Ivona Cetinić is a phytoplankton ecologist, who uses optical tools to shed light on the role that phytoplankton diversity plays in oceanic biogeochemical cycles. She likes submesoscale processes, ocean observing technology (in-situ and remote), pretty silicoflagellates and good olive oil. She got her PhD at University of Southern California, and after a postdoc and research position at University of Maine, she joined Ocean Ecology Lab at NASA GSFC, where she is a USRA scientist and part of the PACE team.