AMBASSADORS
Jessica Woodend
New England Outreach Director-Maine
Jessica is a traveling naturalist and environmental educator with The Chewonki Foundation and an avid diver. This means you will find her holding an owl and teaching kids that yes, there are sharks in Maine! She is also our social media director.
Ron Watkins
Pennsylvania
Ron is a professional award winning underwater photographer who travels the world capturing incredible shark images. He will be doing presentations and event for us. Ron has also been assisting us with our 3D model project for the Bahamas. Please contact us if you are interested in having Ron speak to your class or group.
Jenny Bortoluzzi
Ireland
Jenny is currently a PhD researcher at Trinity College Dublin where she is studying the ecology of large marine predators. Jenny will be doing school visits in the region as well as teaching students via Skype.
Michelle Trigg
England
After traveling the world as a scuba instructor, Michelle has returned to the UK. She will be visiting schools to teach students about sharks and share her passion for the ocean with them.
Cailla Strobel
Florida
Cailla is currently part of the University of North Florida's Shark Biology Program. Cailla is also an avid shark diver. She will be visiting schools and running education events throughout Florida.
Linda Weiss
Fort Lauderdale
Linda has been assisting our team with outreach events and is also active with the Guy Harvey Research Institute shark tagging program. Linda is an avid scuba diver and loves sharing her passion for the water with others. Look for Linda at our Fort Lauderdale area events!
Michelle Andersen
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Born and raised in Minnesota, Michelle worked in aquariums there before heading south to find warmer weather and more sharks. She earned a degree in biology from the University of South Florida. You will see Michelle at various outreach events and school visits. She has assisted in developing programs as well as coordinating events. Her passion for sharks is contagious.
Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown
Manchester, England, UK
Together Regional Ambassadors Nick and Carolina own and run Frogfish Photography. Their underwater photos have been featured in countless publications both online and in print. They are sharing their passion for the oceans and photography with students throughout the UK. READ MORE
Amy Johnson
Kentucky
Amy joined us while living in Florida and is now sharing the amazing world of sharks with students in Kentucky. She studied marine biology at Coastal Carolina University and is now working on her Master's in Education. Amy is teaching kids that sharks matter, no matter where you live.
Joshua Moyer
Massachusetts
Joshua is a biologist specializing in elasmobranch fishes (sharks, skates, and rays). After completing his Bachelors of Science in Biology at Millersville University, Joshua earned his Masters of Science from Cornell University, where he studied the comparative anatomy of the jaws and teeth of White Sharks and their relatives. Josh has created some amazing curriculum and educational materials for our program.
Dr. Christopher Bird
Southampton, England, UK
Chris recently completed his PhD at the University of Southampton, studying the movement and feeding behavior of deep sea sharks. Along with outreach, Chris has also developed deep sea shark curriculum and activities. You can follow his research at Shark Devocean
Leann Winn
New Jersey & New York
Leann is a marine biologist, teacher and researcher. Leann has worked on shark projects around the world and along with educational outreach, she is also assisting with STEM activities and curriculum development. READ MORE. CONTACT LEANN
Enie Hensel
North Carolina & Abaco, The Bahamas
Enie is currently working on her PhD in ecology at NC State, doing her field work in Abaco, The Bahamas. Enie is doing outreach in both North Carolina and Abaco. Enie is using drones as part of her research and you can see some of the footage HERE.
Tyler Mahler
Miami, Florida
Tyler is an avid shark diver and has logged thousands of hours underwater with these amazing animals. He is translating his love of sharks and diving into educational programs teach kids. Tyler is also attending events in the South Florida Area. You can follow his dive adventures HERE.
Eimear Manning
Dublin, Ireland
Eimear is a marine biologist currently working as an aquarist and educator. She loves teaching students in Ireland about sharks in their waters. She has traveled to the states to study and gain more field experience, which she turns into awesome educational opportunities for kids.
Angela Warrior
Leeds, England, UK
Angie is a world traveler and ocean educator. She has worked in The Bahamas,Fiji, Philippines and South Africa teaching kids about sharks and the oceans. She leads school and community presentations, but is also creating educational content and materials for us. You can follow her adventures on TWITTER.
Chloe Prayon
Florida
Chloe is currently getting her master’s degree in biology at Florida Atlantic University, where she also completed my bachelor’s in biology in 2017. Chloe joined us as a volunteer in 2018 and has been assisting with education events and classroom visits in South Florida. She is also an avid diver and freediver.
Gabe Jensen
St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida
When Gabe is not working as a chemist, you can usually find him wearing a shark costume and teaching kids how awesome these animals are. Gabe is a regional ambassador in the Tampa/St. Pete area and is always coming up with new activities for our events! He is an avid diver and free diver, always sharing his love of the ocean with those around him.
Patrick Burke
Australia
A PhD candidate at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Originally from Kentucky but completed a BSc in marine biology at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, then a MSc in marine biodiversity and conservation in Belgium. Patrick spent some time as the education and outreach coordinator at the Bimini Biological Field Station and now studies sawshark ecology in Australia.
Leo Gaskins
North Carolina
Leo is a marine ecologist investigating the impact of top predators on ecosystems through trophic cascade. By determining the relative impacts of top-down and bottom-up forces on ecosystem function and structure, this work will inform effective future management plans throughout coastal systems, and protect critical ecosystem services. Leo is assisting us with our NEW series of Fast Facts. Follow Leo on Twitter for more JAWsome shark facts!
Our ambassadors have a diverse range of experience, but all love sharks. They are available for community events, classroom presentations, Skype lessons, Google Hangouts or work shops.
Please CONTACT US to find out more or to schedule a visit. Click IMAGE to learn more about each ambassador
Patrik
Arkansas/New Jersey
Patrik is an avid diver and shark diver, as well as being an accomplished underwater photographer. Patrik loves teaching younger students about sharks and will no doubt, be an amazing marine biologist.
Krissy Morrow
San Diego, California
Krissy is a middle school science and marine biology teacher in San Diego. She earned her M.S. in ecology at the USF. She volunteered on several of the Shedd Aquarium's research cruises and while most of her marine science career has focused on invertebrates, Krissy's heart truly lies with the sharks. She will be assisting us with the creation of middle school lesson plans and activities.