Protecting Ocean Giants: Meet Dr Andrea Marshall
By Grace Barbara
Dr. Andrea Marshall was drawn to the ocean at a young age and steadily developed her passion for marine science, leading to her work in marine megafauna and the formation of her non-governmental organization (NGO) the Marine Megafauna Foundation.
The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) aims to save ocean giants from extinction and Dr. Marshall founded the MMF because she wanted to create an organization whose values and goals that aligned with her own, including being devoted to field work. Marine megafauna includes large sharks and rays, bony fishes, and turtles and these animals face immediate threats due to anthropogenic pressures such as bycatch, direct fishing and hunting, and loss of habitat, additionally, their various biological constraints, such as long gestation times and small birth liter sizes, make it difficult for populations to rebound.
Dr. Marshall shares that: “it’s incredibly important to work with local communities if you are striving to create lasting change,” which is why she has started marine education programs for youth in local communities. The goals of these educational programs are to better connect individuals to the ocean, hoping that these students will develop an understanding of, and a passion for, the ocean and be more inclined to aid and support conservation efforts in the future.
She has also invested her time in advising young scientists. As she guides young scientists down their paths, she tries to instill in her advisees that you can’t always do things on your own, something that she has learned throughout her career. “You don’t have to be fighting each other as conservationists to get the job done,” instead: ask for help, work with others, and don’t let the pressure of making your mark bog you down. Dr. Marshall is passionate about helping young scientists as she did not always have the same support during her early career. When discussing her experience as a female marine scientist, Dr. Marshall shares: “It’s been difficult. It was very difficult to gain respect, initially. They would push me in a different direction, so I had to work hard [to become a marine scientist]. A lot of sexual harassment along the way, and it’s not just me, so many women feel the same way, but at the same time I feel like being a woman has so many advantages. We are a lot stronger and a lot more capable than people think. It is a struggle every single day, but it’s definitely one worth fighting for.” Aside from being one of the leading marine biologists working on sharks and rays, Dr. Marshall prides herself in her roles as a mother and a wife and shared with us the difficulties of balancing her roles as a mother and a scientist. She shared that life can be exhausting at times, but that she is proud to have her daughter see the critical work that she is doing, which makes it a little easier to spend her days in the field.
A few of Dr. Marshall’s inspirations include Sylvia Earle and Eugenie Clark who had such an impact on the exploration of the ocean as women. “They had so little resources in terms of technology, but did so much,” Dr. Marshall shares. With today’s technologies, Dr. Marshall is very excited about the future of conservation work. MMF now studies the movement of mantas uses telemetry, an impossible feat during Earl and Clark’s days. Dr. Marshall believes that using AI, specialized algorithm, critter cameras, and more is the future of mainstreaming conservation.
During the pandemic, despite COVID-19 disrupting the research and funding of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Dr. Marshall was able to focus her efforts on Mozambique solely, providing the resources back to the place that has inspired it all. “We got really excited. We were able to build momentum that we hadn’t had in ages,” she adds. Dr. Marshall’s research has found various behavioral similarities between mantas at different geographical locations around the world, which can help local governments better understand how to protect these gentle giants and educate the general public.
Overall, Dr. Marshall and the Marine Megafauna Foundation are working hard to protect the world’s ocean giants. Learn more about Dr. Andrea Marshall and the Marine Megafauna Foundation at https://marinemegafauna.org and follow Dr. Marshall on Instagram @queenofmantas