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
EMMA BEAVER
Location: Bimini, The Bahamas
Timezone: EST
Languages: English
Available for in-person and /or online events
Growing up living near freshwater ecosystems led to a life on the rivers and lakes of Oregon. This proximity and accessibility to the natural environment was a privilege that Emma grew up wanting to protect and share with others. She graduated from the University of Redlands in Southern California, with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Health, Medicine, and Society. Emma’s degree was an interdisciplinary take on sustainability and environmental health, studying vulnerable coastal communities and environmental resilience.
Her time in undergrad and within the last couple of years has been full of new places around the world, always driven by an interest to be on or near the ocean. She had followed along with the Shark Lab since high school, and in September of 2024, she began her internship. Since then, Emma has returned to Bimini to help out with the many tasks that the field station requires, but specifically with Outreach and Education. The Shark Lab has offered Emma the unique opportunity to expose people to sharks, challenge misconceptions, and share her love not only for the species, but also for the waters humans interact with, harvest from, and depend on.
EMILY COMBER
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Timezone: AEST
Languages: English
Available for in-person and /or online events
Emily grew up in Melbourne, Australia. With her parents being zookeepers, she was always surrounded by weird and wonderful animals and from a very young age there was never a question that she would work with them in the future. After graduating high school she worked with Australian terrestrial animals including reptiles, birds, small mammals and invertebrates, but always had a keen passion for sharks and the marine world. Growing up snorkelling on Australia's south east coast and spending much of her free time learning about marine life through podcasts and documentaries, she learnt about the BBFSF and kept a sharp eye out for internship opportunities.
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After a long stint of travel she joined the Shark Lab as an intern at the end of 2023, where she fell in love with the field work and public education, helping to dispel myths about sharks and increase awareness of the need for their conservation. Taking over the role as Outreach Coordinator in 2024 allowed Emily to grow in this area, attending public conservation events, online presentations to students of all ages and guiding local tours at the shark lab, she had the chance to watch people’s view of sharks change as they learned a little more about them.
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Emily is now returning to Australia where she will begin her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology and Zoology at the University of Western Australia in Perth. She is excited to gain more in depth knowledge of marine and terrestrial animals and focus on their conservation efforts worldwide. Her hope is to apply this knowledge in different areas around the globe, allowing her to experience new places while working in a field she is passionate about and spreading education on the important topic of wildlife conservation.
MADDALENA POLLA
Location: Bimini, The Bahamas
Timezone: EST
Languages: English, Italian
Available for in-person and /or online events
Maddy is originally from a small town by the sea in Northern Italy, where her deep connection to the ocean began early. She went on to study in the Netherlands, graduating from a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at Leiden University. While her academic path wasn’t the typical route into marine conservation, it gave her a well-rounded perspective on environmental issues.
Feeling a bit lost after graduating and eager to explore, Maddy traveled to Australia, where she had the chance to crew on a sailing boat along the wild shores of New South Wales. It was there, immersed in nature and surrounded by marine life, that her passion for the ocean transformed into a strong curiosity for marine ecosystems and a determination to help protect them. After returning home, she interned with WWF, where she saw firsthand the importance of community engagement and environmental education. This experience reinforced her desire to contribute meaningfully to environmental conservation efforts. That journey eventually brought her to the Bimini Biological Field Station (Shark Lab), where she was a Doc Gruber Scholarship recipient and joined as an intern in 2024.
During her time at the Lab, she immersed herself in Bimini’s unique environment, learning as much as she could about sharks, research methods, and conservation strategies. Now, after being home for a while, Maddy is very happy to be back in Bimini, joining the Lab’s efforts in outreach, conservation, and shark research.
ILIJAH LEWIS
Location: Trinidad
Timezone: AST
Languages: English
Available for in-person and/or online events
Ilijah Louis is an aspiring marine biologist who loves to get his hands on research work, even if it means getting them dirty. A strong proponent of hands-on teaching, he takes every opportunity to get involved in practical learning. His academic background is in ocean sciences. To date, he has participated in several research projects across a variety of study areas including benthic ecology, phytoplankton, ecology, shark tagging, shark physiology research, coral restoration, coral dendrochronology and coral ontogeny. He is a proud recipient of the Doc Gruber Memorial Scholarship, which kicked off his time as an intern at the Shark Lab in 2021. He subsequently stayed on until 2023 as a Research Technician getting involved in all that lab has to offer.
Born, raised and living in Trinidad and Tobago, he has also spent time in the Caribbean island of Antigua. He hopes to travel more, especially to pursue opportunities to research marine environments. Currently, he can be found working on vessels doing Protected Species Observations or Passive Acoustic Monitoring.
He also loves photography, having been exposed to it from an early age as both his parents are avid photographers. This coupled with his devotion for the marine environment the perfect tapestry against which he can hone his skills. From his time in Bimini, he has had the opportunity to swim and photograph a variety of elasmobranchs from great hammerheads to tiny yellow tails, the list is expansive.
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
Luke was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Growing up, he always had a keen interest in sharks and all things aquatic. After high school, he obtained a diploma as a Fish and Wildlife Technician and spent several seasons working in fisheries. He then completed an undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University. Luke now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and works in the ecotourism industry where he educates the general public about the marine life in the area.
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Luke completed an internship with the Shark Lab several years ago and fell in love with the work that being done, 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, Luke has been returning to the Shark Lab during the winter to help out wherever needed.
He super excited to be collaborating with the Shark Lab for the Global 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: Maldives
Timezone: MVT
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.
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
Zainab admires the ocean in all its complexity. It is turbulent yet serene, vast yet mysterious; the many splendors of the sea fascinate her. She grew up looking out of the window of her home in Mumbai, India, wondering what lay under the surface of the Arabian Sea. Zain's fascination with marine life led her 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. Her time at the Shark Lab felt like a dream! On her first dive with the Shark Lab she saw more sharks than she had seen in her 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 her 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 her skills no classroom could, and she is grateful for that.
Beyond research, Zainab is passionate about science communication using art and outreach to bridge the gap between marine science and public awareness.
BAYLIE 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.