Professor Patrick N. Halpin is a Professor of Marine Geospatial Ecology in the Marine Science and Conservation Division of the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University. He leads the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab with laboratory facilities located at the main campus of Duke University as well as the Duke University Marine Lab. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia in 1995. His research focuses on marine geospatial analysis, ecological applications of geographic information systems and remote sensing; marine conservation and ecosystem-based management. He sits on a number of international scientific and conservation program steering committees including the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), the Global Oceans Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI), the Marine Working Group for the Group on Earth Observations - Biodiversity Observing Networks (GEO-BON) and the Google Oceans Advisory Council.