Steve Palumbi in Tonga

Steve Palumbi, a professor of biology and of oceans  at Stanford and the former director of Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on detective work in the ocean—for whales, corals, kelp, and other species—using genetic tools. He became fascinated with marine biology at a young age, growing up near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. His research projects in Pacific Grove have included identifying whale and shark products that end up for sale in commercial markets, finding heat resistant corals to survive climate change, and working with the Northern Chumash tribe on designating a new national marine sanctuary along their traditional coast.

During our program, Steve’s lectures will cover topics such as the people and culture of the Pacific; the migration of whales to Tonga; the newest findings in how corals fight back against climate change; and how coral reef fish live out their colorful lives. He says, “Our first trip to Tonga was a mesmerizing experience—to swim gently with mother whales and their calves and share experiences with the whole group was an unforgettable thrill.”

• At Stanford: Jane and Marshall Steel Jr. Professor in Marine Sciences, department of biology, School of Humanities and Sciences, since 2002; Harold A. Miller Director, Hopkins Marine Station, 2008–2017, and researcher since 2002; professor of oceans in the new Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, and fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment, since 2011

• Professor, department of organismic and evolutionary biology, Harvard University, 1996–2002

• Co-author, The Extreme Life of the Sea, Princeton University Press, 2015; and The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival, Island Press, 2012

• Participant in several TV series: The Big Ocean, PBS; The Future Is Wild, BBC; Life After People, History Channel; One Ocean, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

• Creator, YouTube channel ‘Ellie’s Favorite Fish’: https://www.youtube.com/@StevePalumbi

• Peter Benchley Ocean Award for Excellence in Science, 2011

• National Academy of Sciences member, since 2016

• BA, biology, 1978, Johns Hopkins University

• PhD, zoology, 1984, University of Washington