A Global Outreach Initiative.
Global Elasmo-Branch Outreach Ambassadorships
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The Bimini Shark Lab is proud to introduce our Global Elasmo-Branch Outreach Ambassadorships, a new initiative designed to expand the reach of our missions in Research, Education, and Conservation. With a network of thousands of past interns from around the world, we are now empowering passionate alumni to serve as global ambassadors, bringing the Shark Lab’s story to classrooms, universities, community events, and virtual audiences across all time zones.
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These ambassadors deliver engaging presentations that highlight the 35 year history of the Bimini Shark Lab, covering our pioneering shark research, conservation efforts, and educational programs. Each talk is packed with fascinating shark facts, cutting-edge science, and stories from the field.
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The Elasmo-Branch is just getting started, and we’re excited to grow this global effort. As the program develops, we aim to welcome even more ambassadors from our worldwide community, extending our reach, building new connections, and continuing to inspire the next generation of ocean advocates.
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By being present in-person in diverse international locations and virtually accessible worldwide, our Global Elasmo-Branch Ambassadors are creating new opportunities to connect with students, educators, and shark enthusiasts everywhere! We are excited to ignite curiosity, spread knowledge, and foster a global community of shark and ocean stewards.
MEET THE GLOBAL ELASMO-BRANCH
WANDA ORTIZ
Location: Guánica and San Juan, Puerto Rico
Timezone: AST
Languages: Spanish, English
Available for in-person and/or online events
Wanda is a marine scientist and educator from Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and specialized her career in sharks. Some of her previous experiences include waitressing, working as food vendor and park greeter at Walt Disney World, field technician at HJR Reefscaping, intern at the Bimini Shark Lab, assisting in harmful algal blooms’ research aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, and work as an educator at Sea Grant Puerto Rico.
As a former intern at Bimini Shark Lab, she had the opportunity to immerse herself in the world of sharks, learning from these predators up close as well as gaining and developing skills she still uses in her daily life, and make friends with some of the most amazing group of people she has met.
Currently, Wanda is the founder and executive director of Little Women, Big Sharks, where she conducts educational activities and develops materials to inform her community about the sharks of Puerto Rico. She also works as a Protected Species Observer for Biomarine LLC. Her hobbies include reading, writing, snorkeling, scuba diving, taking her dogs to long walks at the beach and volunteering at the local animal shelter.
LUKE CROSBY
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Timezone: PDT
Languages: English
Available for in-person and/or online events
My name is Luke Crosby and I have the honour of being an Elasmo-branch Ambassador for Bimini Biological Field Station.
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I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Growing up, I always had a keen interest in sharks and all things aquatic. After high school, I obtained a diploma as a Fish and Wildlife Technician and spent several seasons working in fisheries. I then completed an undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University. I now live in Vancouver, British Columbia, and I work in the ecotourism industry where we educate the general public about the marine life that we have in the area.
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I completed an internship with the Shark Lab several years ago and fell in love with the work that we did, both the research in the Florida Keys and the education and outreach in Bimini. Seeing as most people don’t want to be on or near the ocean in Vancouver during the winter, I have been returning to the Shark Lab during the winter to help out wherever is needed. I am super excited to be collaborating with the Shark Lab for the Elasmo-Branch Ambassador Program. Having another source of outreach to spread education about our local marine life to local communities is a very valuable tool!
LEWIS SHEDDEN
Location: Cayman Islands
Timezone: EST
Languages: English
Available for in-person and /or online events
Lewis is from Sandhurst, in the UK and from the age of 4, has always had an interest in the marine world, especially in Sharks! His favourite sharks are the great hammerheads.
Lewis graduated from the University of Cumbria, in July 2023 with an undergraduate degree BSc (with Hons) in Marine and Freshwater Conservation where he completed a sandwich year in industry, with Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, in Greece. This involved research on seagrass ecology and health, cetacean research and completing his thesis on group composition and group size on short-beaked common dolphins vocalizations.
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Shortly after graduating, Lewis came straight to the shark lab. He completed an internship with us in fall of 2023, consisting of time at the lab and a research trip to the Florida Keys, a highlight of which was being able to tag a hammerhead shark for research! Since leaving the lab as an intern he pursued the goals of becoming a PADI Scuba Instructor and getting involved with the lab’s outreach programme. He became a Scuba Instructor in The Philippines in January, where he managed to introduce students to some Whale Sharks on his first course as an instructor! He enjoys educating the guests on the marine life and conservation efforts where he can and his favourite part of being a Scuba Instructor, as well as part of the Elasmo Branch, is showing people just how amazing the underwater world is, and helping people enjoy and understand it, a little bit more after each dive. He is looking forward to spreading the message of the lab wherever he goes, or from wherever in the world he can. He is about to move to the Cayman Islands to be a dive instructor, work with corals and sharks!
SIENA MCQUADE
Location: England, United Kingdom
Timezone: BST/GMT
Languages: English
Available for in-person and/or online events
Siena grew up in the United Kingdom, with a love of wildlife and the outdoors. Studying zoology at Swansea University, her interest in marine life and animal movement peaked. A Research Masters exploring the diving behaviours of whale sharks allowed her to develop this even further. Throughout her studies Siena worked with an educational outreach company, providing science workshops in local schools, then spent several years travelling during which she worked as a wildlife tour guide. Her interests in marine life and science communication led her to an internship with the Shark Lab in 2024. Over which these interests only increased and she realised a love for the field work side of research, having been predominantly desk-based in the past.
