Junior SeaKeepers Webinar 2: Julia Saltzman, M.S. - Marine Megafauna Conservation

Overview

On Tuesday, October 2, 2023, The International SeaKeepers Society hosted the second Junior SeaKeepers Program webinar for our 2023-24 cohort of students. As we get further into our Program, we were thrilled to have Julia Saltzman, M.S., Ph.D. student at Florida State University, speak on her research experience in marine megafauna conservation as a part of our scientist-led virtual lecture series.

Julia is a conservation biologist in the Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group at Florida State University using quantitative tools to solve interdisciplinary environmental problems. She is particularly interested in marine conservation and works with migratory marine megafauna (sharks, turtles, and large fishes), integrating statistical models and field observations to inform conservation. Ultimately, she aims to conduct research that helps to better understand what drives the movement of migratory species and how we can best manage their populations. Additionally, she is interested in human-wildlife interactions and conducts marine social science research, where she uses non-conventional methods to better understand how people interact with coastal ecosystems.

In her talk, Julia discussed with our JSK students her experience in navigating academics in terms of finding and capitalizing on rare opportunities, particularly in fieldwork where female scientists are often greatly outnumbered. From her undergraduate experience at the University of Miami to her graduate experiences at both the University of New Hampshire and now Florida State University, it was awesome for our JSKs to see the trajectory of a young scientist in today's research climate. We want to thank Julia for being a part of our webinar series and hope that our students were able to get a better idea of what marine research can entail, both for their own JSK research projects, as well as their future as potential scientists.

Outing Goal

By attending webinars led by SeaKeepers research scientists, our Junior SeaKeepers have the opportunity to learn first-hand about the diversity of work that exists in the marine conservation realm. Additionally, students get direct access to accomplished professionals and are able to see the advancements in the field that are a result of research happening directly alongside SeaKeepers through our DISCOVERY Yacht program. Julia's talk was a great opportunity for students to hear about research conducted on “charismatic” marine species in quite a competitive field as they get closer to their post-secondary education journey. Thanks again Julia, and we hope to work with you and your lab more closely in the future!