Mark Merlin

Mark Merlin is a professor at the University of Hawaii Mānoa whose research focuses on ethnobotanical relationships and human impacts on island ecosystems. His work examines traditional uses of psychoactive plants and preservation of indigenous ecological knowledge across Remote Oceania.

Research interests include cultural histories of human-plant interactions, documenting traditional uses of medicinal and psychoactive species, and assessing anthropogenic impacts on native vegetation in tropical island environments. His publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches combining archaeology, anthropology, and ecology.

Recent articles demonstrate a strong focus on Pacific ethnobotany, including comprehensive documentation of traditional plant knowledge in Yap and the Marshall Islands, analysis of historical fodder systems in China, and reviews of breadfruit cultivation systems.