Ben received his undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from Florida Atlantic University and his master's degree in Biological Oceanography at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science where he is currently a PhD student. He studies benthic foraminiferal biology and ecology, and is interested in applying this research to monitor and predict the response of oceanic ecosystems, especially coral reefs, to stress. During the summer, he is a science mentor for the Oceanography Camp for Girls, and during the rest of the year he is a scientist involved in education, training and field research with SCUBAnauts International, a science-diving organization for teenagers.