I study the evolution of midwater animals with a focus on functional morphology and biodiversity of invertebrates. I want to know who is out there in the largest living space on earth and what they are doing, how they perceive their environment, and how they interact with other members of the midwater community. I primarily work with remotely operated vehicles and modified midwater trawls to collect animals to understand how midwater animals have adapted to the many challenges of life in the midwater. I use advanced imaging and genetic techniques, along with direct observations, to learn more about what it takes to survive, thrive and diversify in the midwater. I am the curator of Polychaetes, Peracarids, and Plankton at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and an adjunct scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the University of Western Australia.
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