Coral Reefs of Cuba (eBook)

Dr. Sandra Brooke was born just west of London. After completing her undergraduate and M.Sc degrees in England, she worked in mosquito control in the Cayman Islands, where she learned to dive and discovered marine biology. She then obtained an M.A in Marine Biology from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and a Ph.D (2002) from the Southampton Oceanography Center, UK.

Her research focuses primarily on coral reefs in both shallow and deep waters, specifically understanding their distribution, abundance, and life histories, as well as how they are affected by anthropogenic impacts. Dr. Brooke has worked in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, Norwegian Fjords, South Atlantic Bight, Gulf of Mexico, and Mid-Atlantic canyons, and her research uses submersibles, Remotely Operated Vehicles, benthic landers and in situ experimentation to enhance our understanding of deep-sea coral biology, ecology and vulnerability to disturbance.

Stephanie Farrington graduated with her Master's in Marine Biology in 2008 from Nova Southeastern University, working under Dr. Charles Messing on the Biogeography of the Straits of Florida. After graduation she started her career working under John Reed at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University until John's retirement in 2022. At HBOI, she was a Research Biologist concentrating on deep-sea and mesophotic habitats around the SE US, Gulf of Mexico and Cuba.

Stephanie is now a Fisheries Scientist III NOAA Contractor at the Panama City Fisheries Lab working on the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) program in the northern Gulf of Mexico. She is focused on coral reef restoration and exploration centered around the aftermath of the Deep-Water Horizon oil spill.