I set up this blog to support my textbook “Marine Microbiology — Ecology and Applications” first published in 2002 and now in in its Third Edition, published by CRC Press in 2019. The overall aim of the book is to bring together an understanding of the exciting and fast-moving field of marine microbial ecology with an appreciation of the applications for environmental management, human welfare and economic activity in a period of rapid global; change. The book and its companion website feature numerous boxes to aid students’ interest and understanding and to encourage exploration of current high-profile research topics. I hope that the news items and articles featured in the blog will prove useful both to new students and advanced scientists alike.
About me
I am an Honorary Fellow at the Marine Institute, University of Plymouth, having recently retired from my post as Associate Professor in Microbiology In my 40+ years of teaching, I have been passionate about enthusing students to appreciate the importance of microbial life and enabling them to understand the remarkable new discoveries that are revolutionizing our understanding of the field, especially in the marine environment. I have particular research interests in the interactions between symbiotic and pathogenic microbes and their hosts. I have studied microbial interactions with plants, invertebrate animals, fish, and humans and I am a strong advocate of a comparative approach. My most recent has taken me into various aspects of marine microbiology, including microbes in coral health and disease and the effects of environmental stress on microbial community structure in corals and other marine invertebrates. I graduated from University College London, with a PhD from Birmingham University. I have have held visiting professor posts at James Cook University/Australian Institute of Marine Science, St George’s University, Grenada, Central University of Venezuela, University of Victoria, Canada and numerous editorial and review positions.
marinemicro.org 