Dr. Brian N. Tissot is a marine ecologist and emeritus professor whose career has spanned more than three decades of research, teaching, and leadership in marine science. He earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from Oregon State University, following graduate training in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine, and undergraduate studies in biological sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Tissot’s academic career has included faculty and leadership positions at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Washington State University, and Cal Poly Humboldt, where he served as Director of the Marine Laboratory and the Humboldt Marine and Coastal Sciences Institute. His work has focused on benthic ecology, coral reef systems, deep-sea habitats, and the design and effectiveness of marine protected areas, with a strong emphasis on integrating ecological science with management and policy.
Over the course of his career, he has led or co-led numerous federally and state-funded research projects supported by agencies such as NOAA, NSF, and the California Ocean Protection Council. His research has addressed critical issues including climate change impacts on marine ecosystems, ocean acidification, deep sea exploration, kelp forest monitoring, coral reef conservation, and the sustainability of fisheries and coastal communities.
Tissot has authored and co-authored an extensive body of peer-reviewed publications and technical reports, contributing significantly to the scientific understanding of marine ecosystems across the world’s oceans. His work is particularly recognized for advancing ecosystem-based management and community-informed conservation strategies. In addition to his research, he has taught a broad range of courses to thousands of students, mentored dozens of graduate students, and served on numerous advisory panels shaping marine policy and conservation efforts at regional and national levels.
A former president of the Western Society of Naturalists and recipient of multiple teaching and research awards, Tissot’s career reflects a commitment to both scientific excellence and the application of science to real-world environmental challenges.
Beyond his scientific career, Dr. Tissot is an interdisciplinary creator whose work spans science fiction writing, blogging, photography, filmmaking, and music production. Through his website and creative platforms, he develops visionary stories that blend marine science, spirituality, and speculative futures, including his Songs of the Universe trilogy. His long-running blog explores topics ranging from ocean ecology and surfing culture to philosophy and personal reflection, often weaving science with narrative and lived experience. A lifelong photographer and filmmaker, he has produced surf films and ocean-focused visual work since the 1970s, evolving from analog film to modern digital and AI-driven storytelling. His projects frequently integrate original music and immersive soundscapes, including audioblogs that combine narrative, environmental sound, and introspective themes. Across all mediums, his creative pursuits reflect a unifying vision: to connect science, art, and the ocean in ways that inspire both understanding and reverence for the natural world.
Why I write Science Fiction
For as long as I can remember, the ocean has been my constant companion. Born into a Navy family, I moved from place to place throughout my childhood, never remaining anywhere long enough to call it home. Yet wherever we went, the sea was always there. Its tides, its scent carried on the wind, the endless rhythm of waves meeting shore became my anchor in a world of continual change. The ocean was not simply a place; it was my first home.
Surfing deepened that connection. As a young boy paddling into ocean swells, I learned to read the language of water—the pulse of currents, the breath of storms beyond the horizon, the subtle conversations between wind and wave. That sense of wonder eventually carried me into marine biology, where I spent the next forty years studying the living sea and sharing its beauty with others.
In the beginning, my work was driven by discovery. I wanted people to see what I saw beneath the surface: vibrant kelp forests swaying like underwater cathedrals, coral reefs alive with color and motion, ancient abalone clinging to rocky shores. Science gave me a way to understand and teach others about the world I loved.
But over time, my work changed. I began witnessing loss. Species declined. Reefs bleached. Kelp forests vanished. The warming planet and relentless extraction of resources transformed ecosystems that had endured for millennia. The ocean that had nurtured me was beginning to unravel before my eyes.
I turned toward conservation biology, hoping science could help slow the damage. I worked with policymakers around the world, helped establish marine protected areas, supported community-based management, and championed the integration of Indigenous knowledge into conservation. I trained students who shared my passion and commitment. Yet despite these efforts, the losses continued. Again and again, I encountered the same obstacles: short-term profit, political conflict, greed, and a profound failure to recognize humanity’s dependence upon the living Earth.
Eventually I realized the problem ran deeper than science alone could solve. The greatest challenge was not a lack of knowledge, but a crisis of values. Human behavior is shaped by stories—by what we believe, what we fear, and what we imagine is possible.
That realization led me to science fiction.
Science taught me how the world works. Science fiction allows me to explore how the world could work. Through imagined futures, distant planets, and unfamiliar civilizations, I can ask questions that science alone cannot answer. What would a society built on reverence rather than consumption look like? How might humanity live in greater balance with nature and with one another? What futures become possible when peace, justice, empathy, and ecological wisdom guide our choices?
For me, science fiction is not an escape from reality, it is an act of hope. It stretches the imagination beyond the limits of the present and invites us to envision better paths forward. It allows us to wander through the tangled jungle of political, social, ethical, and spiritual questions that define our species. Most importantly, it offers another story—a vision of humanity connected once again to the Earth, to each other, and to the deeper currents that bind all life together.
The ocean first taught me to imagine worlds beyond the horizon. Science helped me understand them. Science fiction gives me a way to help create them.
One response to “About Dr. Brian N. Tissot”
Thanks for following The Immortal Jukebox Brian. I hope you have found lots to entertain you and perhaps made some discoveries. If you haven’t visited for some time check it out again! Good luck with your fascinating and distinctive blog. Regards Thom.