1982年毕业于山东海洋学院(现名中国海洋大学),获学士学位。
1991年获得美国加州大学Scripps海洋研究所博士学位。
1991-1994在英国的Bristol大学有机地球化学实验室任博士后研究员。
历任美国麻州州立大学研究员,美国常春藤名校Dartmouth College助理教授、副教授。台湾大学客座教授,台湾成功大学客座教授,德国Oldenburger访问教授。
2005年10月回国,任同济大学特聘教授、博士生导师。
现任中国海洋大学“筑峰人才工程”特聘教授、博士生导师。
研究方向包括海洋有机地球化学、海洋生态系统演变记录与机制、海洋碳循环、古海洋及古环境重建、稳定同位素地球化学、海底冷泉区生物地球化学。研究区域遍布世界各大洋,在海洋生态环境重建、气候演变、极端海洋下的生物地球化学等方面做出了国际一流的成果。
Li L., H. Wang, J. Li, M. Zhao, P. Wang, Changes in sea surface temperature in western South China Sea over the past 450ka, Chinese Science Bulletin, 54, 3335-3343, 2009.
Zhou B., C. Shen, H. Zheng, M.Zhao,Y. Sun,Vegetation evolution on the central Chinese Loess Plateau since late Quaternary evidenced by elemental carbon isotopic composition, Chinese Science Bullentin, 54, 2082-2089, 2009.
He, J., M. Zhao, L. Li, H. Wang, and P. Wang, Biomarker evidence of relatively stable community structure in the Northern South China Sea during the last glacial and Holocene, Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (TAO), 19, 377-387, 2008, doi: 10.3319/TAO.2008.19.4.377 (IMAGES).
He, J., Zhao, M., Wang, P., Li, L., Sea surface temperature and terrigenous biomarker records of the last 260 kyr for core MD05-2904 from the Northern South China Sea over the last 35,000 Years, Chinese Science Bullentin, 53, 2376-2384, 2008.
Xing Lei, Zhao MeiXun, Zhang HaiLong, Liu YanGuang & Shi XueFa. Biomarker reconstruction of phytoplankton productivity and community structure changes in the middle Okinawa Trough during the last15 ka.Chinese Science Bulletin, 2008,53(16): 2552 -2559.
Zhang, Z., Zhao, M., Lu, H., Eglinton, G., Huang, C.Y.. Leaf wax lipids as paleovegetationa and paleoenvironmental proxies for the Chinese Loess Plateau over the last 170 kyr.Quaternary Science Reviews, 25, 575-594, 2006.
Zhao, M., Mercer, J., Eglinton, G., Higginson, M., Huang, C.Y.. Comparative molecular biomarker assessment of marine productivity of ODP Site 658 off Cap Blanc, N.W. Africa overthe last 160 kyr.Organic Geochemistry, 37, 72-97, 2006.
Zhao, M. X., Huang, C. Y., Wang, C. C., and Wei, G. J.. A millennial-scale sea-surface temperature record from the South China Sea (8 degrees N) over the last 150 kyr: Monsoon andsea-level influence. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 236, 39-55. 2006.
Zhao, M. X., Mercer, J. L., Eglinton, G., Higginson, M. J., and Huang, C. Y.. Comparative molecular biomarker assessment of phytoplankton paleoproductivity for the last 160 kyr off Cap Blanc, NW Africa. Organic Geochemistry 37, 72-97. 2006.
Zhang, Z., Zhao, M., Yang, X., Wang, S., Jiang, X., Oldfield, F., Eglinton, G.. A hydrocarbon biomarker record for the last 40 kyr of plant input to Lake Heqing, southwestern China.Organic Geochemistry, 35, 595-613, 2004.
Zhang Z., Zhao. M., Lu, M., Faiia, A..Lower temperature as the main cause of C4 plant declines during the glacial periods on the Chinese Loess Plateau.Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 214, 467-481, 2003.
Zhao, M., Dupont, L., Eglinton, G., Teece, M.. n-Alkane and pollen reconstruction of terrestrialclimate and vegetation for N.W. Africa over the last 160 kyr. Organic Geochemistry, 34, 131-143, 2003.
Huang, C.Y., Zhao, M., Wei, G., Wang, C.C., Cooling of the South China Sea by the Toba eruption and correlation with other climate proxies ~71,000 years ago, Geophysical Research Letters, 28, 3915-3918, 2001.
Zhao, M., Eglinton, G., Haslett, S.K., Jordan, R.W., Sarnthein, M., Zhang, Z.. Marine and terrestrial biomarker records for the last 35,000 years at ODP site 658C off NW Africa.Organic Geochemistry, 31, 919-930, 2000.
Harris, P.G., Zhao, M., Rosell-Mele, A., Tiedemann, R., Sarnthein, M., Maxwell, J.R..Chlorinaccumulation rate as a proxy for Quaternary marine primary productivity.Nature, 383, 63-65, 1996.
Zhao, M., Beveridge, N.A.S., Shackleton, N.J., Sarnthein, M., Eglinton, G..Molecular stratigraphy of cores off Northwest Africa: Sea surface temperature history over the last 80 ka. Paleoceanography, 10, 661-675, 1995.
Zhao, M., Bada, J.L.. Extraterrestrial amino acids in Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary sediments at Stevns Klint Denmark. Nature, 339, 463-465, 1989.
Bada, J.L, Zhao M,Steinberg S.Isolecucine stereoisomers on the Earth. Nature,319,314-316,
1986.