I retired from the Department of Integrative Biology in 2010. From 1988-2010 I was Director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) , a state-wide consortium of over 25 agency, university, and marine laboratory members including all 11 state universities. Prior to joining the USF, I was Director of the West Indies Laboratory of Fairleigh Dickinson University in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands from 1971-1988 and Director of the NOAA saturation diving facility Hydrolab.

I have worked on the ecology of coral reefs, seagrasses and associated ecosystems all over the world and have published more than 100 scientific papers, contributed to numerous books, and produced several television films. My current work concerns the application marine spatial planning to ecosystem-based management and regional ocean governance primarily in the Wider Caribbean and Florida. I was a member of the founding Advisory Council of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and am the former President of the International Society for Reef Studies. I served on the boards of the World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and SeaWeb and was a charter member of the Marine Protected Area Federal Advisory Council and the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council. I am a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.