2023 Field Biology Award: Astrid Leitner
Astrid Leitner (Photo: Kyra Schlining)
Oceanographer Astrid Leitner researches the ecology and behavior of marine animals around steep seafloor features in the deep ocean, home to the largest communities of animals on earth. Her fieldwork focuses on regions of the seafloor where the topography changes abruptly, such as the walls of deep-sea canyons, seamounts and island slopes. These steep habitats are hotspots of biological activity – places where deep and shallow, pelagic and benthic, and coastal and offshore marine communities are brought together, creating interesting and unexpected interactions. These areas aggregate small prey species that attract larger predators, including fish and marine mammals. She studies these ecosystems with remotely operated vehicles, autonomous platforms and benthic instruments.
Because submarine canyons and mountains are also often hotspots of human activity, including fishing, mining and tourism, her work is important to conservation of marine ecosystems.
As a part of her research, Leitner discovered the largest aggregation of fish ever documented at abyssal depths of 10,000 to 20,000 feet. She also recently discovered a distinct midwater boundary community along the wall of the Monterey Canyon. In addition to her role as an oceanographer, Leitner is a dedicated advocate and mentor for women in science.
The Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Field Biology support individual scientists, elevate their diverse perspectives and enable them to commit time to the observation and experimentation that help us better understand ourselves and the world around us.
