Professor Ken Andersen is a theoretical physicist whose work involves modelling all ocean life, from bacteria to whales. His mission is to simulate global ecosystems for understanding the past and present, and to inform policy and management about our future. He combines theoretical physics with ecology to make quantitative predictions of ecosystems’ structure and function, from bacteria to whales, and uses evolutionary theory to understand the diversity of life history strategies. His aspiration is to inspire and educate the next generation of quantitative Earth System ecologists. In OceanICU, his focus is on modelling the contribution of fish to the biological carbon pump.