|
Home
Prospective Students
Faculty
Contact Information
TAMUG
Research Programs
|
Graduate
Faculty
| Galveston
Faculty |
| |
|
|
Name |
Interests |
| |
 |
|
Jaime
Alvarado
Associate Professor
MARB
Email |
Conservation and population genetics of aquatic organisms
with emphasis on large pelagic fishes; molecular systematics
and phylogenetics and biogeography of fishes. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Rainer Amon
Associate Professor
MARS
Email
|
Biogeochemical fluxes of dissolved
organic matter (DOM) in the Arctic Ocean
Land - ocean transport of carbon and nitrogen in light of
environmental change in the Arctic
Identification of the chemical composition of DOM and its use as
a tracer for water masses. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Ayal Anis
Associate Professor
MARS
Email
|
Mixing processes and turbulence in the
surface and bottom boundary layers in the oceans and lakes.
Physical Oceanography of coastal regions. Model-aided
analysis of the response of lakes/coastal ocean to external
forcing.
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Anna R
Armitage
Assistant Professor
MARB
Email
|
Coastal
and wetlands community ecology in salt marshes, tidal
mudflats, and seagrass beds, with particular focus on
changes in trophic structure following habitat restoration,
nutrient enrichment, and other human disturbances. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Alexandru Balaban
Professor
MARS
Email
|
Experimental organic and
bio-organic areas, Theoretical chemistry areas and drug
design.
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Robin L
Brinkmeyer
Assistant Professor
MARS
Email
|
Molecular microbial ecology; Molecular
systematics and phylogeny of prokaryotes; Biogeography of
prokaryotic populations; Role of bacteria in biogeochemical
processes. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Randall
Davis
Professor
MARB
Email
|
Physiology & behavior of marine birds and mammals,
especially species inhabiting polar waters. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Thomas
Iliffe
Professor
MARB
Email
|
Biodiversity, evolution and conservation of animals
inhabiting marine caves; application of scientific and
technical diving to provide access to otherwise inaccessible
portions of extensive cave systems. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
James Kanz
Associate Professor
MARB
Email |
Invertebrate neuroethology; delineation of animal behavior
patterns, their nervous system substrates and their
modulation by external and internal stimuli. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Susan Knock
Lecturer
MARS
Email
|
Coastal Marine and
Aquatic Birds. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Jae-Young
Ko
Assistant
Professor
MARS
Email
|
Ecological (or biophysical) economics analysis of
human dominated ecosystems. Stakeholder analysis, Coastal
management, Resource and waste management, Environmental and
energy policy, Sustainable development.
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
André Landry
Professor
MARB
Email |
Fisheries ecology, with emphasis on population dynamics of
demersel nekton communities; attraction of fishes to
artificial reefs and ecosystem health of coral reefs. Sea
turtle biology; natural history of & recovery of the
critically endangered Kemp's Ridley. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
 |
|
Thomas
Linton Sr.
Senior Lecturer
MARS
Email |
Resource
management. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Patrick
Louchouarn
Associate Professor
MARS
Email
|
Impact of watershed disturbance on cycling of
trace metals and organic matter. Tracers of combustion
byproducts in environmental media. Biogeochemical cycling of
organic matter in soils and aquatic environments. Development
and direction of cross disciplinary curricula within the context
of university core science courses and environmental studies
programs. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Christopher
Marshall
Associate Professor
MARB
Email
|
Research interests focus on the function and evolution of
vertebrate feeding and digestive systems, the
musculoskeletal sys-tem, and associated sensory and neurobiology |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Tasha Metz
Lecturer
MARB
Email |
Sea
turtle biology and conservation, ecology of shore and
estuarine habitats/species (blue crabs) and field-based
studies. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Antonietta
Quigg
Associate Professor
MARB
Email
|
Impact
of trace metal and nutrient enrichments, cycling and
dynamics on physiology, primary productivity and community composition in coastal ecosystems. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Sammy Ray
Professor Emeritus
MARB
Email |
Marine
biology, oyster biology, oyster aquaculture and hatcheries
invertebrate pathology, environmental impact assessment and
coastal zone management. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Jay Rooker
Professor
MARB
Email
|
Ecology
of estuarine, coastal, and pelagic fishes. Recruitment
processes, particularly factors affecting post-settlement
survival. Fish life history and migration studies.
Analytical approaches to fish demography. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Gilbert Rowe
Professor
MARB
Email
|
Benthic
ecology, ecosystem function and structure. Carbon and nitrogen
cycles, food chain models. Environmental quality and sustainable
development. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Peter
Santschi
Professor
MARS
Email
|
Marine geochemistry, radiochemistry. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
 |
|
John Schwarz
Professor
MARB
Email |
All
aspects of seafood micro-biology. Association of bacterial
pathogens with shellfish and devising experimental
methodologies to provide the consumer with a safer food
product. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
 |
|
William
Seitz
Professor
MARS
Email |
Complexity Theory, Computer modeling of estuarine
circulation, Analysis of beach erosion mitigation policies,
Geographic Information System Modeling. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Anja Shulze
Assistant Professor
MARB
Email
|
Phylogeny and population genetics of polychaete and
sipunculan worms. Reproduction and development of marine
invertebrates. Evolution of hydrothermal vent and cold seep
fauna. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Wyndylyn von
Zharen
Professor
MARS
Email
|
Marine fisheries management; marine environmental
policy and law; anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Bernd Würsig
Professor
MARB
Email
|
Long-term studies of the behavioral ecology of dolphins,
porpoises and whales. Elucidating differences of foraging
techniques in different environments. Flexibilities of
adaptation in social marine mammals and in social animals in
general. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| College
Station Faculty |
| |
|
|
Name |
Interests |
| |
 |
|
Lawrence
Addison
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Shrimp
culture including nutrition and feeds development.
