Jelle Atema

It is with sadness that the MBL shares the passing of former MBL Trustee Jelle Atema, 84, on July 19, 2024.  A sensory biologist, Atema spent nearly three decades at the MBL as faculty and later director of the Boston University Marine Program. Along with serving on the MBL Board of Trustees from 1985 to 1993, Atema was formerly a member of the MBL Society (1986-2022), a Board member of the Friends of the MBL, and a member of the Falmouth Forum Committee. The MBL flag will be lowered in his memory. 

Atema was an emeritus professor of biology, neuroscience and marine science at Boston University. Beginning in 1974, he spent many years at MBL as faculty and later director (1990 to 2004) of the Boston University Marine Program (BUMP), which trained both undergraduate and graduate students at MBL from 1969 to 2008. A substantial number of BUMP PhD students did almost all their coursework and research in Woods Hole and continued on to successful careers in research and academic institutions in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, Atema conducted research as a guest investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the early 1970s and from 2007 until his passing.

Atema’s labs in Boston and Woods Hole focused on three research areas: chemical ecology of lobsters, navigation in sharks, and dispersal in larval reef fishes. These efforts were linked by a common theme: understanding how marine animals sense their environment, especially their use of chemical signals; how they use this information to make decisions leading to food and mates while avoiding danger; and how these decisions play out in population dynamics and evolution.

Atema was also a classical flutist trained by the virtuoso Jean-Pierre Rampal. In 1988, Atema, Rampal, and the Colorado Quartet jointly performed the specially commissioned “MBL Suite“ by Ezra Laderman to celebrate the MBL’s centennial year. Atema also performed with the Borromeo String Quartet in 2017 and other ensembles during his career.

A memorial service will be held from 2-5 p.m. on September 21, 2024 at Atema’s home in Woods Hole, where friends, colleagues, and students will gather to celebrate his remarkable life and legacy. The family suggests that contributions can be made in his memory to the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival or the Woods Hole Cantata.

An obituary provided by his family is reprinted below, and a professional tribute is published here.

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Professor Jelle Atema, a pioneering marine biologist, esteemed educator, and passionate flutist, who passed away on July 19, 2024, at the age of 84.

Dr. Atema is survived by his longtime partner Meg Johnson; his brothers Ari and Freek Atema; his sons Ate, Loek Jurgen, Sven Mauring and Roland Atema; his daughters Annemieke and Sunny Atema, as well as many beloved grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cornelia Maria Johanna Lindenburg and Ate Atema and his sister Riet Atema. 

Born on December 9, 1940, in Deventer, Netherlands, Professor Atema devoted his life to unraveling the mysteries of the ocean. His groundbreaking research on marine sensory systems and behavior transformed our understanding of how aquatic animals perceive and interact with their environments. His work, which explored the complex roles of chemoreception and communication in marine species, has left an indelible mark on the field of marine biology.

A dedicated scholar, Dr. Atema earned his Ph.D. from the University of Utrecht, where his early research laid the foundation for his influential career. He migrated to the United States and received his PhD in neurobiology from the University of Michigan.  During a career spanning 6 decades, he was professor emeritus at Boston University where he also worked as director of the Marine Biology program. He also conducted research as both an adjunct scientist at WHOI and adjunct senior scientist at MBL. Dr. Atema’s longtime study of lobster behavior and olfaction was profiled in the New York Times best-selling book, “The Secret Life of Lobsters.” His later research on shark behavior made him a frequent guest commentator on the Discovery Channel’s shark week.  Additionally, he was an active participant in numerous international marine biology conferences, and his insights and innovations earned him accolades and respect from colleagues around the world. His work advanced scientific knowledge and emphasized the importance of preserving marine ecosystems for future generations.

Dr. Atema was not only a prolific scientist, but also an accomplished flutist, beginning his musical studies under world-renowned flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal.  He played many concerts including one with Rampal and the Colorado String quartet for the MBL centennial in 1988 and another with the Borromeo string for the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival in 2017.  Dr.  Atema also taught and lectured about flute internationally at the Shanghai Conservatory and became an expert on the origins of the flute and early music through an interest in Neanderthal man.

Dr. Jelle Atema’s legacy will endure through his contributions to science and music, as well as his impact on those he mentored, and the countless lives he touched with his work and compassion. He will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

A memorial service will be held from 2-5 pm on September 21, 2024 at his home in Woods Hole where friends, colleagues, and students will gather to celebrate his remarkable life and legacy. 

The family suggests that contributions can be made in Jelle’s memory to the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival or the Woods Hole Cantata.