Tyler Mackey, Research Diver. I am a second-year masters student working with Professor Dawn Sumner at the University of California-Davis and will by continuing with a PhD program starting in the Fall of 2011. My research centers on microbialite carbonate precipitation, morphology emergence, and community response to changing environmental conditions. I come to this field with a geological background in physical sedimentology and an interest in early Earth microbial ecosystems. My aim is to develop a better understanding of ancient microbialites through investigations of modern microbially-dominated sedimentary environments.