Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)
Multi-hyphenate #LatinainSTEM
TV presenter
Author
Wildlife educator & marine scientist 🦈
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)🐟 Understanding the #SocialEquity Challenges of #Fishery Improvement Projects - Report by CEA Consulting and @wwf-ocean.bsky.social. Who benefits and who gets left behind❓ How can we ensure stronger #Inclusion & fairer value chains❓ 🔗 tinyurl.com/ycxhdtnc
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)How do we ensure nature has the investment needed to restore it? Join us at #WildSummitUK on 11 September for a session on green finance with @shaunspiers1.bsky.social, @wwf.org.uk’s Karen Ellis, Baroness Kathy Willis & Kerry ten Kate of Finance Earth Book via wildsummituk.eventbrite.co.uk 🎟️
- www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Why A Shark’s Pancreas Could Rewrite Immunology New research reveals that nurse shark pancreases function as secondary lymphoid organs, helping produce antibodies and mount immune responses, challenging what we know about vertebrate immunity.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)@melissacmarquez.bsky.social Galaxy just finished your Wild Survival book, Crocodile Rescue. She loved it!
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)In honor of today's humidity in Wisconsin, it's a Florida coastal species, the Permit. I don't know anything about it but I picked it because of that freaky little face. #SundayFishSketch
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)#SundayFishSketch #WIP Started a new study for the walking shark, belatedly for #SharkWeek. Working on this between pain management & deadlines, will update more when I can! 🐡 #art #artists #SciArt #fish #FishArt #sketch #illustration #DisabledArtists #NatureArt #wildlife #WildlifeArt #ArtYear
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Sharkpedia! "This #podcast is a great and friendly way to reach a general audience and not too science-y and difficult to understand." integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2025/07/24/s... with cohost @curlybiologist.bsky.social ICB co author of doi.org/10.1093/icb/... #SharkWeek
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)I never thought to see something like this in my lifetime, what a profound joy
- Well, I'll be damned. It's royalty free and there's already six, generic manufacturers lined up. newatlas.com/infectious-d...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)I heard it was also #SharkWeek and couldn't get the idea of a neon-filled whale shark mouth out of my mind. #Art
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)I’m a marine biologist in film. I wear red beanie hats, live on a luxury sailboat, and am studying how to communicating with whales.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)A handful of my snailfish prints are now available in my Ko-fi shop. It's a little fundraiser to pay for vet bills 🐕. #SundayFishSketch 🐡 #deepsea 🐟 --- Ein paar meiner Tiefseefisch-Drucke sind jetzt verfügbar in meinem Ko-fi Shop. Kleiner Tierarzt-Fundraiser ;) #kleinekunstklasse
- Ocean Warming Throws Angelshark Mating Out Of Sync www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... As ocean temperatures rise, female angelsharks are skipping breeding grounds to avoid heat stress, disrupting reproduction in an already Critically Endangered species.
- Do Sharks Really ‘Play Dead’? The Complicated Truth About Tonic Immobility. www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... New research suggests tonic immobility in sharks might be a leftover behavior with no clear modern-day function, lost by some species but not others.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Further coverage, this time in the latest Forbes column from #Shark researcher @melissacmarquez.bsky.social is about The paper from @dr-yannis.bsky.social discussing how #torpedorays use their #electricshock to repel predatory #whitesharks and #tigersharks share.google/t5IwiaVw4Wk1...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Thanks @melissacmarquez.bsky.social for writing a great story on our recently published paper! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
- To Save Sharks, We Need Smarter Fishing Rules www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... A new study shows retention bans help, but smarter, more targeted conservation measures are needed.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)After seeing so much mola art in Hualien 花蓮，of course it had to be a sharptail mola 曼波魚 Masturus lanceolatus for my #TaiwanFishes #SundayFishSketch today! Hualien has somehow catapulted this species into a local mascot, although negative effects of increased harvests are TBD. #Taiwan #台灣魚類 🦑🐡🧪
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Do the aphids have any idea what is about to happen? (Hippodamia convergens ladybird beetle, lining up behind a herd of Aphis nerii oleander aphids. Arizona)
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Study finds A.I. LLMs advise women to ask for lower salaries than men. When prompted w/ a user profile of same education, experience & job role, differing only by gender, ChatGPT advised the female applicant to request $280K salary; Male applicant=$400K. thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Remember, a first draft's only job is to exist
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Last night at moth night we saw a bunch of Eastern Small Footed Bats hanging out in the rafters of a gazebo. Bats are so cute 😭
- Why Even Sharks Avoid Electric Rays www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Despite the size and strength of sharks, electric rays may have one of the most effective defenses in the ocean: electric shocks.
