David Gruber
Born	Paterson,New Jersey, US
Citizenship	United States
Alma mater	Rutgers University (PhD) Columbia University (MS) Duke University (MEM) University of Rhode Island (BS)
Awards	Lagrange Prize
Scientific career
Fields	Marine Biology
Institutions	Baruch College Harvard University American Museum of Natural History

David Gruber is an Americanmarine biologist,^[1] a Presidential Professor ofBiology andEnvironmental Sciences atBaruch College,City University of New York,^[2] and aNational Geographic Explorer.^[3]

Gruber was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and received his B.S. atthe University of Rhode Island, an M.S. in journalism fromColumbia University, a Master of Environmental Management fromDuke University and a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography atRutgers University Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences. He completed a post-doctoral position in Molecular Psychiatry atBrown University. David was a 2017–2018 Fellow at theRadcliffe Institute for Advanced Study atHarvard University,^[4] and is a currentAdjunct Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory,^[5] affiliated with theYale School of Medicine.

Gruber and collaborators reported discoveries of more than 180 newfluorescent fish species in 2014,^[6] as reported inThe New York Times's article, "Fluorescence is Widespread in Fish, Study Finds."^[7] In 2015, he observed fluorescence inHawksbill sea turtles in theSolomon Islands,^[8] marking the first time that scientists had observed fluorescence in a marine reptile.^[9] Field video of this discovery was featured onNational Geographic.^[10] Also in 2015, Gruber gave aTED Talk on fluorescence in sea creatures at Mission Blue II which has been viewed over 2.3 million times.^[11] In 2020, this discovery was listed by National Geographic as a "top 20 scientific discoveries of the decade" for "Seeing animals' unexpected sides."^[12]

Gruber and collaborators again had video featured on the National Geographic website^[13] in 2016 after engineering a "shark-eye" camera,^[14] which for the first time allowed scientists to view sharks as they see each other. From 2017 to 2018, Gruber used his time as a Fellow at theRadcliffe Institute of Advanced Study in order to pursue an in-depth study ofjellyfish on topics ranging from their fluorescence, to their connection to humans and how they are effected byclimate change.^[15] Gruber would use this research into jellyfish in order to act as an educator on aTED-ed animation.^[16] In 2018, Gruber promoted marine biology forNational Geographic Kids' series "Best Job Ever."^[17]

In 2019, Gruber was part of the team responsible for discovering that bromo-tryptophan-kynurenines make sharks fluorescent,^[18] and this work was featured inThe New York Times,^[19]National Geographic,^[20]Science Magazine,^[21] onPBS^[22] and onCNN.^[23] That same year, Gruber and team were again featured in an article inNational Geographic^[24] for their discovery offlashlight fishschooling at night using theirbioluminescent organs, which opened up the possibility that schooling fish may inhabit even the deep sea,^[25] and Gruber led the first study to apply advanced deepmachine learning techniques to better detect and classifySperm Whalebioacoustics.^[26] Gruber currently leadsProject CETI, anAudacious project to understand Sperm Whale communication.

Since 2015, Gruber has worked in collaboration with theHarvardMicroRobotics Laboratory in the development of several gentle robotic devices that allow marine researchers to capture and analyze jellyfish and other delicate sea creatures without causing harm. Working withRobert Wood, the director of the MicroRobotics Laboratory, they have developed Squishy Robot Fingers,^[27][28] the Origami Robot,^[29][30][31] teleoperated soft robotic arms for submarines,^[32][33] and an ultra-gentle robot with soft fingers.^{[34][35][36][37]}

The work of the "Squishy Finger/Soft Robotics for Delicate Deep-sea Marine Biological Interactions Team" was highlighted in theAmerican Museum of Natural History exhibit,Unseen Oceans.^[38][39]

• 2019 Recipient ofLagrange Prize (Italy)^[40]
• 2016 Keynote speaker atExplorers Club Annual Dinner^[41]
• 2014 Fellow, Explorers Club
• 2014 Emerging Explorer,^[42]National Geographic Society
• 2006 Best American Science Writing forManifold Destiny article inThe New Yorker^[43]

• Joan Jonas – "Moving off the Land II" at Ocean Space, Chiesa di San Lorenzo, Venice, Italy^[44][45]
• Janaina Tschäpe – "Fictionary of Corals and Jellies" commissioned byThyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary-Academy^[46]

• Pieribone, Vincent & Gruber, David F. (2006).Aglow in the Dark: Revolutionary Science of Biofluorescence. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.ISBN 0-674-01921-0.

Wikiquote has quotations related toDavid Gruber.

• David Gruber Website
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• American oceanographers
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• Harvard Fellows
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• 21st-century American explorers
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• University of Rhode Island alumni
• American marine biologists
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