Robert Semmler is a Postdoctoral Researcher in MarineGEO leading the BEACON project: Biodiversity and Energy Availability across a Coastal Ocean Network. He is based in Edgewater, Maryland.

Globally, marine habitats are facing growing inputs of anthropogenic nutrients. While we expect marine biodiversity to increase with where there is greater energy available to support these habitats, these patterns are difficult to evaluate on a global scale. Along with a team of 12 MarineGEO partner sites, Rob is analyzing the water chemistry and eDNA content from water samples across the globe to better understand these relationships.

Prior to joining MarineGEO, Rob was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, where he used big data and molecular analyses to assess the structure and function of coral reef food webs. Rob received his PhD in Biological Science from Lancaster University in the UK, studying the responses of reef fishes to coral bleaching events. He received his MS from the University of Maryland, with research on deep water coral reefs, as well as a thesis project assessing recreational harvest of blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay