People

Marine Biology Graduate Faculty

Because the Marine Biology Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program, we have the advantage of being represented by faculty from both the School of Life Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, which includes UH-funded faculty at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology.

Administrative Team
Rob Toonen

Director
toonen@hawaii.edu

Carrie Caruso

Student Services Specialist
mbiograd@hawaii.edu

Jasmine De Guzman

Student Service Assistant
jdg7@hawaii.edu

Regular and Cooperating Graduate Faculty: Level 3

Level 3 Regular/Cooperating Graduate Faculty may serve as chair or member on MBGP students’ doctoral or masters committees.

Learn more on how to identify a potential faculty advisor here.

Rosanna Alegado

Email: rosie.alegado@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Microbiology, Immunology

Anthony Amend

Email: amend@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Pacific Biosciences Research Center
Research: Mycology, Molecular Ecology

Jim Beets

Email: beets@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Marine Sciences (Hilo)
Research: Tropical marine ecology, Fish/Fisheries Ecology

Lars Bejder

Email: lbejder@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Population dynamics; behavioral ecology; abundance estimation; identification of management units; use of innovative technology to quantify fine-scale habitat use, movements and body condition of marine mammals

Mahdi Belcaid

Email: mahdi@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: ICS , HIMB
Research: Bioinformatics

Brian Bowen

Email: bbowen@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Evolution and conservation genetics of marine organisms

Kathleen Cole

Email: colek@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Ichthyology, behavioral ecology, reproductive biology, morphology and morphogenesis, space biology

Alex Culley

Email: aculley@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Pacific Biosciences Research Center
Research: Characterization of the diversity, dynamics, function, and interactions of viruses and their microbial hosts in representative aquatic and cryospheric ecosystems

Ed DeLong

Email: edelong@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Physiology, biochemistry, & microbial evolution & ecology. Environmental science & biogeochemical cycles. Genomic analyses of microbial evolution, ecology & natural history. Systems biology of natural microbial populations

Stuart Donachie

Email: donachie@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Marine microbiology and microbial diversity

Megan Donahue

Email: donahuem@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Spatial population dynamics of marine systems

Mary Donovan

Email: mdono@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Quantitative spatial ecology, resilience theory, field ecology, data synthesis, and statistical modeling to generate insights into the function and resilience of social-ecological systems.

Jeffrey Drazen

Email: jdrazen@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Pelagic Fisheries

Crawford Drury

Email: druryc@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Genomic and genotypic drivers of coral phenotypes, coral reef ecology, coral reef restoration

Kyle Edwards

Email: kfe@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Ecology of phytoplankton, and planktonic and benthic communities in general; Theoretical ecology and synthesis of models with empirical research; Ecological statistics

Erik Franklin

Email: erikcf@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Marine Ecology, Coral Reefs, Fish and Fisheries, Computational and Quantitative Methods, Geospatial Modeling, Invasive Species, Restoration Ecology

Fanny Girard

Email: fgirard@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Ecology of benthic ecosystems; particularly how these ecosystems respond to environmental change and anthropogenic disturbance. Focus primarily on deep-sea vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Erica Goetze

Email: egoetze@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Marine zooplankton ecology; dispersal & gene flow in marine plankton populations; evolution

Mark Hixon

Email: hixonm@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Behavioral / Population / Community Ecology and Conservation Biology of Coral Reef Species

Kim Holland

Email: kholland@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Physiology, Behavior, Ecology of Aquatic Organisms

Shaya Honarvar

Email: honarvar@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Ecology and Conservation Biology, especially regarding sea turtles and primates

Cynthia L. Hunter

Email: cindyh@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Conservation Biology, Coral Reef Ecology, Biology and Ecology of Marine Invertebrates

Jacob Johansen

Email: jacoblj@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Fish behavior, Ecological physiology of fishes, Coral reef ecology, Anthropogenic disturbance, Conservation, Species response to pollution and climate change, Species distribution and abundance

Haunani Kane

Email: hkane@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Earth Sciences
Research: Coastal Geomorphology, Paleo Environmental Reconstructions, Spatial Analysis, Impact on reef and island people by climate changes.

