Lauren Mullineaux

WHOI Senior Scientist Lauren Mullineaux  (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Lauren Mullineaux joined WHOI in 1986 as a postdoctoral researcher, drawn by a project on how near-bottom currents affect marine animal larvae. With a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, plus degrees from Pomona College and University of California San Diego, her work has taken her from salt marshes to deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

Mullineaux’s research focuses on how deep-sea larvae disperse in flowing water and settle on the ocean floor. Some of her most groundbreaking work involves tubeworm dispersal between hydrothermal vents - something that has perplexed scientists since their discovery.

With 37 research cruises (13 as chief scientist) and 47 Alvin dives, she’s explored the deep ocean firsthand—sometimes with family ties. Her son Gus was the youngest person-in-training to dive in Alvin at its 25th anniversary in 1995!

A dedicated mentor, Mullineaux has advised Ph.D. students, undergraduates, and even local school kids. As an American Geophysical Union Landing Academy Fellow and the first recipient of WHOI’s Arnold B. Arons Award for Excellence in Teaching, Advising, and Mentoring, her impact extends far beyond the seafloor.