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Jack Baldauf
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Paleoceanography, Micropaleontology,
Biochronology. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Douglas
Biggs
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Physical and
biological habitat use by sperm whales and other apex predators
in the Gulf of Mexico; Biogeochemical processes in Gulf of
Mexico mesoscale eddies; Zooplankton stock estimation from ADCP
backscatter intensity. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Lisa
Campbell
Associate
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Phytoplankton ecology,
Phytoplankton community structure and diversity, Harmful Algal
Blooms: Karenia brevis in coastal Texas waters, Picoplankton
diversity, Flow cytometry and in situ imaging. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Kevin W.
Conway
Assistant
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Ichthyology,
systematics and comparative morphology of teleost fishes |
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Stephen
Davis III
Assistant
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Estuarine ecology and nutrient
dynamics. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Masami Fujiwara
Assistant Professor
WFSC
Email |
Population Dynamics,
Statistical Ecology & Mathematical Ecology. |
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Delbert
Gatlin III
Professor,
Interim Head
WFSC
Email |
Mariculture and food quality. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Fran Gelwick
Associate
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Ecology and behavior of fishes as
well as other aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms, in both marine
and freshwater ecosystems. This includes the response of fishes
to direct and indirect effects of biotic (including human) and
abiotic factors that are both internal and external to the
system, and across a range of spatial and temporal scales. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
John
Gold
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Organization and evolution of fish
genomes, and in part towards using genetic molecules to resolve
both basic and applied problems involving fish species. Choice
of organisms is based on biological diversity, evolutionary
heterogeneity, and economic importance, as well as the
opportunities to work in the field and interact with the
organisms in their natural ecologies. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
William
Grant
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Ecosystem and food web
modeling. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Luis Hurtado
Assistant
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Population/conservation genetics, molecular systematics and
evolution, evolutionary biology, phylogeography, hydrothermal
vent biology, genomics. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
George
Jackson
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Biological-chemical-physical
modeling, Coagulation processes/particle dynamics, Marine
pollution, Small-scale processes, Coastal ecosystems. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Adam
Jones
Assistant
Professor
BIOL
Email |
Evolutionary
genetics, including molecular ecology, sexual selection,
quantitative genetics, and molecular evolution. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
John Kessler
Assistant
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Understanding oceanic methane’s role in past,
present, and future global carbon cycles and global climate
change. Determining sources and sinks of oceanic methane with
natural isotopic measurements. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Duncan
MacKenzie
Associate
Professor
BIOL
Email |
Comparative
endocrinology of reproduction and thyroid function in fish,
amphibians, and reptiles. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Mariana
Mateos
Assistant
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Molecular
evolution and systematics, phylogeography, evolutionary biology,
host-symbiont interactions, comparative and functional genomics,
proteomics, asexual fishes. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Heath Mills
Assistant Professor
OCNG
Email |
Molecular characterization of microbial community
structure and function, Deep subsurface life exploration,
Nitrogen cycling in marine system prokaryote populations: nosZ
and amoA gene targets, Iron and sulfate reducing prokaryote
competition in salt marsh sediment: gltA and dsrA gene targets,
Bioremediation of radionuclide contaminated sediments. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Miguel Mora
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Wildlife
ecotoxicology, with emphasis on avian ecotoxicology. Research
involves the use of biochemical, ecological, and analytical
chemistry techniques, among the most common tools. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
William
Neill
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Mechanisms and capacity for growth
and production; environmental optima and tolerance limits;
physiological and behavioral responses to environmental
heterogeneity; and, emergence of autecological relations at the
levels of cohort, population and community. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Jane Packard
Associate
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Our research team is collaborating
with partners at the Houston Advanced Research Center and
University of Maryland. In a study funded by USDA, we are
studying cultural models of land conservation. In a
complementary study funded by NSF, we are looking in more depth
at how cultural models influence practice of Land Trusts at
local, regional and national scales of biocomplexity. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Daniel
Roelke
Assistant
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Research in the Roelke lab
encompasses field studies, laboratory experiments, and
mathematical modeling simulations that address lower foodweb
ecology in aquatic ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on
interactions between foodweb components and the physicochemical
environment. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Gil
Rosenthal
Assistant
Professor
BIOL
Email |
Evolution/behavior of fishes. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Tzachi
Samocha
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Shrimp
Mariculture. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Douglas
