David Gruber

Last updated
David Gruber
Davidgruber.jpg
Born
Paterson, New Jersey, US
Citizenship United States
Alma mater Rutgers University (PhD)
Columbia University (MS)
Duke University (MEM)
University of Rhode Island (BS)
Awards Lagrange Prize
Scientific career
Fields Marine Biology
Institutions Baruch College
Harvard University
American Museum of Natural History

David Gruber is an American marine biologist, [1] a Presidential Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at Baruch College, City University of New York, [2] and a National Geographic Explorer. [3]

Contents

Early life

Gruber was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and received his B.S. at the University of Rhode Island, an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography at Rutgers University Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences. He completed a post-doctoral position in Molecular Psychiatry at Brown University. David was a 2017–2018 Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, [4] and is a current Adjunct Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory, [5] affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine.

Career

The first observation of biofluorescence in a marine tetrapod Fluorescent Turtle.jpg
The first observation of biofluorescence in a marine tetrapod

Gruber and collaborators reported discoveries of more than 180 new fluorescent fish species in 2014, [6] as reported in The New York Times's article, "Fluorescence is Widespread in Fish, Study Finds." [7] In 2015, he observed fluorescence in Hawksbill sea turtles in the Solomon Islands, [8] marking the first time that scientists had observed fluorescence in a marine reptile. [9] Field video of this discovery was featured on National Geographic . [10] Also in 2015, Gruber gave a TED Talk on fluorescence in sea creatures at Mission Blue II which has been viewed over 2.3 million times. [11] In 2020, this discovery was listed by National Geographic as a "top 20 scientific discoveries of the decade" for "Seeing animals' unexpected sides." [12]

Gruber and collaborators again had video featured on the National Geographic website [13] in 2016 after engineering a "shark-eye" camera, [14] which for the first time allowed scientists to view sharks as they see each other. From 2017 to 2018, Gruber used his time as a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study in order to pursue an in-depth study of jellyfish on topics ranging from their fluorescence, to their connection to humans and how they are effected by climate change. [15] Gruber would use this research into jellyfish in order to act as an educator on a TED-ed animation. [16] In 2018, Gruber promoted marine biology for National Geographic Kids' series "Best Job Ever." [17]

In 2019, Gruber was part of the team responsible for discovering that bromo-tryptophan-kynurenines make sharks fluorescent, [18] and this work was featured in The New York Times , [19] National Geographic , [20] Science Magazine, [21] on PBS [22] and on CNN. [23] That same year, Gruber and team were again featured in an article in National Geographic [24] for their discovery of flashlight fish schooling at night using their bioluminescent organs, which opened up the possibility that schooling fish may inhabit even the deep sea, [25] and Gruber led the first study to apply advanced deep machine learning techniques to better detect and classify Sperm Whale bioacoustics. [26] Gruber currently leads Project CETI, an Audacious project to understand Sperm Whale communication.

Delicate exploration/soft robotics

Since 2015, Gruber has worked in collaboration with the Harvard MicroRobotics Laboratory in the development of several gentle robotic devices that allow marine researchers to capture and analyze jellyfish and other delicate sea creatures without causing harm. Working with Robert Wood, the director of the MicroRobotics Laboratory, they have developed Squishy Robot Fingers, [27] [28] the Origami Robot, [29] [30] [31] teleoperated soft robotic arms for submarines, [32] [33] and an ultra-gentle robot with soft fingers. [34] [35] [36] [37]

The work of the "Squishy Finger/Soft Robotics for Delicate Deep-sea Marine Biological Interactions Team" was highlighted in the American Museum of Natural History exhibit, Unseen Oceans. [38] [39]

Awards and honors

Art collaborations

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fluorescence</span> Emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light

Fluorescence is one of two kinds of emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, many substances will glow (fluoresce) with colored visible light. The color of the light emitted depends on the chemical composition of the substance. Fluorescent materials generally cease to glow nearly immediately when the radiation source stops. This distinguishes them from the other type of light emission, phosphorescence. Phosphorescent materials continue to emit light for some time after the radiation stops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plankton</span> Organisms living in water or air that are drifters on the current or wind

Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in water but are unable to actively propel themselves against currents. The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucial source of food to many small and large aquatic organisms, such as bivalves, fish, and baleen whales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jellyfish</span> Soft-bodied, aquatic invertebrates

Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies, are the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioluminescence</span> Emission of light by a living organism

