So You Want to Be a Marine Biologist

Latest Episodes:

33. Jim Abernethy: Befriending sharks, Chasing Dinosaurs, and Becoming a Voice for Wildlife Jul 29, 2020

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Jim Abernethy is an award-winning author, cinematographer, photographer, and conservationist. For decades, he’s lived aboard his boat, leading expeditions to engage with the world’s largest predatory sharks, cage-free. His work has been featured on Imax, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel and more.

In today’s episode, Jim shares how a dinosaur nest changed the trajectory of his life, how he makes friends with sharks, and how his book helped to shape ocean policy. Jim also shares some behind the scenes stories from film crews who came aboard his boat, and advice that anyone, from conservationist to business person, can live by.
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32. Francesca Trotman: Humpback Whales, Hope Spots, and Loving the Oceans Jul 15, 2020

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When researching shark finning during her time at university in the UK, Francesca didn’t realize what an enormous impact it would have on her life. Join us today as we dive into what inspired Francesca to start a nonprofit in Mozambique and learn about her vital research studying humpback whales, manta rays, and whale sharks in the hopes of creating a Marine Protected Area.

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31. Rachel Crane: Restoring Corals, Nat Geo Expeditions, and Swimming with Humpbacks Jul 01, 2020

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Rachel Crane is a captain, dive instructor, expedition leader, and marine ecologist. Today, Rachel shares with us her dreams of being a vet in rural upstate New York morphed into becoming a boat captain in the Florida Keys for Coral Restoration Foundation. Along the way, Rachel had an incredible internship that included diving with Navy Seals in the longest pool in the world, swimming with humpbacks, and cave research. Rachel also takes us on a Nat Geo cruise in Alaska, and shares a hilarious and rare interaction between a juvenile tiger shark and a pufferfish.

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30. The Incredible Sea Turtle: mind boggling leatherbacks, millions of turtles, and how you can be involved Jun 17, 2020

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We’re doing something a little different for this episode. I’m joined by my friend and fellow marine biologist, Laurie Bachler, and, together, we take a deeper dive into the world of sea turtles. You’ll learn where sea turtles are found, the different types of sea turtles, and some facts that surprised even seasoned turtle biologists. You’ll even learn what species of sea turtle Crush from “Finding Nemo” is modeled after.

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29. Juli Berwald: Underground labs, Pivotal Moments, and Jellyfish Jun 03, 2020

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Author and marine scientist Juli Berwald joins us on the show today. Starting with an undergrad in mathematics, Juli’s career bloomed into a PhD in marine science before turning to science writing. Her work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, Oceanus, Redbook, Wired.com, and the New York Times. Her latest book, Spineless, dives deep into the world of jellyfish. Reading this book, I personally learned lots of surprising details about this ethereal creature.
In today’s episode, Juli shares how one snorkel trip made her math major make sense and completely change the trajectory of her life. We chat about the merits of getting a master’s and a PhD, and Juli takes us back to her college days conducting flow tank experiments in an underground swimming pool below a college basketball court. We also chat about ocean acidification and what it means, how to become a published author and, of course, all about jellies including what to do if you get stung.

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28. Rahul Mehrotra: Life Changing Nudi Photos, Flesh Eating Corals, and Treasure Hunts May 20, 2020

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Rahul Mehrotra is a marine biologist originally from the UK and India, and who is currently based out of Thailand where he studies some of the most colorful and beautiful of all the sea creatures: sea slugs. Sea slugs are so captivating, in fact, that it was actually a photo of a type of sea slug, called a nudibranch, that catapulted Rahul’s interest from land animal conservation into the sea. Since then, Rahul has pursued researching the underwater world in the Gulf of Thailand, discovering and naming some of his own species.
Join us as we dive into the colorful world of nudibranchs, learn about true ocean exploration and some of the amazing discoveries that Rahul is making, including uncovering a hidden diet of corals. We also chat about how you can get involved with ocean science, no matter where in the world you live.

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27. Underwater Living, Movie Consulting, and Conch Verges with Dr. Ellen Prager May 06, 2020

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Chief Scientist for Aquarius Reef base, movie consultant for Disney, author. Quite the resume isn’t it?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for today’s guest, Dr. Ellen Prager.

Exploring the watery world, and sharing it with others, is another one of Dr. Prager’s superhero talents. Marine scientist, both non-fiction and fiction author, she currently working as a freelance writer, consultant, and science advisor to Celebrity Cruises in the Galapagos Islands. She has appeared on large network television such as the Today Show and Good Morning America, in shows for the Discovery Channel and was a consultant for the Disney movie, Moana.

In today’s episode, we chat about the verge of conch, what it’s like working as a marine scientist in the St. Croix and the Bahamas paradises, how Dr. Prager influenced policy and created underwater maps that are still used today. Dr. Prager also shares her favorite tales from the Galapagos including close encounters with sea lions, orcas, and humpback whales.

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26. Autonomous Vehicles, Oceanic Currents, and Creative Outlets with Waterlust Founder Patrick Rynne Apr 22, 2020

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What do material engineering, autonomous ocean vehicles, ocean currents, and creative communication have in common?
At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much.
It’s amazing to see how different parts of your story weave together to make the fabric of your life that just makes total sense. And that’s the story of Patrick Rynne. From pursuing his undergrad in material engineering all the way to earning his PhD in applied marine physics, Patrick has combined the experience he’s gained along the way into a single word: Waterlust.
Waterlust is an advocate apparel brand that’s making a splash in both science communication and the clothing industry with creative films and durable, beautiful clothing that will instantly transform the wearer into the aquatic creature of their choice.
In today’s episode, we learn how seemingly disparate life pivots eventually connect, more than a few lessons in persistence, and one of Patrick’s favorite lessons to both teach and live by: the triangle of life.

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25. American v Australian Coursework and Diving Right In with Bailey Jo Curtis Apr 01, 2020

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Bailey is from the American midwest and is studying marine biology in Queensland, Australia. Join us as we dive into what it’s like to take a field course off the Great Barrier Reef. We also learn some surprising differences between Australian and American university coursework, and Bailey shares some insight into what it’s like to have an internship at an aquarium working with sharks & rays. Bailey also tells the incredible story of how she became dive certified.

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24. Marine Conservation and Earning Green Fins with Sam Craven Mar 18, 2020

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Samantha Craven currently manages the Reef World Foundation field office in the Philippines. The majority of her time is focused on working with our national partners on the implementation of the Green Fins initiative, a conservation focused diving effort, across SE Asia and the Pacific.
In this episode, we dive into pursuing a degree in marine biology in England, what it means to be a conservation diver, what the reefs in Malaysia and the Philippines really look like, why your future self wants you to take better diving notes now, and more.

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