Draft:Colleen Durkin

Colleen Durkin is an American biological oceanographer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) known for her research into phytoplankton ecology and deep-sea carbon export.

Early life and education
Durkin received a B.S. in biology and oceanography in 2004 at the University of Washington (magna cum laude). It was during her undergraduate degree when she was first introduced to plankton. She continued her education in oceanography within the same department to receive her M.S. (2008) and Ph.D. (6th August, 2012).

Career and impact
During her PhD, Durkin conducted research on understanding diatom physiology, the effects of iron limitation on individual diatoms , and the role of silicic acid concentrations in structuring coastal diatom communities. She continued her work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she was a Devonshire Postdoctoral Scholar. She joined the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in 2021. Her work at MBARI focuses on marine snow and its relation to the carbon cycle. Durkin has received several grants from federal organizations, such as the National Science Foundation, to support her research.

Honors

 * 2017 - Luigi Provasoli Award (Phycological Society of America)
 * 2020 - Field Biology Award (Maxwell | Hanrahan Foundation)