Maddalena Polla
Lead Intern
Maddy was born and brought up in a little town on the coast of Northern Italy. From a young age she loved being in the water more than she did on land, learning how to swim, windsurf and sail. After graduating from a BAs in International Studies from Leiden University, Maddy chose to travel to Australia. While exploring the coastline of New South Wales, snorkeling and sailing through its rich waters, she realized her passion for protecting marine environments and knew she wanted to contribute to their conservation. Maddy’s travels and experiences are what brought her to the Shark Lab. She is confident that her time in Bimini will be filled with incredible encounters, offering her the opportunity to deeply connect with the ocean and its unique marine wildlife .
Pina Hentschel
Intern & Masters Student
Pina was born and raised in Nuremberg, Germany. Her fascination with nature, especially water, led her to earn a Bachelor's degree in Geoecology from the University of Bayreuth. Inspired by an internship with a research group focused on invasive marine species, she is now pursuing a Master’s in Biological Oceanography at GEOMAR – Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, where she is part of the Marine Behavioural Ecology Group.
Her passion for behavioral and movement ecology, combined with some thorough online research, connected her to the Shark Lab, where she is currently analyzing acoustic telemetry data on great hammerhead sharks for her master’s thesis. Beyond her academic pursuits, Pina is dedicated to science communication and environmental education, spending her summers working at different ocean schools.