Advances in Marine Biology

1. Learning to Read the Oceans: Genomics of Marine Phytoplankton2. Biology of Deep-Water Octocorals3. Tipping points, thresholds, and the keystone role of physiology in marine climate change research4. Social aggregation in the pelagic zone with special reference to fish and invertebrates

Ph. D., University of Maine, Zoology, 1989

M.S., University of New Hampshire, Microbiology, 1985

B.A., University of New Hampshire, Microbiology, Minor: Zoology, 1983

A.S. George Washington University, Medical Laboratory Science, 1977

Courses Taught

Biological Oceanography, Physiological Ecology, Marine Biology, Marine Microbiology, General Microbiology, Immunology, Biology and Ecology of Coral Reefs

Current Research Interests

My principal focus involve understanding how taxonomically diverse marine organisms respond physiologically to changes in their environment. In particular I'm interested in how organismal physiology can influence the ecology of marine organisms. As a physiological ecologist my students and I answer these types of questions by utilizing field and laboratory experiments, as well as a wide range of techniques from molecular biology to in situ measurements. Currently my research encompasses four major areas;

1) Biochemistry and molecular genetics of oxidative stress in marine organisms associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation, elevated temperatures, or hyperoxic conditions.

2) Physiological ecology of marine invertebrates and phytoplankton, physiological responses to changes in the environment, bacterial- and algal-invertebrate symbioses, and the trophic biology of suspension-feeding invertebrates.

3) Ecology and photobiology of mesophotic coral reefs.

4) Underwater technology, use of technical diving for scientific research.

Selected Publications

Lesser MP. Using Energetic Budgets to Assess the Effects of Environmental Stress on Corals: Are We Measuring the Right Things? Coral Reefs, 32: 25-33, 2013.

Brazeau, D., M. P. Lesser, and M. Slattery. Genome-wide Sampling of Genetic Structure in the Coral, Montastraea cavernosa: Assessing Population Connectivity Among Mesophotic Reefs. PLoS ONE, 8(5): e65845, 2013.

Lesser, M. P., Stat, M., and R. D. Gates. Th

• Advances in Marine Biology has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 -- over 45 years of outstanding coverage!
• The series is well-known for both its excellence of reviews and editing
• Now edited by Michael Lesser, with an internationally renowned Editorial Board, the serial publishes in-depth and up-to-date content on a wide range of topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography