Steve Doo

Dr. Steve Doo is an Assistant Professor of Marine Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, affiliated with the Department of Marine Science and the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC). His research focuses on understanding how marine organisms, particularly coral reefs, respond to climate change and human-induced stressors. He holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Sydney (2017), an M.Sc. from Northeastern University (2011), and a B.A.S. from the University of California, Davis (2008).

• Current roles: Teaching courses like MARE171, MARE264/365 QUEST, and MARE265 at UH Hilo.
• Research interests: Coral reef physiology, ocean acidification, microplastic impacts, and ecological scaling.
• Key grants: UH Hilo Seed Grant (2024), Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (2023), and Lizard Island Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018–2020).

Dr. Doo's work emphasizes solution-driven approaches to address ocean challenges, integrating field experiments, advanced imaging (e.g., µCT), and ecological modeling. Recent projects include quantifying metabolic costs of plastics on corals and assessing how biodiversity enhances coral reef resilience to climate change.

• Notable findings: Demonstrated that macroalgae can reduce coral calcification more than ocean acidification alone.
• Global collaborations: Including work in Australia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Hawaiʻi.

Awards highlight his contributions: Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Young Scientist (2020), and recognition from the American Australian Association and PADI Foundation. His lab actively engages in field courses like QUEST, training students in coral reef monitoring via SCUBA.