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Melissa is available to speak on the topics of marine biology, sharks and their relatives, being a woman in STEM, scientific literacy, and equality in STEM. Previous audiences have included students and teachers K-12, university students, educational administrators, and the general public. She can cater her talk to your specific audience, and below are the topics that she has spoken on before.
  • Ocean and Plastic: How we're choking our life source. USF 2018.
  • The Fintastic World of Sharks: Australia. Sydney Science Festival. 2017.
  • The Fintastic World of Sharks: New Zealand. Lower Hutt STEM Week. 2017.
  • Sharks and Female Scientists: More Alike Than You Think. TEDx Wellington. 2017.​
  • Sarasota Fins: Inspiring the next generation of marine scientists. Florida Marine Educators Association Conference. 2015.​
  • Sharks: Education & Conservation. Oral presentation. Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures & Marine Life Art Gallery. 2014.
  • Bringing the Ocean into the Classroom. MOTE Marine Laboratory Youth Ocean Conservation Summit. 2014. 

CHECK OUT HER 2017 TEDX TALK HERE

"I heard her speak on a stage, I was captivated by her words, blown away by her spirit and had goosebumps with every sentence she spoke..."
​-TEDx fan Jamie Nielson

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS

  • Lessons from Sharks. WonderWomen in STEM Virtual Summit. Keynote Speaker. 2018.
  • How To Use Podcasting To Protect The Ocean. International Marine Conservation Congress. 2018.
  • Do it for the 'gram: How scientists can utilize the best of Instagram. International Marine Conservation Congress. 2018.
  • Who lives, who dies, who tells their story: sharks through various culture lenses and how policy reflects that perception. International Marine Conservation Congress. 2018.
  • Oceans. International Kids Marine Conservation Congress Plenary Speaker. 2018.
  • Who lives, who dies, who tells their story: sharks through various culture lenses and how policy reflects that perception. BioTweeps Conference 2018.
  • Defining Habitats and Habitat Use for Chondrichthyans. BioTweeps Conference 2017.
  • Come Find Me: Defining Habitats and Habitat Use for Chondrichthyans. Oral presentation. ASFB-OCS Joint Conference. 2016.
  • Habitat Use in Chondrichthyans. Oral presentation. New Zealand Marine Sciences Society and Australian Marine Sciences Association Joint Conference. 2016.
  • Biology, Ecology and Conservation of Elasmobranchs. Poster presentation. Annual Symposium of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles. 2015.​
  • Opening panel for the Florida Marine Educators Association Conference. 2015.
  • Sex specific differences in habitat use and migratory behavior shown in great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in South Africa. Oral/poster presentation. New Scholars New College. 2014.
  • Habitat Ecology of the Florida Scrub Jay. Oral/poster presentation. FLTWS-FLEPPC. Spring Conference. 2014.
Presentations can be tailored to various audience demographics and preferences. If you are interested in booking Melissa for a speaking engagement, please contact melissacristinamarquez@gmail.com