Meet the team

Prof. Carlos Duarte is a world-wide leader in multiple branches of biological oceanography and marine ecology. His recent publication The Ocean Soundscape of the Anthropocene (2020), in Science, received an overwhelming international response, and gave the drive for the creation of The Sea Sounds Portal. Carlos has published on all aspects of seagrass ecology, from population biology to genetics, from depth and geographical distribution patterns to their role in biogeochemical cycles, and from conservation strategies to their sensitivity towards climate change. An extremely versatile aquatic ecologist, he works from the tropics to polar ecosystems, from macrophytes to microbes, from coastal systems to open ocean gyres using all type of approaches. Many of his synthesis papers have set the stage for the field; e.g. his work initiated the discussion on the heterotrophic nature of oligotrophic systems and identified the role of hypoxia thresholds for marine biodiversity. His research is characterized by independence, creativity, serendipity and interdisciplinary linking, as well as the capacity to organize and collaborate with large interdisciplinary teams. Read more

Jill is a marine acoustician utilizing machine learning in her research. After a 20-year career as CFO for an interactive media software company, she is blurring the line between corporations and science to leverage advances in technology for the good of scientific research. She is a life-long learner full of curiosity and enjoys scuba diving, camping, and nature excursions with her pup Quinn in her free time.

Sophia is a Marine Science graduate from University of the Highlands and Islands, at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (Oban, Scotland), with experience in scientific consulting in Marine Mammal observation,and Sustainable Island Management. She is excited to dive into new opportunities and currently exploring the world of sea soundscapes. In her off time she enjoys anything outdoors from climbing to canoeing and everything in between with a special love for the water.

Michelle is a PhD student working on the Saudi coast of the Red Sea in KAUST with P.I. Carlos Duarte, exploring the characterisation of reef ecosystems by analysing ambient underwater recordings, as well as the effect of Anthropogenic sources of sounds on marine life. Previously, she completed her Bachelors in Arts and Science (Hons) at UTS, Sydney, with a year abroad on exchange in Mexico. She is so excited about the creation of the Sea Sounds Portal, and know that she is listening to every amazing sound shared to the page. In her spare time, she loves rock climbing, free-diving, playing music with others and experimenting with sounds.