- Title Marine Biologist
I am an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, aquarist, and author. I have been a senior fisheries biologist with Massachusetts Marine Fisheries since 1987 and I currently head up the Massachusetts Shark Research Program (MSRP). I am also adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford, MA, a guest investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, MA, and an adjunct scientist with the Center for Shark Research in Sarasota, FL. I hold a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a PhD from Boston University. Through the MSRP, I have been actively involved in the study of life history, ecology, and physiology of sharks. My shark research has spanned multiple fish habitats around the globe, taking me from the frigid waters of the Arctic Circle to coral reefs in the tropical Central Pacific. Much of my current research centers on the use of acoustic telemetry, satellite-based technology, and animal-borne imaging to assess the physiological impacts of capture stress on the post-release survivorship and behavior of sharks. I have written dozens of scientific research papers and have appeared in a number of film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, ESPN, and numerous television networks. I have been an avid SCUBA diver and underwater photographer since 1978. Although my research passion for the last twenty-five years has centered on sharks, I have been an avid aquarist for over thirty years, having written eleven books on aquarium keeping. My most recent book, The Shark Handbook, is a must buy for all shark enthusiasts. My home and laboratory are on the island of Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts.