Jim Sullivan has had a fascinating career starting with the smallest, and quite possibly the mightiest, organism in the sea, phytoplankton. From doing ground-breaking scientific research to inventing new oceanographic equipment to leading an oceanographic institute, Jim has had quite the diverse career. In this episode, Jim shares some amazing insights into marine science and the world in general, and he shares how he affected legislative changes that had some pretty big trickle down effects. We also chat about what true science really means, and why sometimes it can be really challenging to do. Jim also has one of the craziest sea stories I’ve ever heard, so stay tuned for that.
This episode is brought to you by Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. 2021 marks the 50th Anniversary of FAU Harbor Branch’s relentless pursuit of Ocean Science for a Better World®. Located in Fort Pierce, Florida, FAU Harbor Branch’s cutting-edge research focuses on marine ecosystem conservation, aquaculture, the connection between ocean and human health, and technological innovation and national defense. During my time as part of the undergraduate Semester By the Sea program, I learned so much about the ocean and what it takes to become a good scientist. The programs and opportunities offered at FAU Harbor Branch have continued to swell since! To learn more, and how you can get involved, please visit www.fau.edu/hboi.
Connect with Jim: website
Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island
Bioluminescence
Harmful Algal Blooms
Florida State Blue/Green Algae Task Force
Sea-Bird Scientific
A Review of Holography in the Aquatic Sciences
South Florida Water Management District
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Florida Center for Coastal and Human Health
Show Notes
00:08 – Kara and Jim discuss how Jim found his way to ocean science
03:14 – Jim describes his master’s research into phytoplankton bioluminescence which was supported by anti-submarine warfare
09:48 – Going to work after Master’s to do science without the distractions of grant proposals and mentoring students in academia
11:02 – Jim goes back for his Ph.D., choosing to do phytoplankton research that challenged a long-held belief that turbulence inhibited harmful algal blooms
14:54 – What is causing the increase in the appearance of algal blooms?
17:31 – Actions humans can take to reduce nutrient runoff into rivers and oceans
19:02 – Working on the Florida Blue/Green Algae Task Force
20:16 – Leaving academia to ride the big wave of emerging digital technologies and build novel instruments for ocean research at WET Labs (later bought out by Sea-BIrd Scientific)
25:08 – More on the benefits of using an in situ Holographic Microscope
28:16 – Jim talks about his role in starting the craft brewery movement in Rhode Island
33:31 – How Jim came to be at Harbor Branch in Florida after so long in Rhode Island
41:58 – How Jim found himself in the administrator’s chair at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
46:42 – Jim and Kara look back on the changes at Harbor Branch over the last 50 years
51:23 – Kara and JIm discuss what a Research Professor position is, and how such positions are funded
58:01 – Jim describes the recent (2018) establishment of the Florida Center for Coastal and Human Health at HBOI. This center attempts to take a broad view and pull together researchers from many parts of the university to address the growing danger of hazardous algal blooms
59:31 – Jim discusses other new initiatives at Harbor Branch: Warm water Aquaculture, and MORE bioluminescence!
1:01:46 – Jim’s favorite sea creature
1:04:08 – What the ocean means to Jim
1:05:20 – One of the craziest field stories that we’ve heard on the show: being on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of a hurricane.
1:12:55 – Jim tells what he would do for the Earth with a blank check.
1:16:41 – Conservation Ask: get involved!
1:17:29 – How to connect with Jim