109. Interview with ‘Mother of Sharks’ Melissa Cristina Márquez

Let's Talk SciComm

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Welcome to Season 15 of Let’s Talk SciComm. We’re so thrilled to be back with another season after a bit of a break.

To get the season off to a wonderful start, we’re VERY excited to chat with the incredible Melissa Cristina Márquez. Melissa, (AKA Mother of Sharks) is a bilingual Latina marine scientist, science communicator, and award-winning author currently pursuing her PhD. Melissa’s scientific research focuses on the ecology, conservation, and public perception of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays), with a particular interest in how science can inform more equitable conservation policies. She has worked with a range of species across the globe, from tiger sharks in the Bahamas to Greenland sharks in the Arctic fjords of Svalbard. In addition to her scientific work, Melissa is an internationally recognized science communicator dedicated to making science more inclusive, accessible, and engaging. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, and Forbes Science, where she is a regular contributor. She has appeared as a host and expert on programs for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, NatGeo, and Animal Planet, and is a TEDx speaker, with her talk “Sharks and Female Scientists: More Alike Than You Think” challenging stereotypes in science and media.

Melissa is also a passionate author of children’s literature, including the middle-grade Wild Survival! series (published by Scholastic), Mother of Sharks and Sea of Constellations (both available in English and Spanish and published by Penguin Random House), as well as the forthcoming Leo's Lobo and Coral Keeper, and ocean-themed board books for babies and toddlers. Her stories combine adventure, education, and empowerment to encourage young readers — especially those from underrepresented communities! — to connect with nature and science. She also provides free, multilingual resources to educators and the public to foster greater understanding and appreciation of wildlife and nature. She has been invited to speak at global platforms such as the United Nations, the National Academy of Sciences, Oxford University, the University of Western Australia Global Leader Experience, and the National Science Policy Symposium. Through these avenues, she advocates for greater diversity in STEM, equitable conservation, and culturally relevant science communication. A proud Puerto Rican and Mexican woman in STEM, Melissa uses her voice to champion intersectional environmentalism, inspire the next generation of ocean advocates, and reframe the public narrative around sharks and the scientists who study them.

You will absolutely love hearing about Melissa’s incredible passion for sharing her work with diverse audiences.

You can follow Melissa and learn more about her work here:

https://melissacmarquez.com

Melissa’s TEDx talks: Sharks & Female Scientists: More Alike than You Think and How your thoughts can protect sharks

https://www.instagram.com/melissacristinamarquez/

https://www.threads.com/@melissacristinamarquez

https://www.facebook.com/MelissaCristinaMarquez/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacmarquez/

Selected writing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/

You can find Melissa’s books here:

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/nj3p

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