Dr Faradina Merican Mohd. Sidik Merican is an algal taxonomist and ecologist. She is a senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) where her work focuses on the diversity and ecology of Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) from diverse habitats including extreme environments such as the Antarctic. Using a combination of morphological and molecular approaches, she utilises field samples and cultured isolates to increase knowledge of this poorly known group. She has a BSc (Hons.) in Aquatic Biology and an Msc in Environmental Science from USM. She obtained a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.