Taylor Heyl is a deep-sea ecologist and Research Associate in the Biology Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Her interests are focused on understanding the relationships between deep-sea biological communities and their physical, chemical and geological ecosystems with a focus on chemosynthetic ecosystems hosting hydrocarbons and the ecological and evolutionary processes that structure the diversity of these deep-ocean benthic communities.
Taylor received her M.Sc in Biology from the College of William & Mary and has been a researcher at WHOI for over 15 years. Her current research includes investigating virtually unexplored submarine canyons in the North Atlantic to understand the ecological processes and anthropogenic impact associated with these habitats leading to conservation and management guidelines for deep-water coral ecosystems. She has participated in more than 20 oceanographic expeditions in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Mexico and the Southern Ocean and she investigates deep ocean habitats with a variety of technologies, including submersibles, remotely-operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles and towed camera systems.
During this expedition, she will join the microbiology team to investigate microorganisms in oxygen-depleted marine systems.
Cruises:
