I am a marine microbiologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. My research is centered on the microbiomes of marine animals, and especially those that are threatened or endangered including marine mammals and corals. Research in my laboratory uses molecular and microscopy-based techniques to characterize animal-microbiomes. I seek to understand the potential for microorganisms to aid in the health of their host, or to provide information about the ocean environment that these animals inhabit.