MarineBio Contributors

The success of MarineBio is largely due to the efforts of the core volunteer team and the following contributors who help make this site a leading source of online information for the marine life sciences. We sincerely appreciate your contributions and hard work. Your help is opening the door to a future full of possibilities to protect the ocean and marine life (and therefore ourselves).

We're always looking for volunteers and interns. If you're interested, please see our Volunteers & Internships page.

Our volunteers and contributors include amazing marine life photographers, marine biology students and several marine biologists (both academic and field biologists) who help out with the specific issues they specialize in (e.g. coral reefs, cephalopods, etc.). We also have marine biologists who help answer questions in the Plankton Forums.

Georgina Mills - Georgina is a Biological Sciences graduate, from the University of Reading, UK. She is currently working as an Editorial Assistant within science publishing in London. After having had experience in writing through the University student newspaper, she is keen to expand this experience and write about the topics that interest her: environmental biology, conservation and ecology.

Kerry Gildea Beck is a former aerospace and political journalist based in Washington, D.C. She is a volunteer interpreter at the National Zoo's Amazonia Exhibit and her current writing projects are heavily focused on animal conservation.

One of the best moments in her life was snorkeling off Hawaii's Na Pali Coast with a giant green sea turtle “honu.”

Peter Moyle, PhD – Essays on Wildlife Conservation
MarineBio is proud to present Essays on Wildlife Conservation written and edited by Dr. Peter Moyle, et al. for an introductory course on wildlife conservation taught at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Moyle's chapters provide an introduction to the history of wildlife in North America, biodiversity, natural selection, conservation biology, ecology, conservation legislation, alien species, wildlife and pollution, and things we can all do to save wildlife.

David Hall – Contributing Photographer
"It has always been my hope that my fascination with, and respect for, all living things would show in my work and help to inspire similar feelings in others." seaphotos.com

Wilhelm Bögershausen – Contributing Photographer
A wonderful collection of photos of many species from around the world: Clownfish underwater picture gallery

Massimo Boyer & Paola Bearzi – Contributing Photographers
Marine biologists in charge of the marine diversity laboratory: Edge of Reef in Manado, Indonesia.

Dave Harasti – Contributing Photographer
Dave is a marine scientist working for the NSW Fisheries Threatened Species Unit. Dave has a honors degree in Marine Science 1st class. He is an avid diver and an outstanding photographer. daveharasti.com

Roberto Sozzani (Scubabob Underwater Photography) – Contributing Photographer
Roberto lives in Milan, Italy and is an avid diver and outstanding photographer. robertosozzani.it

Rolf Hicker (Rainbow Productions) – Contributing Photographer
Rolf is a wildlife, travel, and nature photographer and owner of Rainbow Productions based in Canada. Rolf has traveled the globe and has had a number of remarkable experiences, including photographing Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather, when they visited the Gulf of St. Lawrence to observe the Harp seals, a trip organized by the Humane Society of the United States.

Rolf Hicker Nature Photography

Peter Schulz – Contributing Photographer
Peter dives frequently off Boyton Beach, Florida and is an amazing photographer of Florida marine life. peterpeterpeter.com

Andy Murch – Contributing Photographer
Andy runs elasmodiver.com which is the only web-based field guide for diving with sharks and rays. He is also Shark Diver Magazine's Staff Photographer and is currently also working on an upcoming TV series called Shark Divers. "I don't think we're crazy, we just love diving with sharks and we want to show the world the sharks while there are still some left." - Shark Divers Trailer

Richard and Mary Field (Reef Fishes of the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman) – Contributing Photographers
The Field's have been photographing and studying reef fishes since 1989 and have built a library of photographs of about 600 species present around the Arabian peninsula, which includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and Southern Oman (Arabian Sea). richardfield.freeservers.com

Rob L. Suisted – Contributing Photographer
"With a background in zoology, a professional career in conservation management and quality management systems, along with an extensive experience in remote/back-country areas and photography, Rob has developed Nature's Pic Images into a quality provider of New Zealand Nature and Scenic Stock Imagery." naturespic.com

Clinton Bauder (The Metridium Fields) – Contributing Photographer
"When I'm not writing code for Apple Computer you're likely to find me underwater somewhere with my video camera. I've managed to get some good shots over the years and this is my forum for sharing them with you, the diving public." metridium.com

Alison Gill (The Marine Team) – Contributing Photographer
Alison contributes photographs of marine mammals to MarineBio as a member of The Marine Team's marineteam.com (now Intelligent Ocean) network of freelance professionals working in the marine environment who are dedicated to the conservation of marine species and their habitat.

