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Melissa Cristina Márquez

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Márquez in 2019

Melissa Cristina Márquez is a Puerto Rican marine biologist and science communicator. She studies chondrichthyan fishes, including great white sharks.[1]

Early life and education

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Márquez was inspired to study sharks when she first saw a great white shark on the Discovery Channel program Shark Week when she moved from Mexico to the United States.[2] She completed her undergraduate degree at the New College of Florida in Sarasota, Florida, and a master's degree from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.[3][4][5] Márquez is currently pursuing a PhD at Curtin University in Australia, where she uses remote sensing techniques to assess environmental influences on the composition and distribution of elasmobranchs.[6]

Research and career

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Márquez is involved in multiple forms of public engagement. She launched The Fins United Initiative to provide "scientifically accurate and open-access (free) materials for educators worldwide", which includes bilingual resources for educators.[7][8][9] She co-hosts ConCiencia Azul, a podcast that interviews Spanish-speaking researchers about ocean-related topics and unique challenges faced in Hispanic countries.[8][9] In spring 2021, Márquez wrote a children's book series, titled Wild Survival!, based on her animal encounters.[8] In 2023, she published a children's picture book titled Mother of Sharks.[10] She is also a contributor to Forbes' science section.[11]

In 2018, during a taping of Shark Week, Márquez was attacked by a crocodile while on a shark dive.[2][3][4]

Márquez has previously been recognized as a member of InStyle's February 2021 Badass 50 list, and as a member of the annual Forbes 30 under 30 - Science list (2021).[8][12] She has spoken about her research for various media outlets, including NPR, National Geographic, and BBC.[13][14][4][15][16] She was named to Fuse Media's Future Hispanic History Class of 2021.[1]

Selected academic publications

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  • Oceanography's Diversity Deficit: Identifying and Addressing Challenges for Marginalized Groups. Salma T. Abdel-Raheem, Allison R. Payne, Milagros G. Rivera, S. Kersey Sturdivant, Nia S. Walker, Melissa C. Márquez, Armando Ornelas, Mo Turner, Kelsey Byers, Roxanne S. Beltran. Oceanography. 20 December, 2023.
  • Science Communication in Multiple Languages Is Critical to Its Effectiveness. Melissa C. Márquez and Ana Maria Porras. Frontiers in Communication. 22 May 2020.
  • How 'Blue' Is 'Green' Energy? Andrew J. Wright, Claryana Araújo-Wang, John Y. Wang, Peter S. Ross, Jakob Tougaard, Robin Winkler, Melissa C. Márquez, Frances C. Robertson, Kayleigh Fawcett Williams, Randall R. Reeves. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 2020.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Latina women in science (featuring NCF Alum Melissa Cristina Márquez)". New College News. 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  2. ^ a b "For 'Mother of Sharks' Melissa Cristina Marquez, Her Biggest Fear Is Not Seeing These "Misunderstood Predators" at Sea". InStyle. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  3. ^ a b "Marine Biologist Melissa Cristina Márquez Was Bitten and Dragged by a Crocodile...and Lived to Tell Her Story". Jezebel. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  4. ^ a b c "When You're Diving for Sharks but Get Bitten by a Crocodile". Outside Online. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  5. ^ Marquez, Melissa (2016). Habitat Use Throughout a Chondrichthyan's Life (Masters thesis). Open Access Repository Victoria University of Wellington, Victoria University of Wellington. doi:10.26686/wgtn.17019626.
  6. ^ "Melissa Cristina Márquez". Global FinPrint. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  7. ^ "About TFUI Founder Melissa". THE FINS UNITED INITIATIVE. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  8. ^ a b c d "50 Women Making the World a Better Place in 2021". InStyle. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  9. ^ a b "Shark Hero Talks: Melissa Cristina Marquez". Sharkophile. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  10. ^ "Rewriting Sharks' Big, Bad Reputation… For Kids". Science Friday. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  11. ^ "Melissa Cristina Márquez - Melissa Cristina Marquez". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  12. ^ "Melissa Márquez". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  13. ^ "One Key To Healthy Oceans? Sharks : Short Wave". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  14. ^ "For 'Mother of Sharks' Melissa Cristina Marquez, Her Biggest Fear Is Not Seeing These "Misunderstood Predators" at Sea". InStyle. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  15. ^ "Deep-sea shark bonanza seen off remote island chain". Animals. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  16. ^ "The life of a shark scientist". BBC News. 2018-09-04. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
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