Coming from the landlocked state of Colorado, Dr. Heidi Geisz followed an atypical path to marine science. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Colorado in 1997 with a B.A. in Environmental, Population and Organismal Biology/Psychology, Dr. Geisz worked as a seasonal technician for the seabird component of the Palmer Station, Antarctica Long Term Ecological Research project until 2004.
She entered the doctoral program at the College of William and Mary, School of Marine Science to examine the transport and fate of organic contaminants in Antarctica, their incorporation into the Antarctic food web (particularly higher predators) and their use as tracers in seabirds breeding on the Antarctic Peninsula. After earning her Ph.D. in 2010, Dr. Geisz became a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow working on the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee subcommittee staff for Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs. She is now an adjunct faculty member of the FSU Coastal & Marine Lab.
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Antarctica is often referred to as the last pristine environment; however, an increasing body of evidence suggests this is inaccurate. Circumpolar long-term research indicates that recent changes in the global climate, driven by human influences, are particularly acute in Antarctica.