Judy Lemus

Email: jlemus@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Educational research and outreach programs in marine science; Programs for undergraduate and graduate students that enhance core professional competencies; Biochemical and physiological interactions in marine symbioses

Petra Lenz

Email: petra@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Pacific Biosciences Research Center
Research: Plankton ecology; Pelgaic Copepods; Neural ecology of zooplankton sensory systems

Elizabeth Madin

Email: emadin@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Marine community ecology & food webs / Fish Behavior / Predator-Prey Interactions / Human impacts on coral reefs / Emerging technologies for marine conservation

Josh Madin

Email: jmadin@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Quantitative ecology, Biomechanics and Informatics with an emphasis on coral reefs

Peter Marko

Email: pmarko@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Biogeography, Evolution and Conservation Biology

Lisa McManus

Email: mcmanusl@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Theoretical ecology; Coral reef community dynamics; Eco-evolutionary feedbacks; Global change biology

Margaret McManus

Email: mamc@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Coastal Physical Oceanography; Marine Ecology

Carl Meyer

Email: carlm@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Marine Protected Area design; Shark-human interactions; spawning migrations and foraging strategies of top predators; digestive physiology and navigational abilities of sharks

Amy Moran

Email: morana@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Marine Ecology and Evolution

Craig Nelson

Email: cen@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Microbial systems biology; specifically the structure and function of natural bacterial communities in aquatic habitats such as coral reefs, lakes, streams, and the open ocean

Aude Pacini

Email: aude@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Marine mammal sensory abilities; Bioacoustics, Empirical and Applied Research

Adam Pack

Email: pack@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Marine Science (Hilo)
Research: Marine mammal behavioral ecology; humpback whale and dolphin behavior, social organization, habitat use and communication; marine mammal cognition, animal learning, language and comparative cognition

Brian Popp

Email: popp@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Stable isotope biogeochemistry , marine organic geochemistry, isotpic biogeochemistry of individual biomarkers and gases

Megan Porter

Email: mlporter@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Genetic and developmental mechanisms that drive the evolution of visual systems in invertebrates; integrated studies of ecology, molecular networks, and cellular physiology

Michael S. Rappe

Email: rappe@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Microbial oceanography, Diversity and ecology of marine microorganisms, including seawater, coral-associated, and deep subsurface environments

Robert Richmond

Email: richmond@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Kewalo Marine Lab
Research: Invertebrate Zoology, Conservation Biology

Yoshimi Rii

Email: shimi@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB / NERR
Research: Marine phytoplankton biodiversity and productivity; nutrient dynamics in wetland, coastal, and open ocean ecosystems; reciprocal collaboration with place-based research and ecosystem-based management

Malia Rivera

Email: maliar@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Marine science curriculum development and education research; place-based science inquiry; broadening participation in STEM; marine population genetics, terrestrial invertebrate systematics

Karen E. Selph

Email: selph@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Biological oceanography, Microbial ecology, Protistan grazer feeding dynamics, Phytoplankton distributions

Alison Sherwood

Email: asherwoo@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Algal diversity, Phylogeography, Systematics, Evolution and ecology of marine, Freshwater and terrestrial algae of Hawaii

Nyssa Silbiger

Email: silbiger@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Quantitative ecology, Coastal marine ecosystems, Global change biology

Celia M. Smith

Email: celia@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Physiological ecology of marine macrophytes, Marine ecology, Cell biology

Grieg Steward

Email: grieg@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Oceanography
Research: Marine bacteria and viruses, microbial genomics, molecular ecology and biogeochemical cycles

Robert J. Toonen

Email: toonen@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: HIMB
Research: Larval ecology, coral reef biology, evolution, phylogeography and conservation genetics of marine invertebrates

Timothy C. Tricas

Email: tricas@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: School of Life Science
Research: Marine Animal Behavior

Lillian Tuttle Raz

Email: tuttlel@hawaii.edu
Department/Unit: Hawaii Cooperative Fishery Research Unit
Research: Anthropogenic Impacts, Behavioral Ecology, Contaminants, Disease/Parasites, Fisheries Management, Invasive Species, Population and Community Ecology, Predator-Prey Dynamics, Resilience

Affiliate Faculty

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Students

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