The oceans contain 97 percent of the Earth's water, and host the most disparate ecosystems on the planet. This course provides an introduction to deep sea ocean habitats, animals, and microorganisms. Emphasis is placed on the physiological adaptations of organisms to their environment, as well as the role of microorganisms in mediating ocean biogeochemical cycles.
Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
Pete Girguis
Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
Prof. Peter Girguis is a professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on understanding how animals and microbes make a living in Earth's most extreme environments. Girguis' research lies at the intersection of biology and geochemistry, and he develops and uses a variety of tools (high-pressure systems to mimic natural environments, in situ mass spectrometers, and in situ microbial fual cells) to address these issues. He received his BSc from the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) where he worked with David Chapman on marine alga and William Hammer on plankton ecology. He received his PhD from the UC Santa Barbara, where he worked with James Childress on the physiology and biochemistry of deep sea hydrothermal vent tubeworms and their microbial symbionts. Girguis then did postdoctoral research at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute with Edward Delong on the growth and population dynamics of anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea. Girguis has been a Distinguished Lecturer for the National Science Foundation (NSF) RIDGE2000 initiative and served as chair of the National Deep Submergence Science Committee. He has served on several notable boards, including the Ocean Exploration Trust and the Schmidt Ocean Institute. He has authored or co-authored nearly 150 publications. His honors include the 2007 and 2011 Lindbergh Foundation Award for Science and Sustainability, the Merck Co. Innovative Research Award, the 2018 Lowell Thomas Award for groundbreaking advances in marine science and technology, the 2020 Petra Shattuck Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the 2024 Marine Technology Society Ocean Exploration award.
Curatorial Assistant, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Meaghan Hanlon Sorce
Curatorial Assistant, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Meaghan Sorce has a master's degree in ecosystem ecology. For the last ten years, she has worked at the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology, in the Ichthyology collection. She specializes in sharks and deep sea fishes.