Dr. Tiara Moore
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Founder/Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Tiara Moore is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Black In Marine Science (BIMS). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Greenwood, South Carolina, Dr. Moore is a dynamic and exuberant leader who has dedicated her career to creating equity in marine science. Dr. Moore has a B.S. in Biology from Winthrop University and a M.S. in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science from Hampton University. Dr. Moore earned her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and conducted postdoctoral research at both the University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy.
In 2020, Dr. Moore created #BlackinMarineScienceWeek to celebrate the contributions of past and current Black marine scientists, deepen understanding of climate change and ocean literacy, and connect Black marine scientists around the world. Since then, the group has grown rapidly from a week of activities to a robust 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with full-time staff, a board of directors, and over 350 members representing 31 countries. Dr. Moore’s research focuses on human nutrient pollution causing cascading effects like algal blooms/eutrophication and acidification, ultimately leading to poor water quality and loss of biodiversity. Dr. Moore uses environmental DNA (eDNA) and community engagement methods to conduct innovative science that advances the field while also educating the communities most impacted. Dr. Moore is currently a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on over $8 million in National Science Foundation research grants. The research projects focus on upstream and downstream communities to better understand the impacts of nutrient pollution through the development of an online data platform and documentary, the establishment of the BIMS Institute to increase racial equity in marine science, and the formation of the BIMS Tidal Wave to increase travel support and professional development opportunities for scientific conferences. Dr. Moore was recently featured in Vogue Magazine for her expert opinion on the state of the ocean for World Ocean Day. She was also selected as the June Sea Hero for SCUBA Diving Magazine. She was a 2020 recipient of the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund Award. She is also featured in both the Google Arts and Culture online platform and the California Academy of Sciences as a leading Queer Black woman in STEM. Most recently, Dr. Moore was awarded the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Champion Award. |