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some bioluminescent bacteria, and terrestrial arthropods such as fireflies. In some animals, the light is bacteriogenic, produced by symbiotic bacteria such as those from the genus Vibrio; in others, it is autogenic, produced by the animals themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scyliorhinidae</span> Family of fishes

Scyliorhinidae is a family of sharks, one of a few families whose members share the common name catsharks, belonging to the order Carcharhiniformes, the ground sharks. Although they are generally known as catsharks, some species can also be called dogfish due to previous naming. However, a dogfish may generally be distinguished from a catshark as catsharks lay eggs while dogfish have live young. Like most bottom feeders, catsharks feed on benthic invertebrates and smaller fish. They are not harmful to humans. The family is paraphyletic, containing several distinct lineages that do not form a monophyletic group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific sleeper shark</span> Species of shark

The Pacific sleeper shark is a sleeper shark of the family Somniosidae, measuring up to 4.4 m (14 ft) in length, although it could possibly reach lengths in excess of 7 m (23 ft). It is found in the Pacific Ocean, usually in the northern hemisphere, but observations in recent years show it is also present in the southern hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swell shark</span> Species of shark

The swell shark is a catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean from between central California to southern Mexico, with an additional population off the coast of Chile. As a defense, the swell shark is able to expand to approximately double its regular size by swallowing water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chain catshark</span> Species of shark

The chain catshark or chain dogfish is a small, reticulated catshark that is biofluorescent. The species is common in the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. It is harmless and rarely encountered by humans. It has very similar reproductive traits to the small-spotted catshark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warty frogfish</span> Species of fish

The warty frogfish or clown frogfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The warty frogfish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messmate pipefish</span> Species of fish

The messmate pipefish is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from the eastern coast of Africa to the Vanuatu Islands. This species can reach a length of 19.8 cm. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade where it is known as the dragonfaced pipefish. Other common names are bloodspot pipefish, reef pipefish, reeftop pipefish and yellow-streaked pipefish.

<i>Soleichthys heterorhinos</i> Species of fish

Blue edged sole is a sole from the Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a length of 18 cm.

<i>Scorpaenopsis papuensis</i> Species of fish

Scorpaenopsis papuensis, the Papuan scorpionfish, is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sand lizardfish</span> Species of fish

The sand lizardfish, clearfin lizardfish or variegated lizardfish is a species of lizardfish that lives mainly in the Indo-Pacific.

Enric Sala is a former university professor who saw himself writing the obituary of ocean life, and quit academia to become a full-time conservationist as a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. Sala’s present goals are to help protect critical marine ecosystems worldwide, and to develop new business models for marine conservation. He also produces documentary films and other media to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy environment, and to inspire country leaders to protect more of the natural world.

<i>Gillellus uranidea</i> Species of fish

The warteye stargazer is a species of sand stargazer native to the Atlantic coast of southwestern Florida, United States, and in the Caribbean Sea from the Bahamas and the coast of Central America to Panama where it can be found in sandy areas on reefs or among rocks. It is an ambush predator, burying itself nearly completely in the sand and waiting for prey items to come along. It can reach a maximum length of 5 cm (2.0 in) TL.

The shortfin false moray is an eel in the family Chlopsidae. It was described by Leonard Peter Schultz in 1953. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from American Samoa, Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Wallis and Futuna. It typically dwells in seaward and lagoon coral reefs at an approximate depth of 43 m. Males can reach a maximum total length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared eel</span> Species of fish

The collared eel is an eel in the family Chlopsidae. It was described by James Erwin Böhlke in 1967. It is a tropical, marine eel known from coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean, including Texas, USA; the Bahamas, the Antilles, northern South America, the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is a benthic, solitary eel that primarily resides in tubular sponges. Males can reach a maximum total length of 16 centimetres (6.3 in).

<i>Scorpaenopsis diabolus</i> Species of fish

Scorpaenopsis diabolus, the false stonefish, false scorpionfish or the devil scorpionfish, is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It has venomous spines and lives in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as in the Red Sea. It is a bottom-dwelling predator that relies on its camouflage to catch passing prey.

Fluorescence is the emission of light by a molecule or an atom that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, than the absorbed radiation. A perceptible example of fluorescence occurs when the absorbed radiation is in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, while the emitted light is in the visible region; this gives the fluorescent substance a distinct color that can only be seen when the substance has been exposed to UV light.