Marcus Martin – Contributing Photographer
Marcus Martin maintains the web site photobirder.com featuring "Birds of the World by Marcus G. Martin." Marcus is based in New Mexico, US and generously provides photos to MarineBio of marine birds.

Dr. Jeremy Montague – Contributing Scientist
Barry University's Dr. Jeremy Montague submitted the fascinating article "Global Warming And Hurricanes: Only Heat, Or Is There Light?" to MarineBio to help our readers understand the remarkable increase in the number of severe hurricanes that struck the U.S. coasts and to help predict what lies in store for the 2006 hurricane season.

Interns/Volunteers:

Ashley Kurth, Biology student, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA (Submitted shearwaters...)

Benjamin Chen, B.S. Marine Science TAMU-Corpus Christi, RPCV - Micronesia 70 (2003-05), USA (Submitted corals, albatrosses, the Great Auk, boobies, penguins, ganets...)

Christine Bedore, Zoology student (concentration Marine Biology), Michigan State University, Jackson, MI, USA (Submitted reef fishes...)

Denise Perez, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA (Submitted petrels...)

Ellie Pelletier (turtle fan**), Marine Biology student at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, HI, USA (Submitted reef fishes...)

Fiza Nadeem, biology student at the University of Toronto, working towards a major in biology. (Helping with individual species home pages...)

Heidi Harding, Marine Biology Student - Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Working on fishes...)

Jaclyn Mousoulias, Marine Biology student and works for the SCUBA department at the Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA (Submitted corals, sea horses...)

Kelly Woods, Marine Biologist, graduate of UNC Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA (Deep Sea content editor, submitted Phylum definitions...)

Kyle Scharkss, Aspiring Marine Biologist, high school student in Connecticut, USA (Submitted reef fishes...)

Lauren Admire is an aspiring marine biologist with a BA in Philosophy from Elon University and hopes to enter into graduate school in Fall 2011 for marine biology with a focus in teuthology. She writes a weekly science column for The Escapist. She currently volunteers in the Aquatics section of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and is training to work with rescued raptors and big cats.

Leigh-Anne Baller, Biology student - Linfield College, Oregon, USA (Submitted marine mammals introductory information...)

Lenny, Marine Science student (specializing in Marine Zoology) - National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland (Submitted the Sea lamprey...)

Mario Lebrato, Oceanography/Marine Biology student - Southampton Oceanography Centre, UK (Submitted photos and marine mammal information...)

Mary Bach - Mary has been interested in marine biology from an early age. Her main interest is cetaceans, particularly the lesser known ones such as the 20 species of beaked whales which she is currently helping MarineBio expand. Currently she is working full time in a non-marine science career. Although she is an aspiring photographer and would eventually like to try underwater photography, her dream job is tracking marine animals in the wild for research purposes. (Helped with beaked whale research...)

Tania Woodcock, Marine Biology and Oceanography student, University of Plymouth, UK (Submitted reef fishes...)

If you have changes or additions (photos?) to the above information, email us asap.

We always need interns and volunteers! If you're interested, please see our Call for Interns! page.

Feedback?

Something missing or incorrect in the above? Let us know!

MLA Citation: "". MarineBio.org. <http://www.marinebio.org/marinebio/contributors.asp?>. Note: If no author is given under the main page title, simply cite MarineBio.org.

Marine Biology News   :: ScienceDaily

Satellite tracking reveals sea turtle feeding hotspots

Satellite tracking of threatened loggerhead sea turtles has revealed two previously unknown feeding "hotspots" in the Gulf of Mexico that are providing important habitat for at least three separate populations of the turtles.

Global extinction: Gradual doom is just as bad as abrupt

Around 250 million years ago, most life on Earth was wiped out in an extinction known as the "Great Dying." Geologists have learned that the end came slowly from thousands of centuries of volcanic activity.

Scientists coax shy microorganisms to stand out in a crowd

Scientists have advanced a method that allowed them to single out a marine microorganism and map its genome even though the organism made up less than 10 percent of a water sample teeming with many millions of individuals from dozens of identifiable groups of microbes.

Heat and cold damage corals in their own ways

Around the world coral reefs are facing threats brought by climate change and dramatic shifts in sea temperatures. While warming has been the primary focus for scientists and ocean policy managers, cold can also cause significant damage. Scientists have shown that cool temperatures can inflict more damage in the short term, but heat is more destructive in the long run.

