SPEAKERS

Dr Tom Iliffe

Dr. Tom Iliffe is a Professor of Marine Biology and Director of the Marine Biospeleology Lab at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Prior to coming to Texas in 1989, Tom was a Research Scientist at the Bermuda Biological Station where heinitiated the first scientific diving investigations of salt water caves and discovered more than 80 new species of cave adapted invertebrates. Since that time, Tom has led diving expeditions to study cave biodiversity in numerous locations around the Caribbean, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and South Pacific. This work has resulted in the discovery of more than 350 new species including 3 new orders, 7 new families and 55 new genera. Tom has published more than 200 scientific papers on submarine caves and cave biology and his research has been featured in a number of documentary films, newspapers articles and magazine stories. Tom has been a cave diving instructor for more than 30 years and has been diving in more caves, in more locations than virtually anyone else.