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 .
Nathan Salliss
Intern
Growing up in Southeast London, Nathan was drawn to the sea and sharks from a very young age from countless BBC documentaries, Steve Backshall’s Deadly 60 and, strangely, watching Jaws. At every possible moment, Nathan spent his life in the water, whether in pools, rivers or in the sea, learning how to whitewater kayak, SCUBA dive and obtain his boating licence whilst pursuing his master’s in marine biology at the University of Southampton. After having face-to-face encounters with lemon and reef sharks off the coast of Florida and finding out about the Shark Lab in September 2024, Nathan was determined to take his lifelong passion and dedicate it to researching and conserving these beautiful animals and sent his application the following March. Now that he is here and fortunate enough to be granted the Doc Gruber Scholarship, Nathan is looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to important shark research, experience life changing encounters and lastly, grow into himself and come home a more confident person.
Issy Crawley
Intern
Issy grew up in a small coastal town in Cornwall, UK, where the ocean quickly became a central part of her life. From exploring rock pools as a child to swimming in the sea, the marine environment on her doorstep sparked an early fascination with the aquatic world that later developed into a passion for marine biology. This passion led her to pursue an MSci in Marine Biology at the University of Exeter. Unsure at first which area of marine biology she wanted to focus on, Issy used her time at university to explore a wide range of opportunities. She volunteered internationally with several marine conservation organisations and gained valuable fieldwork experience across diverse habitats, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. These experiences shaped her growing interest in shark research and conservation, which ultimately became the focus of her master’s research in shark feeding ecology. Issy’s journey has now brought her to the Shark Lab, where she was awarded the Doc Gruber Memorial Scholarship. Issy is excited to get stuck into hands-on shark research, learn what it takes to operate a remote field station, and continue building her confidence as an early-career scientist.
Tim Furst
Intern
Tim was born and raised in Rochester, New York. Despite growing up several hours away from the ocean, he developed a passion for anything that had to do with marine life and conservation – especially sharks – early on in his life. He graduated from Stony Brook University in May 2025 with a BSc in Marine Science and a minor in Environmental Studies, where he had the opportunity to study while travelling in Hawaii, Jamaica, and The Bahamas. He is excited to fully immerse himself in everything the Shark Lab has to offer, and develop his skills in marine field research, public outreach, and conservation. In his free time, Tim can be found at the beach, snorkeling, surfing, or diving.