Are nuisance jellyfish really taking over the world's oceans?

Evidence is lacking that populations of jellyfish and similar gelatinous plankton are surging in numbers globally and will likely dominate the seas in coming decades. Rather, increasing scientific and media interest as well as the lack of good baseline data seem to explain the widespread perception of an increase.

Global experts question claims about jellyfish populations

Blooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations -- clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants -- and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. Now, a new study questions claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide and suggests claims are not supported with any hard evidence or scientific analyses to date.

Are jellyfish increasing in world's oceans?

A global study has questioned claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide. Blooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations -- clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants -- and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. Now, a new global and collaborative study questions claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide and suggests claims are not supported with any hard evidence or scientific analyses to date.

Southern Indian ocean humpback whales found singing different tunes

Humpback whales on both sides of the southern Indian Ocean are singing different tunes, unusual since humpbacks in the same ocean basin usually all sing very similar songs.

What do killer whales eat in the Arctic?

Killer whales are the top marine predator. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behavior and diet in the Arctic.

Detecting detrimental change in coral reefs

Over dinner on R.V. Calypso while anchored on the lee side of Glover's Reef in Belize, Jacques Cousteau told Phil Dustan that he suspected humans were having a negative impact on coral reefs. Dustan -- a young ocean ecologist who had worked in the lush coral reefs of the Caribbean and Sinai Peninsula -- found this difficult to believe. It was December 1974. But Cousteau was right. During the following three-plus decades, Dustan, an ocean ecologist and biology professor at the University of Charleston in South Carolina, has witnessed widespread coral reef degradation and bleaching from up close.

Ecologists capture first deep-sea fish noises

Fish biologists conducted one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years, 2,237 feet under the Atlantic. With recording technology more affordable, fish sounds can be studied to test the idea that fish communicate with sound, especially those in the dark of the deep ocean.

Life beyond Earth? Underwater caves in Bahamas could give clues

Discoveries made in some underwater caves by researchers in the Bahamas could provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth millions of years ago, and perhaps give hints of what types of marine life could be found on distant planets and moons.

Attack or retreat? Circuit links hunger and pursuit in sea slug brain

If you were a blind, cannibalistic sea slug, living among others just like you, nearly every encounter with another creature would require a simple cost/benefit calculation: Should I eat that -- or flee? In a new study, researchers report that these responses are linked to a simple circuit in the brain of the sea slug Pleurobranchaea.

Where there's a worm there's a whale: First distribution model of marine parasites provides revealing insights

Each year around 20,000 people are infected by nematodes of the genus Anisakis and suffer from illnesses ranging from gastrointestinal diseases to serious allergic reactions as a result. For the first time, parasitologists have gathered data on the occurrence of the parasitic worm and have modeled the worldwide distribution of individual species in the ocean. The resulting maps not only enable statements to be made on the occurrence and migration behavior of certain hosts of the parasites, such as Baleen or toothed whales, but also provide conclusions on the risk of human infection.

Turtles' mating habits protect against effects of climate change

The mating habits of marine turtles may help to protect them against the effects of climate change. The study shows how the mating patterns of a population of endangered green turtles may be helping them deal with the fact that global warming is leading to a disproportionate number of females being born.

Life discovered on dead hydrothermal vents

Microbiologists have found that the microbes that thrive on hot fluid methane and sulfur spewed by active hydrothermal vents are supplanted, once the vents go cold, by microbes that feed on the solid iron and sulfur that make up the vents themselves.

Marine mammals on the menu in many parts of world

The fate of the world's great whale species commands global attention as a result of heated debate between pro and anti-whaling advocates, but the fate of smaller marine mammals is less understood, specifically because the deliberate and accidental catching and killing of dolphins, porpoises, manatees, and other warm-blooded aquatic species are rarely studied or monitored.

Lessons in coral reef survival from deep time

Lessons from tens of millions of years ago are pointing to new ways to save and protect today's coral reefs and their myriad of beautiful and many-hued fishes at a time of huge change in the Earth's systems. Today's complex relationship between fishes and corals developed relatively recently in geological terms -- and is a major factor in shielding reef species from extinction, say experts.

Unprecedented, human-made trends in ocean's acidity

Recent carbon dioxide emissions have pushed the level of seawater acidity far above the range of the natural variability that existed for thousands of years, affecting the calcification rates of shell-forming organism.

Carbon dioxide is 'driving fish crazy'

Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found. Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, says a professor.