Slack
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Coastal and
riparian wetlands ecology with primary emphases on avian habitat
use, population ecology and behavior. Of special concern is the
effects of land management practices on individual behavior and
populations. Approach integrates conceptual contributions from
population and community ecology. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Dan
Thornton
Assistant
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Carbon and
nitrogen cycling in coastal ecosystems: Biology of exopolymer
(EPS) production; Diatom ecology and physiology; Ecology of
microphytobenthos; Nitrogen cycling in sediments; Biological
production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide; Estuarine
ecology. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Mary
Wicksten
Professor
BIOL
Email |
Crustacean
taxonomy and behavior, general invertebrate biology. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Kirk
Winemiller
Professor
WFSC
Email |
Fisheries ecology and food
webs. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
John Wormuth
Professor
OCNG
Email |
Faunal characterization of sperm
whale feeding areas in the Gulf of Mexico, Annual variability of
zooplankton (and krill) in the Antarctic, Geographic variations
in diel vertical migrations in pteropods, copepods and
cephalopods, Geographical distributions and taxonomy of
cephalopod. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| Corpus
Christi Faculty |
| |
|
|
Name |
Interests |
| |
 |
|
Robert Benson
Professor
Email |
Bioacoustics, instrumentation for remote sensing,
dynamics of ocean and estuary circulation, development of novel
methods of data collection and measurement in several areas of
science. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Kirk Cammarata
Associate
Professor
Email |
Seagrass
physiology and response to ecological stress, seagrass-microbe
associations, seagrass-epiphyte interactions. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Joe Fox
Professor
Email |
Nutrition of aquatic organisms; nutritional
ecology; nutrient essentiality, digestibility and the
physiological ecology of aquatic organisms; fish meal
replacement in aquatic feeds, chemoattraction, sea urchin
nutrition, and ecology of penaeid shrimp viruses; depuration of
oysters against
Vibrio vulnificus. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Graham Hickman
Professor
Email |
Ecological, Behavioral, and Biogeographical
studies, predominantly in Vertebrate Biology (Ichthyology,
Herpetology, Ornithology, and Mammalogy). |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Patrick
Larkin
Associate Professor
Email |
Molecular and chemical ecology of native plant
species, in particular their interaction with their environment
and response to habitat fragmentation. It includes both specific
events, such as the effect of temperature on the expression of
allelic variants of a single enzyme (Granule Bound Starch
Synthase) and broader events, such as the genetic relationships
among populations in fragmented habitats. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Roy Lehman
Professor
Email |
Biofuels from
Algae, Distribution and Ecology of Benthic Marine Algae;
Ecology; Natural and Man-Made Hazard Mitigation; Systematics;
Harmful Algal Blooms; Invasive Species; Biochemistry and
Molecular Structure and Function; Biological Oceanography. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
David McKee
Professor
Email |
Mariculture, Marine Ecology,
Fisheries. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Paul Montagna
Professor
Endowed Chair
Email |
Ecosystem studies with a focus on benthic
components, freshwater resources, water quality, ecosystem
modeling, and environmental statistics; and integrating natural
science with human dimensions research. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Joanna Mott
Professor
Email |
Environmental/Human Health Microbiology,
microbial water quality of coastal waters, source tracking of
contamination, water borne pathogens. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Riccardo Mozzachiodi
Assistant Professor
Email |
Neurobiology; biological basis
of learning and memory; behavior |
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Marion Nipper
Senior
Research Scientist
Email |
Marine
ecotoxicology, water and sediment quality assessments,
Biological effects of marine pollution. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Deborah Overath
Assistant
Professor
Email |
Population
genetics, conservation genetics, ecological genetics, population
biology, fisheries genetics. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Frank Pezold III
Professor, Dean
Email |
Fish systematics,
diversity, and conservation; emphasis on gobioid fishes. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Thomas Shirley
Professor
Endowed Chair
Email |
Marine
invertebrate ecology & systematics, meiofauna ecology, deep-sea
invertebrate communities, marine biodiversity & conservation
science. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Delbert Smee
Assistant
Professor
Email |
Marine Ecology,
Animal Behavior, Chemical and Sensory Ecology, Fluid Mechanics
and Chemical Signaling in Aquatic Environments. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Kevin Strychar
Assistant
Professor
Email |
Marine genetics and biochemistry of tropical and
deep cold-water coral reef ecology, coral diseases, microbiology
and phytoplankton physiology. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Greg Stunz
Associate
Professor
Email |
Marine Ecology, Marine
Fisheries. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Rebekah
Thomas
Associate
Professor
Email |
Animal Physiology;
stress responses; effects of acute and chronic environmental
changes on oyster and fish physiology. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
John Tunnell Jr.
Professor
Email |
Coral reef and coastal ecology; molluscan
systematics, distribution, and ecology; Gulf of Mexico
biodiversity; oil spill impacts to marine environments;
mitigation, wetlands, and coral reefs. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Michael Wetz
Assistant Professor
Email |
Ecology and physiology of
estuarine/coastal plankton |
| |
|
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Kim Withers
Associate
Research Scientist
Email |
Tidal Flat
Ecology; Ornithology; Marine Benthic Ecology; Aquatic
Entomology. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
[Website] |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Graduate
Program in Marine Biology