Lori LaPlante can explain marine ecology, evolutionary biology, and global warming. But she is quite happy to talk about scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, skiing in New Mexico, or riding the perfect wave in California. Her journey to Saint Anselm College's Biology Department has combined both high level academics and high adventure.

Growing up on the Pacific coast, LaPlante loved exploring the beaches and tide pools. But it wasn't until five years after graduating from high school, and working as an accountant, that she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a marine biologist. She attended the California State University, Long Beach, and completed doctoral studies at the University of Connecticut. Between degrees, she worked at a ski resort and traveled to world-renowned scuba diving destinations, including Bali, Fiji, and Australia.

LaPlante's doctoral research involved the mating behavior of a tropical marine fish called the pink-belly wrasse, which she observed and studied in the central and western Pacific. She describes snorkeling for up to six hours at a time, occasionally nudged by black-tipped reef sharks. "We got so used to them that when they didn't show up, we got worried," she says.

She swims in calmer (and colder) waters now, as she considers research projects near New Hampshire's Isles of Shoals. She also enjoys playing volleyball, practicing yoga, and kayaking on local rivers and lakes.

One of LaPlante's favorite courses to teach is Biosphere at Risk. "We've debated local and state issues of sustainability and written proposals to foundations to fund projects," she says. "I like to show students how individuals can make a difference in global processes."