Dr. Cordes is a Full Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Biology. He received his M.S. from Moss Landing Marine Labs, his Ph.D. from Penn State University and was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. He has worked on the ecology of the deep sea for nearly 30 years, spent almost two years at sea on over 30 research cruises, and has made 47 dives in manned submersibles (including one to 6000 m depth). He is a self-described ocean explorer and ecological oceanographer whose research is focused on deep-sea coral reefs, natural hydrocarbon seeps, and hydrothermal vents. He has also worked with professional communicators, visual artists, film-makers, and musicians to bring the deep sea to the widest audience possible and increase public support for its conservation. He has organized and led expeditions to the east coast of the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, and the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in the central Pacific. Dr. Cordes is among the Pool of Experts for the ongoing U.N. World Ocean Assessment, an Expert Reviewer for the IPCC Report, and the Chair of the Oil & Gas Working Group of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative. 

Some of his recent work can be found here: https://sites.temple.edu/cordeslab/