Megan Beazley

About Meg

My name is Megan Beazley, and I am originally from Los Angeles, California. I grew up by the ocean and fell in love with the underwater world while snorkelling in the kelp forests during a 7^th grade field trip to Catalina island. I went on to obtain my bachelor’s degree in biology with a marine biology specialization at Oregon State University (OSU). While at OSU, I studied intertidal ecology on the coast of Oregon at Hatfield Marine Science Center.

I also spent a semester abroad on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, where I learned scientific diving techniques and received an introduction to coral reef ecology. After graduating from OSU, I spent two years as an education volunteer for both the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and the Santa Barbara Sea Center. During these volunteer positions, I discovered my love for teaching others about the ocean and its inhabitants. After taking a few years off from school, I returned to pursue my master’s degree in marine biology and ecology at James Cook University (JCU) in Australia.

My studies at JCU gave me a more in-depth understanding of coral reef biology and ecology as well as a diversity of topics including fisheries management, conservation, and estuarine ecology. I spent my final semester doing my own research project, which involved developing a method of quantifying estuarine habitat composition and configuration to determine if these metrics could be used to predict fish assemblage structure within estuaries.

After completing my master’s degree, I travelled to the Caribbean to work as a marine science instructor for a company called Broadreach. I spent the summer of 2018 living on a 45-foot catamaran with a skipper, diver instructor, and 12 high school students as we sailed to St. Martin, St. Barts, St. Kitts, Statia, and Saba. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching marine science to my students and seeing their faces as they experienced coral reefs first-hand while diving. Due to the seasonality of this job, I was seeking another outdoor education job or learning experience when I found the Marine Dynamics’ scientific internship.

This internship provides the opportunity to learn more about megafauna like great white sharks and southern right whales, while teaching practical field-based skills such as photography, shark tagging, and data collection techniques. I hope to use these new skills to become a better scientist and educator. I am working toward a career where I can share my passion for marine ecosystems with younger generations while also teaching them about threats to the ocean and strategies to mitigate these threats.

Through education and policy change, we can strive to sustain the ocean’s beauty and services for the future.