Simon Thorrold

Born in New Zealand, Simon Thorrold received his B.S. from the University of Auckland, and Ph.D. from James Cook University, North Queensland, Australia. He traveled far across the Pacific and North America, to the Caribbean Marine Research Center and Old Dominion University, Virginia. He came to WHOI in 2001, half a world from his birthplace. With this history, it is maybe not surprising that he studies travel in marine fish. Using geochemical markers, he traces dispersal, migration, and population dynamics of marine invertebrates and fish, including clownfish. He has developed methods of correlating the chemical composition of fish ear bones with the water fish live in and travel through. With much of his work in the South Pacific and Caribbean, Simon has been on many cruises, logging 1000 hours of scuba diving and 800 hours in tropical environs.