Maine Science Podcast

LeAnn Whitney (phytoplankton molecular ecologist)

Episode Summary

A conversation with LeAnn Whitney, Associate Professor of Oceanography in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy.

Episode Notes

LeAnn is a phytoplankton molecular ecologist, or, according to her daughter, a phytoplankton nerd. LeAnn grew up in Machias, and thanks to her participation in the Keller BLOOM Program at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences as a junior in high school, she found her love for plankton and studying the ocean for a living. After receiving her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Rhode Island in 2012, LeAnn returned to Maine - first as a postdoctoral researcher at Bigelow  and in 2018, joining the faculty at Maine Maritime Academy.

LeAnn was one of this year’s 5 Minute Genius speakers at the 2026 Maine Science Festival.

Some definitions of the terms used during our conversation:

• eukaryotic - organisms whose cells have a membrane-bound nucleus.
• prokaryotic cells - organisms that  do not have a membrane-bound nucleus
• phytoplankton - mostly microscopic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms that live suspended in water. They form the base of the food chain and like all plants, take up carbon dioxide, make carbohydrates using light energy, and release oxygen. Additional information can be found at https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/ocean-life/ocean-plants/phytoplankton/ and https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/what-are-phytoplankton/.
• diatoms & dinoflagellates - types of phytoplankton

This conversation was recorded in May 2026.