A scientist crouches in a shallow freshwater stream, posing for a photo while holding a trout in his hands. In the background is a reddish-brown dirt riverbank with scattered green trees.
Image courtesy of Benjamin Burford

Year: 2013, 2014

School: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Project: Body patterns in the deep-sea squid Dosidicus gigas

Advisor: Bruce Robison, George Matsumoto

Currently: Fisheries scientist

An MBARI internship can change the course of a career. Just ask Benjamin Burford.

Benjamin Burford studies how animal behavior, ecology, and physiology shape the lives of fish—particularly anadromous salmonids that move between freshwater and the ocean. An assistant project scientist and assistant adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, his research helps fisheries managers make smarter decisions about water allocation and understand how climate change may shift fish distributions in the future.

On land, his work informs how freshwater resources can support both people and fish. At sea, he investigates the biological mechanisms that influence how species respond to changing ocean conditions.

“The resources available at MBARI—from data and equipment to intellectual collaboration—create a rare opportunity for someone early in their career to do high-impact science.”

—Benjamin Burford

An early start at MBARI

Burford participated in the MBARI internship program in 2013 and 2014, working with Senior Scientist Bruce Robison and his Midwater Ecology Team to study the behavior and ecology of deep-sea squids.

During his internship, he documented a remarkable case of siphonophore mimicry by a squid, and helped uncover how bioluminescent backlighting may allow some deep-sea squids to perceive pigmentation patterns in the dark ocean.

The experience marked a turning point in his career.

“The MBARI internship was my first experience leading a scientific research project, which ultimately resulted in a peer-reviewed publication,” said Burford. “The mentorship, connections, and opportunities that came from that work were instrumental in helping me pursue a PhD at Stanford.”

Research Publications
Burford, B.P., B.H. Robison, and R.E. Sherlock. 2014. Behaviour and mimicry in the juvenile and subadult life stages of the mesopelagic squid Chiroteuthis calyx. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 95: 1221–1235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025315414001763

Burford, B.P. and B.H. Robison. 2020. Bioluminescent backlighting illuminates the complex visual signals of a social squid in the deep sea. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117: 8524–8531. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1920875117

Why MBARI matters

Four scientists examine specimens collected by a robotic submersible. The two scientists in the center are using a small clear plastic kitchen container to scoop animals out of a large clear plastic cylinder filled with cold water, with condensation on the outside. The background is the laboratory aboard a research ship, illuminated by white fluorescent light.
After his internship, Benjamin Burford (second from left) continued to work with the Midwater Ecology Team as a collaborator. Image: Kyra Schlining © 2018 MBARI

For Burford, one of the most powerful aspects of the MBARI internship program was the access it gave him to world-class research tools and mentorship.

“The resources available at MBARI—from data and equipment to intellectual collaboration—create a rare opportunity for someone early in their career to do high-impact science,” Burford explained.

A lasting lesson

Beyond the technical skills and discoveries, Burford says the experience reinforced a mindset that still guides his work today. He noted, “Never stop being curious, and always be willing to update your scientific beliefs. Like the deep sea itself, we’ve barely scratched the surface of understanding life on this planet.”

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