My Background
I am a Professor of Marine Biology (retired) whose lifetime research focused upon the ecology of coral reef fishes and the ecosystems that they inhabit.
I received an M.A. and Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California (Santa Barbara). Afer graduation, I relocated to Florida where I began research on Caribbean coral reefs and reef ecosystems.
I have authored or co-authored numerous scientific papers, technical reports, and several popular books on coral reefs and marine life. I also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in marine biology at the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley.
I have also served as a consultant on artificial reefs, coral reef fisheries, and Marine Protected Area (MPA) planning efforts. I conducted these efforts in The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Antigua, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Malaysia. I am also a retired (inactive) SCUBA Instructor (NAUI).
Why I Built This Web Site
I decided to create this web site to provide visitors a concise, science-based overview of the main aspects of the structure, ecology, and marine life of coral reef ecosystems.
My aim was to provide a website written for a general (i.e., non-scientist) readership. I felt there was an unfilled niche for a plain English "just the facts" web site about coral reefs and reef life.
It is my sincere hope that visitors find the site to be a useful informational resource. I shall continue to review and update the material presented on this web site at regular intervals to keep it current with the latest scientific findings.
William Alevizon, Ph.D., (Updated) December 2012