Mark Hixon is a marine biologist at Oregon State University who specializes on understanding the ecology of coral reefs. A Fulbright Senior Scholar and Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, Mark has published scientific studies of reefs in Australia, French Polynesia, Hawaii, the Bahamas, and the Virgin Islands. In 2003, he was recognized by ISI Citation Index as the most cited American scientific author on coral reefs. Located in shallow tropical waters, coral reefs are both the rainforests and the canaries of the seas. As rainforests, reefs are incredibly beautiful and support a huge variety of fascinating species, as well as many goods and services for humankind. As canaries, reefs cover less than 1% of the world ocean and are increasingly disappearing due to human activities. Mark now spends much of his time communicating the importance of saving these remaining jewels of the sea.
The views and opinions expressed through the MAHB Website are those of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect an official position of the MAHB. The MAHB aims to share a range of perspectives and welcomes the discussions that they prompt.