He soon built an internationally recognized program in Biological Oceanography, which trained 45 graduate students, 15 postdoctoral scholars and countless undergraduates, many of whom went on to be leaders in academia, government and industry. He published >300 refereed scientific papers (nearly 50 in the last 5 years), authored “The Bible” of seaweed physiology and ecology, and is one of the most highly cited scholars in his discipline.
His research focused on the microscopic primary producers (the “grass of the sea”) that provide the fuel for the ocean’s food chain, from fish to whales. Paul investigated the productivity in the Strait of Georgia, and conducted large-scale iron fertilization experiments in the North Pacific. Later in his career, he spent 10 years in Hong Kong where he worked on red tides, dead zones, and the role of the ocean in reducing global warming and climate change. Throughout his life, Paul won several awards for his research and teaching, including being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Despite his international recognition, Paul was always willing to put the achievements of others above his own.