Check out our recent chat with Jeff Guertin, Environmental Specialist, with Inwater Research Group. The mission of Inwater Research Group is to promote the conservation of coastal habitats and marine life through scientific research and education.
What is your background?
- Jeff earned a B.S. in Biology from George Washington University in 2005 and an M.S. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University in 2010. He has always been interested in marine biology and animal behavior and fell into working with turtles because he was chosen as an advisor who was an animal behavior working with sea turtles.
How does Inwater Research Group contribute to ocean conservation?
- Our various research projects help to increase our understanding of sea turtle life history, demography, population status, health, and threats in order to promote the conservation of sea turtle species and their habitats. In addition to scientific publications, the data collected enables our education team to disseminate this information to the public at large in an easy-to-digest format.
What is your favorite part of your job?
- Jeff's favorite part of his job is seeing tag return data. Since sea turtles don't inhabit entire ocean basins, he loves to see the inter-connectedness of researchers worldwide when one of the turtles we encounter ends up at study sites in other states or countries.
What are your future goals with your position as an environmental specialist?
- Jeff and his team hope to increase the number of species they work with as they grow as an organization.
What advice would you give to others?
- Volunteer or intern to get as much experience in a variety of fields as possible. Funding for field research is extremely limited so having a broad skill set will enable one to be as marketable as possible.
What gives you inspiration?
- The resiliency of the ocean even with all the harm humans have induced.
You can learn more about Inwater Research Group by visiting their website and by shopping our sea turtle collections that give back to their work!