Siena is now back in the UK and embarking on a new adventure in the form of a teaching assistant position in a local school, whilst continuing to gain field skills on the side. She is excited to gain further experience working with young people, and bring these skills into her position as Outreach Ambassador within the Elasmo-branch program. Siena learnt so much through her time in Bimini and is thrilled to continue working with the Lab, sharing the incredible work to an even wider audience.
ZAINAB SARIA
Location: Mumbai, India / Sydney, Australia
Timezone: IST, AEST
Languages: English, Hindi, Gujarati
Available for in-person and /or online events
I admire the ocean in all its complexity. It is turbulent yet serene, vast yet mysterious; the many splendours of the sea fascinate me. I grew up looking out of the window of my home in Mumbai, India, wondering what lay under the surface of the Arabian Sea. My fascination with marine life led me to pursue a master’s degree in marine biology at James Cook University and to explore the world of sharks, hence coming across the internship at the Bimini Shark Lab. My time at the Shark Lab felt like a dream. My first dive with the shark lab I saw more sharks than I’d seen in my life all together. Being in the water with these magnificent animals was both humbling and exhilarating. It was truly a rewarding learning experience and being surrounded by such intelligent and dedicated individuals which really helped me grow and learn a lot.
From the shark-tagging research trips, hammerhead dives, interacting with students and researchers, every day there was a new opportunity to learn. Working with the team taught me skills no classroom could, and I am grateful for that. Beyond research, I am passionate about science communication using art and outreach to bridge the gap between marine science and public awareness.
BALIE FADOOL
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Timezone: CDT
Languages: English
Available for in-person and/or online events
Baylie is a master's student and teaching assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in The Lamp Lab with Dr. Rene Martin. She received her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) in December 2020. Following her graduation, she got an internship at the Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation (BBFSF) that turned into a 3-year position as the Media Manager and Outreach Coordinator. In these positions, she did underwater photography for BBFSF, ran and designed educational programs, and assisted with all research activities while also publishing her own research on nurse shark age and growth.
Baylie continues to collaborate with BBFSF now for her master's project investigating the population genetics of nurse sharks in The Bahamas. See more about her research here.
Baylie is extremely passionate about science communication and education and is excited to be a part of the ambassador program.
EMILY CORMIER
Location: Halifax, Canada
Timezone: ADT
Languages: English, French
Available for in-person and /or online events
As a Canadian growing up in a central province, Emily had little access to the ocean. However, through exploration of nature in her own backyard, plenty of ocean documentaries and books, and endless curiosity, Emily developed a love for the ocean at an early age. Originally completing a bachelor's degree in environmental science with work in community stream monitoring, nearshore fish surveys, and caribou nutritional studies, Emily has been focused on connecting people to nature while also understanding human impacts on local species. To feed her curiosity about marine biology, Emily interned at the Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation (BBFSF) in 2018, where she swam with sharks for the first time and where her passion for sharks and rays truly began. From then on, Emily made it her mission to dispel common myths about sharks at any opportunity, to increase the likelihood that others would also share her interest in protecting these vulnerable species. She returned to BBFSF for a second internship as a project leader in 2020, where her trip was interrupted by the pandemic.
Upon returning home, Emily focused on pursuing a master's in marine biology, which she completed at Dalhousie University in 2024 in collaboration with BBFSF. Her master's project focused on assessing changes in seagrass and mangrove extent in Bimini from 1999 to 2020 using satellite imagery, and connecting this to the long-term lemon shark survival dataset from BBFSF's mark-recapture project. Her thesis showed some of the important connections between human modifications of coastal habitat and Bimini's ecology. Now shifting focus to coastal ecology research in Canada, Emily continues to talk about sharks, not only the most famously misunderstood, like the white shark, but also the other beautiful species that exist offshore in her current home of Halifax, like the blue shark, porbeagle and the dogfish!
DYLAN BAKER
Location: California, USA
Timezone: PST
Languages: English
Available for in-person and/or online events
Dylan’s relationship with the Bimini Shark Lab began back in 2021, where he was fortunate enough to be accepted as an intern, even though his background was more tailored towards the medical field. Following his internship, he was hired as a station assistant for the BBSFS, where he not only facilitated various station operations and assisted with outreach and research endeavors, but also extended his support to address medical issues. This early exposure to marine environments laid a solid foundation for his future endeavors and gave him the push he needed to continue down a career of marine biology.
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After his time in the Bahamas, Dylan completed his master’s degree at James Cook University (JCU), where he worked alongside the Queensland Shark Control Program trialing innovative technologies to reduce shark mortality while ensuring beachgoer safety. His work also investigated the biotic and abiotic factors which influenced mortality of caught tiger sharks, bull sharks, and the understudied pigeye shark. This research underscored his commitment to advancing both safety and conservation efforts.
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In addition to his own research, Dylan has amassed significant research experience with sea turtles, both in the lab and in the field. As a team leader for a prominent sea turtle research group, Dylan assisted in understanding the behavior and health of juvenile loggerhead turtles as well as aid with ongoing tagging and tracking work of green sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef. Furthermore, Dylan has collaborated with Biopixels Ocean Foundation, assisting in tagging sharks across various islands on the Great Barrier Reef, contributing to vital data collection and conservation strategies.
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As Dylan looks ahead, he is excited to embark on a new chapter in his academic career. Beginning next year, he will commence his PhD studies, focusing on small-scale fisheries and cryptic elasmobranch conservation which will see him return to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
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Dylan Baker's dedication to marine conservation and research continues to drive his academic and professional pursuits, but he also loves furthering this passion in future generations through outreach. He is ecstatic about the opportunity to continue to connect with his friends at the Bimini Shark Lab and share the word about all the incredible work the lab has done and will continue to do.