Ideas worth spreading

What sharks taught me about being a scientist

36,218 views |

Melissa Marquez |

TEDxWellington

• June 2017

From Shark Week and candy commercials to the iconic film Jaws, it's clear sharks are prominent in our collective imaginations. According to wildlife educator Melissa Cristina Marquez, however, something key is missing in these depictions. In this thought-provoking talk, she speaks about the similarities between female sharks and women in STEM -- and why the two should get more time in the spotlight.

From Shark Week and candy commercials to the iconic film Jaws, it's clear sharks are prominent in our collective imaginations. According to wildlife educator Melissa Cristina Marquez, however, something key is missing in these depictions. In this thought-provoking talk, she speaks about the similarities between female sharks and women in STEM -- and why the two should get more time in the spotlight.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxWellington, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Melissa Marquez

Melissa Cristina Marquez is a Latina marine biologist and wildlife educator with a BA (Hons) in marine ecology and conservation from New College of Florida, USA and an MSc in marine biology from Victoria University of Wellington, NZ. She is a freelance environmental contributor, and founder of The Fins United Initiative, a programme that brings attention to the unusual and diverse sharks (and their relatives) of the world and the threats they face. She regularly hosts #STEMSaturdays on Twitter to provide career guidance and advice to young women in STEM worldwide.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxWellington, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.