Junior SeaKeepers Final 2024 Webinar: Shark Conservation Science with Dr. Catherine Macdonald

Overview

On Tuesday, May 21st, 2024, The International SeaKeepers Society hosted the ninth and final Junior SeaKeepers Program webinar for 2023-24 cohort students. For our last virtual talk, we were thrilled to have SeaKeepers partner shark scientist and educator, Dr. Catherine Macdonald, discussing her professional history and research interests with students.

Catherine is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and the Director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program. She went to high school in New Jersey and college in Massachusetts where she majored in history. She then won an academic fellowship to study sharks, before working on a swim-with-dolphins boat and at a wild bird rescue. Then she went back to graduate school at the University of Miami, where she did her PhD in Ecosystem Science and Policy. She co-founded Field School, which trains students to do marine science fieldwork, before being hired at the Rosenstiel School (she currently works at both places). Her research mostly focuses on the biology, ecology, and conservation of sharks and rays.

By attending webinars led by SeaKeepers' industry partners and researchers, our Junior SeaKeepers have had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the diversity of work that exists in the marine conservation realm. Additionally, students have gotten direct access to accomplished professionals and were able to see the advancements in the field that are the result of research and exploration happening every day all over the world. Through speaking with renowned shark researcher Dr. Catherine Macdonald about her professional history and work in elasmobranch conservation, we hope that our JSKs were able to get a better idea of the types of career opportunities that exist in the marine world and why they are important to protecting global ecological balance. We were even more excited to hear from Dr. Macdonald this month, as her team at the Shark Research and Conservation Program will be hosting our JSKs for their final floating classroom field experience in June for shark tagging in Biscayne Bay!