Melissa Cristina Márquez

Known as the "Mother of Sharks," Melissa Cristina Márquez is a Latina marine biologist who has a lot of labels: science communicator, conservationist, author, educator, podcaster, television presenter. You might have seen her on Discovery Channel's Shark Week, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, heard her TEDx talk or read her Scholastic books. She often writes about sharks, the diverse people who work with them, and why both matter. As founder of The Fins United Initiative, a program that teaches audiences shark conservation and education, Márquez finds it vital that we learn to co-exist with these oceanic predators. That's why her research and outreach efforts largely revolve around human-wildlife interactions.