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The oceans remain one of the least explored frontiers of our region of the solar system; more is known about the surface of the moon and of Mars than is known about the watery landscape that covers 71% of our planet. My research uses tools from genetics, cell biology, oceanography, and remote sensing to explore connections between microorganisms in the sea and the physical processes that determine their abundance, distribution and productivity. Unlike many ecologists, who tend to view the properties of the organisms they study as relatively static, my research is guided by an evolutionary perspective within which we recognize that both evolutionary history and evolutionary potential lead to dynamic ecological patterns.