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C. Mark Eakin

Satellite Oceanography & Climatology Division

Marine Ecosystems & Climate Branch

A coral reef specialist, with a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Miami, Dr. Eakin is Coordinator of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch program, an effort focused on the monitoring of coral reef ecosystems through satellite, in situ, and paleoenvironmental observations. In particular, Coral Reef Watch is a part of the NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research and uses NOAA satellite data to monitor environmental conditions that lead to coral bleaching. NOAA's Coral Reef Watch provides the only source of satellite-based monitoring, alerts, and warnings of upcoming coral mass bleaching events.

Dr. Eakin has worked for NOAA since 1991. From 2000-2005, Dr. Eakin directed NOAA Paleoclimatology (part of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center), and was Director of the World Data Center for Paleoclimatology in Boulder, CO. Prior to that, he was a program manager for the NOAA Office of Global Programs in Silver Spring, MD, funding and coordinating research to improve our understanding of climate variability in the past, how to predict it in the future and the influence of climate variability and change on the marine environment.

Dr. Eakin's has published on various topics in coral reef ecology, especially the impact of climate change and other disturbance on coral reefs. This includes El Niño impacts on eastern Pacific coral reefs in coral reef ecology and carbonate budgets, thermal stress and coral bleaching, ocean acidification, oil spills, coral paleoclimatology, and the behavior of marine organisms. He co- chairs the US Coral Reef Task Force's Climate Change Working Group and recently chaired the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the GCRMN. He was helped develop the International and U.S. Coral Reef Initiatives and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN). In 2004, Dr. Eakin co-chaired a 7 part series of symposia on "Coral Reefs and Global Change" at the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium in Okinawa, is coordinating analysis of data from the 2005 Caribbean coral bleaching event. He recently testified before the US House of Representatives at a hearing entitled "Wildlife and Oceans in a Changing Climate" and has participated in several Congressional briefings.

E-mail: Mark.Eakin@noaa.gov