Bernie Ball
Bernie Ball is an Associate in Research and Lab Manager for Dr. Cindy Van Dover's deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems team at the Duke University Marine Lab, in Beaufort NC. Bernie is interested in the regional, and global, distribution of polychaetes that have formed commensal relationships with deep-sea chemosynthetic bivalves, and Ophioctenella acies - a brittle star that has (so far) been found exclusively at vents and seeps. Before joining the Van Dover lab, he worked on the Arthropod Tree of Life and was the molecular lead for the Fungal Tree of Life project.
Bernie Ball majored in biology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Radford University in 2001.
"I employ molecular genetic tools to help us better understand the connectivity between the many chemosynthetic communities that thrive in the deepest regions of the ocean. The Nautilus, dedicated to pure ocean exploration, is continually providing us with new clues to decipher, and who doesn't love a mystery?"
Expeditions
Bernie participated in the following Ocean Exploration Trust expeditions:
