfully coined the keystone species concept to explain the relationship between Pisaster ochraceus, a species of starfish, and Mytilus californianus, a species of mussel.

His research, and the subsequent work of his students, has been hugely influential in the field of ecology.

His doctoral research thesis was on the ecology of living brachipods.

He was a postdoctoral fellow, he worked on the history and energetics of opisthobranchs (marine gastropods).

Most of Paine’s work at the University of Washington focused on the organization of marine communities.

Robert T. Paine passed away at 83 yrs old.