Research Interests

I'm an oceanographer and engineer who works at the interface between ocean science, technology, and higher education. My research is strongly interdisciplinary, and novel instrumentation & observational approaches play an important role in my laboratory and field studies. I have broad interests in phytoplankton ecology and marine optics, and especially how phytoplankton interact with the oceanic light environment. I'm particularly drawn to ice-covered polar regions where little is known about the under-ice light environment and the distributions and ecology of algae in and under sea ice. My projects develop new observational approaches to help us overcome historical roadblocks that have limited our understanding of ocean ecosystems in polar regions and elsewhere. Interdisciplinary approaches are central to my work and to the training of graduate students and others in my group.

At an institutional level I have been heavily involved in cross-disciplinary efforts through WHOI's AVAST initiative. AVAST is a new unit designed from the ground up to foster ocean technology innovations in "autonomous vehicle and sensor technologies" and in other areas of ocean science where technical innovation can advance ocean understanding. As AVAST's inaugural Director, I helped WHOI bring this exciting new unit into operation to provide WHOI researchers and students with new capabilities for research and education.