Dr. Faradina Merican Mohd. Sidik Merican, a senior lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, is an algal taxonomist and ecologist specializing in microalgae and cyanobacteria. With a PhD from the University of Canterbury, she has published over 25 scientific papers. A pioneer in Malaysia’s Antarctic algal research, she advocates for microbial conservation and aims to raise public awareness of the ecological importance and hidden beauty of the microscopic world.