Erasmo C. Macaya is an Associate Professor at the Universidad de Concepción in Chile. He holds a bachelor's degree in Marine Biology and a Master's in Marine Sciences from Universidad Católica del Norte in Coquimbo, Chile. He earned his PhD in Marine Biology from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, where he researched the dispersal patterns, connectivity, taxonomy, and genetic diversity of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. His research primarily focuses on various aspects of macroalgae, including biodiversity, ecology, taxonomy, and phylogeography.