Mike is a tenured Research Professor at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and is a member of the graduate faculty with the Departments of Oceanography, Microbiology, and the interdisciplinary Marine Biology Graduate Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The overarching theme of his research is to understand the impact of microbial genetic diversity on ocean ecology, and interpret this diversity through the lens of bacterial taxonomy and evolution. He investigates the ecology and evolution of marine microorganisms by combining surveys of natural microbial communities, nucleic acid sequence data, and studies with model systems in controlled laboratory settings.
James Davis Reimer's research focuses on the biodiversity of understudied marine invertebrate groups (so-called "minor taxa"), primarily benthic cnidarians including zoantharians and their endosymbionts, as well as octocorals, from shallow tropical coral reefs to the deep sea. Recent research has also examined the impact of coastal development on marine diversity and ecosystems. Since 2007, he has been based at the University of the Ryukyus, where he is now a professor.
In 2015, he was awarded the Okinawa Research Prize for science contributing to the well-being and understanding of the Ryukyu Islands, and in 2021, he was awarded the Narishige Prize by the Zoological Society of Japan in recognition of his unique research output.
Associate Professor of Comparative Neuroendocrinology at Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, in Paris; PhD in Reproductive Physiology
Sarah Samadi is professor at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. The common background of all her scientific activities is the analysis of the conceptual grounds of systematics and evolutionary biology. Her present empirical projects are mainly in the fields of species delimitations and of speciation processes. Most of her projects are focusing on organisms from poorly known environments (mainly deep-sea environments, notably seamounts and organic remains sunken on the deep-sea floor) and are developed in the methodological framework of “Integrative Taxonomy”, in which methods in phylogenetics, population genetics and ecology are combined.
Santamaria’s primary research interests are on cryptic biodiversity and phylogeography of coastal invertebrates, particularly those from highly biodiverse and geologically active regions such as Hawai’i, southern Africa, Pacific Islands, the Greater Caribbean Region, the Mediterranean and the Baja Peninsula of Mexico.
As a Hispanic, he is aware of the difficulties that under-represented students face in higher education and when pursuing careers in the biological sciences. Thus, he is dedicated to increasing their participation in the sciences. He has mentored undergraduates who self-identify as members of underrepresented groups in his research activities. He also participates in community outreach events as well as professional development programs geared towards developing a better understanding of the needs of a multi-cultural student body and to improve the participation of under-represented groups in the sciences.
Professor in the Department of Hydrobiology of the Universidade Federal of São Carlos (UFSCar). Head of the Laboratory of Microbial Processes and Biodiversity, my research area is aquatic microbial ecology, with emphasis on biotic interactions, structure and function of planktonic communities in all compartments of the food web (viruses, bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton) mainly in tropical aquatic environments.
Dr. Laurent Seuront is a Research Professor at the
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France.
His research is fundamentally based on a system approach that encompasses several phyla and taxa (from microbes to marine mammals) and a range of habitats (terrestrial, intertidal, coastal and open ocean) considered under various climatic regimes (from polar to tropical) to get a better understanding of the complexity of interactions that rule the structure and function of ecosystems. As such Dr. Seuront's research seeks universal structural and functional principles, and goes well beyond marine-related issues.
I am a marine ecologist, utilizing principles from community and physiological ecology to understand the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems.
I am a marine ecologist and biological oceanographer. My research interests span marine plankton ecology from organismal to population and community levels. Plankton form the foundations of marine food webs. Complex interactions exist among plankton as well as between plankton and the physical/chemical environment. To understand these patterns and processes, my research team employs experimental (e.g., controlled bottle experiments), observational (e.g., net tow sampling) and molecular approaches in data collection. Current projects include: distribution and diversity of Sargassum and its associated community; and plankton-microplastic interactions. I am also passionate about decreasing accumulation of plastic marine debris. Through the Reduce Single-Use Project, we raise awareness of the plastic marine debris problem and encourage reduction of single-use plastic consumption on campus, in St. Petersburg, and across Florida.
Professor of Marine Biology and Vice President of Dalian Ocean University. Member of council of the Chinese Society of Malacology, fellow of the Chinese Society for Oceanology and Limnology. Editorial Board Member of Fish & Shellfish Immnology, Developmental and Comparative Immunology, Scientific Report.
Professor at the University of Porto and researcher at Ciimar: Centre for Marine and Environmental Research. She has a PhD in seaweed ecology, ecophysiology and cultivation from the University of California Santa Barbara. Her main research is in biodiversity and ecology of benthic communities and the biology, cultivation and use of seaweeds and she is the Head of the Laboratory of Coastal Biodiversity. She is also member of the Steering/Executive Committees of several international and European programs as: EPBRS - European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy, MABEFF+ – European Institute for the study of Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning, MARS - European Network of Marine Research Institutes and Stations, EMBOS - Development and implementation of a pan-European Marine Biodiversity Observatory System, and co-chair of the Working group on Marine Ecosystem Change from GEO BON – Biodiversity Observation Network and in the Portuguese delegation to the UN Convention for Biological Diversity
Past President, International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine
Current and past Scientific review board member for Oiled Wildlife Care Network, Morris Animal Foundation, Prescott grant program, SeaWorld-Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Trustee and Lecturer, CL Davis and SW Thompson Foundation, President, Rising Tide Conservation