Our next volunteer profile is Deborah! Deb was born in Brazil and raised in sunny South Florida where she lives now and works as a veterinary technician.
Have you always been interested in sharks?
I have always cared about sharks since I can remember.
Other than researching and saving sharks, what are your favorite hobbies?
I love snorkeling out to my favorite secret spot, taking my dog Mako to the beach, attempting to skim, and scuba diving.
Why do you care about sharks?
I think sharks are SO interesting and I find it absolutely incredible how they have remained basically the same over the last few million years and are still top keystone species.
Why do you like being part of ASC?
I like being part of ASC because it’s like family, we all love sharks and have the same goal of making the world a better place for them.
What is your favorite shark and why?
Thresher sharks are my favorite because they are so beautiful!
What shark would you like to see in the wild?
I would like to see thresher or oceanic whitetip or shortfin mako. Do I have to pick only one?!
Were you ever scared of sharks?
Nope! just super curious about them!
Have you faced any challenges in your journey in shark and ocean conservation?
Due to the fact that I was born in Brazil, I wasn’t able to take part of the same opportunities Americans have when choosing the college they want to attend, and being able to travel outside of the United States for research opportunities. But ASC has opened the door for me to amazing impactful research right in my backyard, and I have met scientists and peers from around the world that share the same goals that I do in the marine science field.
Regarding sharks and conservation, what would be your dream job?
My dream job would be spending half of my year participating in research to answer different questions I have in regards to sharks breeding grounds, different senses, and behaviors and the other half of my year would be spent in the lab analyzing the data I have collected!
