Dr Maria Baker

Deep-Sea Marine Ecologist and Executive Director for the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative.

I am Executive Director of the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) which seeks to integrate science, technology, policy, law and economics to advise on ecosystem-based management of resource use in the deep ocean and strategies to maintain the integrity of deep-ocean ecosystems within and beyond national jurisdiction.   I am co-founder of this programme and have been leading it since its inception in 2013. 

My scientific interests centre on understanding the reproductive processes of marine invertebrates and the role of life-history strategies in adaptation to their habitat. I also have an active interest in assessment of anthropogenic impacts in the deep-sea environment.

Previously I was PI of INDEEP (International network of scientific investigations of deep-sea ecosystems). The aim of this programme was to develop and synthesise our understanding of deep-sea global biodiversity and functioning across all habitats and provide a framework to bridge the gap between scientific results and society to aid in the formation of sustainable management strategies.  Prior to this I was project manager of of ChEss, a field project of the Census of Marine Life initiative. This programme facilitated a global study of the distribution, abundance and diversity of species in deep-water hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and other deep-water chemosynthetic ecosystems. Directed from the National Oceanography Centre Southampton, ChEss improved our knowledge of the biogeography of chemosynthetic ecosystems and the processes driving them.

Prizes

• Deep-Sea Hero 2020 (2020)