Pim Bongaerts

Pim Bongaerts is the McCosker Chair of Aquatic Biology and Assistant Curator in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology at the California Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on the ecology and evolution of tropical reef-building corals, combining molecular genomics with field ecology to study coral adaptation and diversification across reef slopes. He leads the 'reefscape genomics' initiative, leveraging advanced technologies like closed-circuit rebreathers and photogrammetry to study mesophotic coral ecosystems.

Education: B.Sc. from Utrecht University, M.Sc. from University of Amsterdam, followed by research at The University of Queensland, Australia. Previously held a DECRA Research Fellowship (Australian Research Council).

Key projects include the XL Catlin Seaview Survey, documenting global coral reefs, and establishing 35 genotyping plots in Curaçao. Collaborates closely with the Academy's Scientific Diving Program and Center for Comparative Genomics.

Research emphasizes mesophotic reefs' ecological uniqueness, cryptic coral diversity, and genomic approaches to biodiversity assessment under climate change.