Dr. Mario Tamburri, Research Professor at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and an expert in coastal observing systems, has been honored by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science with the President's Award for Excellence in Application of Science. Tamburri was recognized for his leadership in applying innovative and well-tested environmental sensor technologies and in steadfastly working to reduce the risk of invasive species through maritime transportation.
“It is my privilege once again to honor a faculty colleague who has gone above and beyond the call in applying scientific knowledge,” said University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Don Boesch. “Mario epitomizes the culture and tradition of the Center in the application of scientific knowledge.”
Tamburri has been a dedicated leader in working toward effectively addressing invasive species issues as the head of the Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC), a partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Port Administration. MERC’s mobile test platform, the only one of its kind in the world, tests treatment technologies that clean ballast water on ships to ensure they meet the necessary U.S. Coast Guard requirements to keep invasive species from entering waterways. The center has also recently established efforts, in the Chesapeake Bay and around the world, to address other related Green Ship issues and innovations, including vessel biofouling, alternative fuels and methods to reduce air emissions.
He is also Executive Director of the Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT), a partnership of research institutions, resource managers, and private sector companies dedicated to developing effective and reliable sensors and platforms for monitoring water quality. He has been a key member of the Challenging Nutrients Coalition, a national inter-agency initiative working to improve scientist’s ability to measure and understand nutrient pollution. The coalition recently launched the Nutrient Sensor Challenge, a water sensor market stimulation innovation effort to accelerate the development, adoption, and use of affordable, reliable, and accurate nitrate and orthophosphate sensors. The effort will also support education and decision making related to algal blooms, hypoxia, and other nutrient- related water quality issues.
Tamburri completed his Ph.D. in Biology and Marine Science at the University of South Carolina, in 1996. He holds an M.S. degree in Biology from the University of Alabama and a B.A. in Marine Science and Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The President's Award was established in 1999 to honor exemplary applications of science that have had a positive impact on environmental protection and management.
