Steve Palumbi is a Professor of Oceans, and Professor of Biology, based at Stanford’s marine lab in Monterey.
He has used genetic detective work to identify whales, sharks, and fish for sale in retail markets, and is genetically mapping corals resistant to climate change. His work has been used in design of the current network of marine protected areas and focuses on collaborating on environmentalDNA with the Chumash community in central California in the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
Steve’s latest book for non-scientists is about the amazing species in the sea, written with Steve’s son and novelist Anthony. The Extreme Life of the Sea tells you about the fastest species in the sea, and hottest, coldest, oldest etc.
Steve co-founded the video production company Short Attention Span Science Theatre, the band Sustainable Sole, and appears in many films and TV series about the sea.
His current science expansion project is to use narrative non-fiction to turn sharks from villains into wildlife in people’s minds.