Randi Rotjan

Randi Rotjan is a Research Professor and Senior Lecturer of Biology at Boston University, affiliated with the Marine Program within the College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on marine ecosystem structuring, coral reef ecology, and deep-sea exploration. She investigates symbiosis, behavioral ecology, and conservation biology, with fieldwork in the Central Pacific, Caribbean, and New England. Her lab emphasizes marine protected areas (e.g., Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati and Southwater Caye Marine Reserve in Belize), coral physiology, and comparisons between urban coastal ecosystems and natural reefs.

Rotjan holds a PhD in Biology from Tufts University (2007). Her work integrates field and lab experiments to study organismal physiology, including the temperate coral Astrangia poculata, microplastic pollution impacts, and deep-sea coral distributions. She collaborates internationally on initiatives like the NOAA CAPSTONE Expeditions, emphasizing equitable ocean exploration and capacity-building in Pacific small island states.

Her research spans microplastic ingestion by corals, thermal tolerance in symbiotic organisms, and the ecological role of seamounts. Recent projects include assessing climate vulnerability in MPAs, advancing deep-sea exploration technologies, and addressing caregiving challenges in ocean science careers. Rotjan’s work highlights interdisciplinary approaches to marine conservation and climate resilience.