This week, MBARI hosted marine science students and early-career professionals from the Monterey Area Research Institutions’ Network for Education (MARINE) for an immersive day of networking and professional development with peers from across Monterey Bay.

The MARINE program connects graduate students and early-career professionals in the Monterey Bay area through interdisciplinary networking and professional development activities. The network brings together students and faculty from seven organizations for mentoring and skills development that will help shape future ocean leaders. Members include California State University, Monterey Bay, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Naval Postgraduate School, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

The MARINE Connections Colloquium at MBARI on October 29 offered a full day of lightning talks, panels, and networking for local marine science graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, new faculty, and science communicators. Roughly 75 participants attended the colloquium to share snapshots of current research projects, spark new collaborations, and learn about ocean career opportunities. In addition to students from the MARINE network, researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, NOAA, and USGS also participated in the colloquium.

The event was co-organized by MBARI Graduate Research Assistant Anik Grearson, who is a co-chair of the MARINE committee, a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz, and a member of MBARI’s Biodiversity and Biooptics Team. Grearson presented a lightning talk about her research to understand the evolution of deep-sea ctenophores. MBARI Science Communication Fellow Rose Dalrymple and MBARI Postdoctoral Fellow Olívia Soares Pereira participated in panel discussions about ocean career pathways. The event concluded with an inspiring keynote address from MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius.

MBARI is committed to fostering the next generation of ocean explorers. We strive to make ocean science and engineering careers accessible to all. Events like the MARINE Connections Colloquium help spark curiosity and collaboration and give future ocean leaders the skills needed to advance ocean science and conservation.