Barbara Prezelin

Marine Primary Production Group

	Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610 USA 805-893-4319 (lab) 805-893-4724 (fax)
Original artwork by Kristine Leonard Arnodeo

BARBARA PREZELIN

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology
Marine Science Institute
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610

Office: 805-893-2879
Lab/Fax: 805-893-4319
Alt. Fax: 805-893-4724
E-mail: prezelin@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Arctic 2002

Antarctica 1992

Research Areas

Biological Oceanography, Polar Marine Sciences, Phytoplankton Biology/Ecology, Primary Production, UV Photoecology, Harmful Algal Blooms

Education

University of Oregon Biology B.S. 1970
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Marine Biology Ph.D, 1975
U. C. Santa Barbara Photobiology/Photoecology 1975-77

APPOINTMENT:

UCSB's Faculty Assistant to the Chancellor 1996-2005
UCSB Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology 1987-present
UCSB Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology 1983-87
UCSB Assistant Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology 1977-83

SELECTED ACTIVITIES:

Chair, 2001 Gordon Conference in Polar Marine
Sciences: Field Analyses and Numerical Modeling
of Coupled Physical, Chemical and Biological
Systems

Vice Chair, 1999 Gordon Conference in Polar
Marine Sciences: Carbon and the Significance of
Carbon Fluxes in Polar Seas

International Arctic Science Committee on UV
Radiation & the Arctic Biosphere, 1994-2000

US JGOFS Science Steering Committee, 1994-1997

US JGOFS Science Synthesis and Modeling Team, 1999-present

28 Field Cruises since 1975 studying various
aspects of phytoplankton photoecology and marine
primary production (Chief Scientist on 20 of the
cruises, CoChief Scientist on 5).

PUBLICATIONS (>130) available HERE

PHD thesis advisor for 16 students; served as member of >54 committees
MS thesis advisor for 5 students; served as member of >13 committees
Faculty mentor for > 120 Undergraduate Research Volunteers
June 2002, Received UCSB's Award for Excellence
in Mentoring Undergraduate Research

From 'Women in Oceanography', a special issue of Oceanography, 2005

As far back as I remember, I loved boats and tales of seafaring. While growing up along the Columbia River in the 1950s, roaming waterways with my dad in our homemade boat, I heard stories of my grandfather's childhood on sailing ships. I wished I were a boy so that I might have such adventures. Little did I know that lives of women were changing and that oceanography would find me. I switched from medical to aquatic microbiology while an undergraduate at the University of Oregon, after a serendipitous opportunity to participate in an REU program and to do summer research on hot springs with Dick Castenholz and students. They took me into their laboratory and mentored my education during the next year, introducing me to opportunities I did not know possible. When I was accepted into graduate school at Scripps, my father beamed that the family had returned to the sea. During an introduction with the Director the first week at Scripps I learned that women did not go to sea. It would have been devasting except David Checkly asked "why not?" and graduate women (notably Mia Tegner and MaryJane Perry) were determined to change minds. The unwritten policy made it challenging to be a biological oceanographer. I never made it to sea during my graduate studies with F. T. Haxo, exploring the photosynthetic substructure of red tide dinoflagellates and photoadaptive responses. When choosing postdoctoral positions, I turned down an excellent opportunity in photosynthetic research as I wanted to stay near the sea and get a chance for oceanographic experience. First, I completed a wonderful postdoctoral experience with BZ Sweeney working on biological clocks and environmental timekeeping in phytoplankton. Finally, as an assistant professor at UCSB, I applied for as much ship time that I could get and took my ideas to sea. I spent my years using experiments to identify regulatory mechanisms underlying photoecology of phytoplankton and field studies looking for ways to monitor these activities in situ, determine their environmental relevance and assess bio-optical linkages to predictive modeling. There have been many successful research partnerships, including working with Hilary Glover on picophytoplankton, Ray Smith and Bob Bidigare on bio-optical projects, Eileen Hoffman on physical-biologial coupling, and Mary Silver and Elizabeth Venrick on harmful algal blooms. I honor my students and their achievements and am delighted in our continued friendships. Having a husband and daughter enriched my life far more than I dreamed possible. It did take a village of 'mothers' to make it possible to be a working mother who went to sea. I have come to favor a saying attributed to Gandhi. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Honors/Awards

Additional Photos

Remember Christine? She is all grown up