dr. Paul Shuert Curator at the Belle Isle Aquarium
Before being hired in 2017 for the position of Curator of the Belle Isle Aquarium, Paul Shuert was a long-time volunteer with the Aquarium. Dr. Shuert has a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of South Florida with much experience in doing ecosystem modeling. With broad global experience on over 30 shipborne expeditions, he has studied environments as varied as the Bering Sea near Alaska, the Atlantic Ocean off the U,S southern coast (the "South Alantic Bight"), and the Gulf of Mexico. Although the focus of his scientific interests has been on plankton and ecological interactions, he is broadly interested in all components of aquatic systems and their use in education. Prior to becoming Curator at the Belle Isle Aquarium, Shuert also managed business, engineering and research in various positions with Shuert Industries, Shuert Automotive, and Shuert Technologies.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Ram is a Professor in the Department of Physiology and an Associate of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology and the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Wayne State University. He is the Director of the Belle Isle Aquarium Laboratory, a Wayne State University field work and research facility in the basement of the Belle Isle Aquarium. Currently, his research involves the physiology of aquatic invertebrates and especially how to prevent invasive species from entering and spreading throughout the Great Lakes. Many of the exhibits in the Belle Isle Aquarium on invasive species were created by Dr. Ram and his students. Dr. Ram also studies the genetic differences of the many species of gar in the Aquarium and the effectiveness of educational programs that the Belle Isle Conservancy conducts with students in Detroit elementary schools.
