Mark B. Bush

Mark B. Bush is a Professor at Florida Institute of Technology's College of Engineering and Science, Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, with over 30 years of experience in tropical biogeography and paleoecology. His research focuses on climate change impacts on Amazonian and Andean ecosystems, analyzing ancient lake sediments to reconstruct past environments and human-nature interactions.

• University: Florida Institute of Technology
• School: College of Engineering and Science
• Department: Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences
• Email: mbush@fit.edu

Dr. Bush's research integrates fossil pollen, diatoms, and charcoal analysis to study:

• Pre-Columbian human impacts on Amazonian forests
• Megafaunal extinction causes and consequences
• El Niño event history
• Andean interglacial climate patterns
• Conservation strategies through paleoecology

His recent publications examine Amazonian ecological legacies, Andean climate variations, and pre-Columbian land use, with keywords spanning paleoclimatology, fire ecology, and biomarker analysis. The lab has secured grants from NSF, NOAA, and National Geographic Society.

Scientific achievements include:

• Over 200 peer-reviewed publications
• Two influential books on tropical paleoecology
• National Geographic Waitt Grant awardee
• NSF and NOAA funded research

Dr. Bush's mentorship program pairs undergraduates with graduate students, resulting in numerous student publications and co-authorships. The Neotropical Paleoecology Research Group maintains the Paleolab, offering opportunities in drone ecology, AI applications, and sediment analysis. Current team members include postdoctoral researchers Ansis Blaus and Majoi Nascimento, and graduate students Bianca Gomes, Lina Cabrera, Julian Beltran, and Jessica Watson.