References

  1. ↑ Marine Biologist: David Gruber | Best Job Ever , retrieved 2019-10-28
  2. ↑ "David Gruber - The Department of Natural Sciences - Weissman School of Arts and Sciences - Baruch College". www.baruch.cuny.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  3. ↑ Society, National Geographic. "Learn more about David F. Gruber". www.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  4. ↑ "David Gruber - Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Harvard university Fellow". www.radcliffe.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  5. ↑ "The John B. Pierce Laboratory » Adjunct Faculty".
  6. ↑ John S. Sparks; Robert C. Schelly; W. Leo Smith; Matthew P. Davis; Dan Tchernov; Vincent A. Pieribone; David F. Gruber (January 8, 2014). "The Covert World of Fish Biofluorescence: A Phylogenetically Widespread and Phenotypically Variable Phenomenon". PLOS ONE. 9 (1): e83259. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...983259S. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083259 . PMC   3885428 . PMID   24421880.
  7. ↑ James Gorman (January 8, 2014). "Fluorescence Is Widespread in Fish, Study Finds". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ David F. Gruber; John S. Sparks (December 7, 2015). "First observation of fluorescence in marine turtles". American Museum Novitates (3845). American Museum of Natural History Research Library. hdl:2246/6626.
  9. ↑ Imam, Jareen (29 September 2015). "Scientist discover their first biofluorescent turtle". CNN. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  10. ↑ Jane J. Lee (September 28, 2015). "Exclusive Video:First "Glowing" Sea Turtle Found". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019.
  11. ↑ David Gruber (26 January 2016). "Glow-in-the-dark sharks and other stunning sea creatures". ted.com. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  12. ↑ Michael Greshko (April 25, 2016). "These are the top 20 scientific discoveries of the decade". National Geographic. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019.
  13. ↑ Brian Clark Howard (April 25, 2016). "Through a Shark's Eyes: See How They Glow in the Deep". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 12, 2019.
  14. ↑ David F. Gruber (April 25, 2016). "Biofluorescence in Catsharks (Scyliorhinidae): Fundamental Description and Relevance for Elasmobranch Visual Ecology". Scientific Reports. 6 (6). Springer Nature Limited: 24751. Bibcode:2016NatSR...624751G. doi: 10.1038/srep24751 . PMC   4843165 . PMID   27109385.
  15. ↑ Deborah Halber (March 30, 2018). "Radcliffe's 'jellyfish guy' follows the light". The Harvard Gazette.
  16. ↑ David Gruber. "Jellyfish predate dinosaurs. How have they survived so long?". www.ed.ted.com. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  17. ↑ National Geographic Kids. "Marine Biologist David Gruber - Best Job Ever". youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  18. ↑ Hyun Bong Park; Yick Chong Lam; Jean P. Gaffney; Vincent Pieribone; David F. Gruber (September 27, 2019). "Bright Green Biofluorescence in Sharks Derives from Bromo-Kynurenine Metabolism". iScience. 19: 1291–1336. Bibcode:2019iSci...19.1291P. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.07.019 . PMC   6831821 . PMID   31402257.
  19. ↑ JoAnna Klein (August 8, 2019). "How Sharks Glow to Each Other Deep in the Ocean". The New York Times.
  20. ↑ "These sharks glow underwater—thanks to tiny 'lightsabers'". National Geographic. August 8, 2019. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019.
  21. ↑ Elizabeth Pennisi (August 8, 2019). "This shark glows using a process previously unknown to science". Science (124). AAAS.
  22. ↑ Katherine J. Wu (August 8, 2019). "Super-shy catsharks have a weird way of lighting up". PBS.
  23. ↑ Ashley Strickland (August 8, 2009). "These sharks glow bright green in the dark". CNN.
  24. ↑ Brian Clark Howard (August 14, 2019). "We Finally Know Why Flashlight Fish Glow". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019.
  25. ↑ Gruber, David F.; Phillips, Brennan T.; O'Brien, Rory; Boominathan, Vivek; Veeraraghavan, Ashok; Vasan, Ganesh; O'Brien, Peter; Pieribone, Vincent A.; Sparks, John S. (August 14, 2019). "Bioluminescent flashes drive nighttime schooling behavior and synchronized swimming dynamics in flashlight fish". PLOS ONE. 14 (8): e0219852. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1419852G. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219852 . PMC   6693688 . PMID   31412054.
