Molly Timmers is a marine ecologist who uses both traditional survey and cutting-edge molecular techniques to better understand the biodiversity of marine organisms across spatial and environmental gradients. Prior to National Geographic, she served as a marine scientist for 20 years with NOAA’s Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program researching coral reefs across more than 50 islands and atolls throughout the Pacific Ocean. She leads Pristine Seas’ eDNA initiative to fill knowledge gaps in the biodiversity and distribution of inconspicuous marine life from the shallows to the deep. She has a B.S. in Biology from Hamilton College, a M.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa.