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.
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Marine Biology News :: ScienceDailySulfur finding may hold key to Gaia theory of Earth as living organism
Is Earth really a sort of giant living organism as the Gaia hypothesis predicts? A new discovery may provide a key to answering this question. This key of sulfur could allow scientists to unlock heretofore hidden interactions between ocean organisms, atmosphere, and land -- interactions that might provide evidence supporting this famous theory.
Hidden lives of elephant seals: Record-setting dive more than a mile deep
The same researchers who pioneered the use of satellite tags to monitor the migrations of elephant seals have compiled one of the largest datasets available for any marine mammal species, revealing their movements and diving behavior at sea in unprecedented detail.
Ancient sea reptile with gammy jaw suggests dinosaurs got arthritis too
Imagine having arthritis in your jaw bones ... if they're over 2 meters long! A new study has found signs of a degenerative condition similar to human arthritis in the jaw of a pliosaur, an ancient sea reptile that lived 150 million years ago. Such a disease has never been described before in fossilized Jurassic reptiles.
Arctic seabirds adapt to climate change
The planet is warming up, especially at the poles. How do organisms react to this rise in temperatures? Biologists have now shown that little auks, the most common seabirds in the Arctic, are adapting their fishing behavior to warming surface waters in the Greenland Sea. So far, their reproductive and survival rates have not been affected. However, further warming could threaten the species.
The gut could reveal effect of climate change on fish
As sea temperatures rise, stocks of some fish species can decline while others may grow, reveals new research looking at gastrointestinal function in fish.
New species of fish in Sweden
Reticulated dragonet have been found in Väderöarna -- "Weather Islands" -- off the west coast of Sweden. It is not often that a new species of fish is discovered in Sweden.
Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country
The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists. The study links higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the acreage of vineyards upstream.
Roadmap towards sustainable pole-and-line-caught tuna
New research offers a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of tuna caught using the pole-and-line method.
First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants
Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: The manta ray.
First forecast calls for mild Amazon fire season in 2012
Forests in the Amazon Basin are expected to be less vulnerable to wildfires this year, according to the first forecast from a new fire severity model.
What do marine snails and insulin have in common? New approach to treat diabetes?
The cone snails are predators of the sea. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails' venom, so-called conopeptides, are known for their extraordinary pharmacological properties and potential.
One-quarter of grouper species being fished to extinction
Groupers, a family of fishes often found in coral reefs and prized for their quality of flesh, are facing critical threats to their survival. Scientists report that 20 species are at risk of extinction if current overfishing trends continue, and an additional 22 species are near "threatened" status.
Encyclopedia of Life reaches historic one million species pages milestone
The Encyclopedia of Life has surged past one million pages of content with the addition of hundreds of thousands of new images and specimen data. Launched in 2007 with the support of leading scientific organizations around the world, the Encyclopedia of Life provides global access to knowledge about life on Earth by building a web page for each of the 1.9 million recognized species.
Antarctic octopus study shows West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have collapsed 200,000 years ago
Scientists have found that genetic information on the Antarctic octopus supports studies indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could have collapsed during its history, possibly as recently as 200,000 years ago.
Plastic trash altering ocean habitats
A 100-fold upsurge in human-produced plastic garbage in the ocean is altering habitats in the marine environment, according to a new study.
Dolphin speaker to enhance study of dolphin vocalizations and acoustics
To gain new insights into how dolphins communicate, researchers in Japan created a prototype of an extremely broadband "dolphin speaker" capable of projecting dolphins' communication sounds, whistles, burst-pulse sounds, as well as detection sounds such as echolocation clicks.
Built-in ear plugs: Whales may turn down their hearing sensitivity when warned of an impending loud noise
Toothed whales navigate through sometimes dark and murky waters by emitting clicks and then interpreting the pattern of sound that bounces back. The animals' hearing can pick up faint echoes, but that sensitivity can be a liability around loud noises. Now researchers have discovered that whales may protect their ears by lowering their hearing sensitivity when warned of an imminent loud sound.
Weed-eating fish 'help protect jobs, livelihoods'
Jobs, livelihoods and ecotourism industries can benefit from having a diverse supply of weed-eating fish on the world's coral reefs, marine researchers say. Despite their small size, relative to the sharks, whales, and turtles that often get more attention, herbivorous fish play a vital role in maintaining the health of coral reefs, which support the livelihoods of 500 million people worldwide, say researchers.
Means to detect low-level exposure to seafood toxin in marine animals developed
Scientists have discovered a biological marker in the blood of laboratory zebrafish and marine mammals that shows when they have been repeatedly exposed to low levels of domoic acid, which is potentially toxic at high levels.
Nutrient supply after algal bloom determines the succession of the bacterial population
Algal blooms can considerably interfere with summer holidays by the sea. In the coastal zone of temperate regions a spring algal bloom is not a sign of excessive nutrient input, but most of all a consequence of the more intense solar irradiation in spring. When algal blooms end, the algae die and their remnants constitute an important nutrient supply for the whole ecosystem. Researchers have examined an algal bloom in the North Sea and identified the microorganisms involved in the degradation of algal remnants. With their findings, the researchers discovered a solution for the so-called Plankton paradox: By specializing in different degradation processes, bacteria apparently occupy separate ecological niches in the sea.
Help us continue to share the wonders of the ocean with the world, raise awareness of marine conservation issues and their solutions, and support marine conservation scientists and students involved in the marine life sciences. Join the MarineBio Conservation Society or make a donation today. We would like to sincerely thank all of our members, donors, and sponsors, we simply could not have achieved what we have without you and we look forward to doing even more.