  26. ↑ Bermant, Peter C.; Bronstein, Michael M.; Wood, Robert J.; Gero, Shane & Gruber, David (August 29, 2019). "Deep Machine Learning Techniques for the Detection and Classification of Sperm Whale Bioacoustics". Scientific Reports. 9 (9). Springer Nature. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48909-4. PMC   6715799 .
  27. ↑ "'Squishy Finger' Soft Robot Hands Allow Sampling of Delicate Corals". National Geographic News. 2016-01-20. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  28. ↑ Kevin C. Galloway; Kaitlyn P. Becker; Brennan Phillips; Jordan Kirby; Stephen Licht; Dan Tchernov; Robert J. Wood; David F. Gruber (March 17, 2016). "Soft Robotic Grippers for Biological Sampling on Deep Reefs". Soft Robotics. 3 (1): 23–33. doi:10.1089/soro.2015.0019. PMC   4997628 . PMID   27625917.
  29. ↑ "New Origami Robot Handles Sea Creatures With a Softer Touch". National Geographic. 2018-07-18. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  30. ↑ Teoh, Zhi Ern; Phillips, Brennan T.; Becker, Kaitlyn P.; Whittredge, Griffin; Weaver, James C.; Hoberman, Chuck; Gruber, David F.; Wood, Robert J. (July 18, 2018). "Rotary-actuated folding polyhedrons for midwater investigation of delicate marine organisms". Science Robotics. 3 (20): eaat5276. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.aat5276 . PMID   33141728.
  31. ↑ Klein, JoAnna (July 18, 2018). "Don't Squish the Jellyfish. Capture It With a Folding Robotic Claw". The New York Times.
  32. ↑ "No more Iron Man: submarines now have soft, robotic arms". Wyss Institute. 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  33. ↑ Phillips, Brennan T.; Becker, Kaitlyn P.; Kurumaya, Shunichi; Galloway, Kevin C.; Whittredge, Griffin; Vogt, Daniel M.; Teeple, Clark B.; Rosen, Michelle H.; Pieribone, Vincent A.; Gruber, David F.; Wood, Robert J. (October 3, 2018). "A Dexterous, Glove-Based Teleoperable Low-Power Soft Robotic Arm for Delicate Deep-Sea Biological Exploration". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 14779. Bibcode:2018NatSR...814779P. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-33138-y . PMC   6170437 . PMID   30283051.
  34. ↑ Sheikh, Knvul (2019-08-29). "A Robot With Noodle-like Fingers Helps Handle Soft Jellyfish". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  35. ↑ Sinatra, Nina R.; Teeple, Clark B.; Vogt, Daniel M.; Parker, Kevin Kit; Gruber, David F.; Wood, Robert J. (August 28, 2019). "Ultragentle manipulation of delicate structures using a soft robotic gripper". Science Robotics. 4 (33): eaax5425. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.aax5425 . PMID   33137785.
  36. ↑ "Harvard researchers say they've developed a gripping tool that will keep delicate jellyfish from going splat". The Boston Globe.
  37. ↑ "Soft Robot Gives Jellyfish a Hug". Science Friday. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  38. ↑ James Gorman (March 22, 2018). "The Ruthless Phronima, and Other Hidden Wonders of the Sea". The New York Times.
  39. ↑ AMNH Staff. "Unseen Oceans Exhibit Press Release". AMNH.
  40. ↑ "Iain D. Couzin and David Gruber win the Lagrange Prize -- CRT Foundation 2019".
  41. ↑ Explorers Club Staff. "Explorers Club Annual Dinner to Focus on Oceans as Earth's Last Frontier for Exploration". Archived from the original on 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
  42. ↑ "David Gruber, 2014 Emerging Explorer". National Geographic.
  43. ↑ Nasar, Sylvia; Gruber, David (2006-08-28). "The Poincaré Clash". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  44. ↑ "The Process Behind Joan Jonas' New Oceanic Work". Flash Art. June 17, 2019.
  45. ↑ Angela M.H. Schuster. "A Meeting of the Minds: pioneering marine biologist David Gruber and provocative performance artist Joan Jonas discuss their recent collaboration, which highlights the fragile beauty of our oceans" (PDF). The Explorers Journal.[ permanent dead link ]
  46. ↑ Janaina Tschäpe & David Gruber. "Fictionary of Corals and Jellies". www.tba21.org. TBA21 Journals.
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