- Patrick Gibson
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
I was one of those kids who wanted to grow up and be a marine biologist. Coming from land-locked rural Ohio, I would look forward to my family’s annual summer vacation to the beaches of North Carolina. I had a love for the water and a connection to the ocean that has been a guiding influence in my life. As a teen, still wishing to be a marine biologist, I took a SCUBA course with my father and was instantly hooked. I started becoming interested in coral reefs and the Florida Keys after attending Seacamp for 3 summers in high school. This was my first real taste of marine science and the unique ecosystems of South Florida that I continue to work in today. My love of the Keys and a perpetuating goal of becoming a marine biologist attracted me to the University of Miami in Coral Gables for college. They had a strong marine science program that afforded me some fantastic opportunities for research and field work. I was able to participate in research cruises, field work and special class programs in Florida and the Bahamas, as well as spend a semester abroad at James Cook University in Australia where I focused on coral reef ecology. After four years at UM and a wealth of knowledge and experience I graduated a marine biologist in 2001.
After graduation I took a break from university and worked as crew on an Atlantic crossing a small sailboat and spent some time in Europe. In the fall of 2001 I subsequently took a job as lab manager of the Southeast Environmental Research Center's Microbial Ecology Lab at Florida International University in Miami. The position at FIU expanded by knowledge of biogeochemistry and microbial ecology and allowed me to expand my familiarity with South Florida ecosystems by conducting research in the Everglades and Florida Bay. While at FIU, I pursued a MS degree in biology by investigating the flux of nutrients between the protected ecosystems of Florida Bay and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and became involved with the NSF funded Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program.
Now as a PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Marine Sciences, I am currently focusing on biogeochemistry of South Florida ecosystems, biological processes of sponge communities, and general ecosystems ecology. I love the system I work in and have studied for almost 15 years. At 28 years old, I have now been diving in the Keys for half my life, and the opportunity to saturate in Aquarius is the highlight of many great experiences.
