David Feary is a research scientist in the Petroleum and Marine Division of the Australian Geological Survey Organisation. His research interests are focused on the factors controlling carbonate deposition within both warm- and cool-water environments, primarily using high-resolution seismic data and ODP drilling (Legs 133 and 182). He is a graduate of the University of Auckland and the Australian National University, and has a background in seismic stratigraphy, sedimentology, and structural geology.

Noël James teaches sedimentary geology at Queens University in Kingston. A graduate of McGill University, he also has taught at the University of Miami and Memorial University of Newfoundland. His major research interest is in the sedimentology, paleobiology, and diagenesis of carbonate rocks. His current research is focused on Cenozoic cool-water limestones and Proterozoic sedimentary rocks. James, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, has been AAPG Distinguished Lecturer and president of SEPM.