Joel Llopiz Seminar
Held each year in early fall, the Joel Llopiz Seminar brings together the colleagues, mentors, and mentees whose work and lives were shaped by Joel’s impact at WHOI’s Biology Department. Timed to coincide near his September 22 birthday, the seminar highlights emerging and established voices in ‘fishy oceanography’ and related fields, offering a forward-looking overview of the science Joel helped advance. This annual gathering celebrates the community he built by continuing the conversations, collaborations, and curiosity he inspired.
October 1, 2026
The inaugural seminar will feature Dr. Jon Hare (NOAA) on October 1, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the Redfiled Auditorium. A reception will follow. We hope you'll join us for this special event.
The Fishy Oceanographer
Joel joined WHOI and the Biology Department in 2010 as a postdoctoral scholar, became a member of the scientific staff in 2012, and received tenure as Associate Scientist in 2023. He received a BS from Eckerd College (Marine Science) in 2000 and a PhD from the Rosenstiel School Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami (Marine Biology and Fisheries) in 2008.
Joel referred to himself as a “fishy oceanographer”. His work lay at the intersection of oceanography, fish ecology and biology, and fisheries, focusing on larval fish, small fishes such as herring, and mesopelagic fish. Joel was recognized internationally as a leader in larval and forage fish ecology, particularly his early work on larval fish diets. His research ranged from the tropics to the Arctic and from the open ocean and deep-sea mesopelagic zones to Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine and the NE US Continental shelf, to coral reefs, and to Cape Cod herring streams. His research was highly collaborative and interdisciplinary and he developed research questions that influenced and advanced the field. He was a key investigator in the Ocean Twilight Zone and the Northeast US Shelf LTER Projects. One of the hallmarks of Joel’s career was his sustained support, mentorship, and advancement of students (graduate, undergraduate, high school) and postdocs. His substantive leadership in raising awareness and promotion of DEI issues also are cornerstones of his contributions and achievements.