- Why Even Sharks Avoid Electric Rays www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Despite the size and strength of sharks, electric rays may have one of the most effective defenses in the ocean—electric shocks.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Species Highlight: Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus ocellatus) 🦅 The name "eagle ray" refers to the ray's distinctive V-shaped snout, which resembles a bird’s beak. Interested in learning more about sharks, rays and chimaeras? Join us at #SI2026! 🔗 si2026.org
- What Basking Sharks Tell Us About The Climate Crisis www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... New research shows basking sharks are more flexible in their movements and thermal tolerance than previously thought, which may help them survive climate change.
- Why A Shark’s Pancreas Could Rewrite Immunology www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... New research reveals that nurse shark pancreases function as secondary lymphoid organs, helping produce antibodies and mount immune responses, challenging what we know about vertebrate immunity.
- Tracking Sharks Around A South Pacific Island www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Even in a small area like Norfolk Island, sharks sort out who goes where and when, showing us just how complex and flexible their ecological roles really are.
- Shark Trust Announces 2025 Photography Winners www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... On Shark Awareness Day, the Shark Trust unveils the 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year winners, highlighting stunning images from around the world.
- To Save Sharks, We Need Smarter Fishing Rules www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... A new study shows retention bans help, but smarter, more targeted conservation measures are needed.
- One year after my little boy’s birth, I find myself grappling with a mix of emotions — joy, loss, love — and a deep reflection on the shifting sands of identity. melissacristinamarquez.substack.com/p/coming-hom...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)I've been told that two of the ten spots for the optional field component of this course- which is in November in Miami- are already full. If you want to do that part, sign up ASAP! You'll get to live on a research vessel with me and practice some field shark research skills.
- 🌊 “A Logo i Tai, Ua Logo i Uta” — what is felt in the ocean is felt on the land. American Samoa is saying NO to deep seabed mining. This is about justice, sovereignty & protecting what matters. ✊🏽 Stand with them. Sign the petition: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)“Shark Whisperer” Villainizes Native Hawaiians Like Me |
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Everybody needs a couple "ew look at this" friends. Today @jeffday.bsky.social is my "ew look at this" friend because it's deep sea related. www.livescience.com/animals/fish...
- International Proposals Aim To Stop Shark Extinction Spiral www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Scientists and governments are calling for the strongest international protections yet for sharks and rays, citing unsustainable trade as a key threat.
- What Basking Sharks Tell Us About The Climate Crisis www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... New research shows basking sharks are more flexible in their movements and thermal tolerance than previously thought, which may help them survive climate change.
- 🌊 “A logo i tai, ua logo i uta” — What is felt in the ocean is felt on land. 📢 Sign the Petition to Oppose Deep Seabed Mining in American Samoa / Petición para oponerse a la minería en Samoa Americana docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)My first tetrapod body fossil was this Mastodonsaurus fang from the Muschelkalk of Southern Poland. The thrill of being the first to see something for hundreds of millions of years is cosmically fulfilling
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Another Antarctic Vanadis-a phyllodocid worm showin' off some big ol' orange peepers! #wormwednesday www.inaturalist.org/observations...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Appropriate to bring this combo back before I see the new dinosaur movie on Wednesday 🦖
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)MPAtlas June 2025 Update! ✅ Fully or highly protected zones: 2.7% of ocean area 📊 1,126 zones/ 11.1% of the global ocean assessed 🐬 Explore the full interactive map at mpatlas.org
- CITES Proposals Aim To Stop Shark Extinction Spiral Scientists and governments are calling for the strongest international protections yet for sharks and rays, citing unsustainable trade as a key threat. www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...
- Guatemala’s Shark Meat Trade Exposed www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... During Lent, shark meat demand spikes in Guatemala. But where does it come from, and what species are we eating? This study finally gives answers.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Further coverage, this time by @forbes.com columnist & #shark researcher @melissacmarquez.bsky.social, about the new paper on #hammerheadsharks using #BiscaneBay, #Florida as a #nursery Column quotes @drcatmac.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)New online! The status, threats and conservation of Critically Endangered species
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)The @aquariumpacific.bsky.social's Pacific Pals social media takeover of #NHMLA continues! How many of these spots have you visited? Catch up with the rest of our adventures by following along on Instagram and YouTube: instagram.com/p/DLVJ8bkxRlA/
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Bumping to the Fishes! and Science feeds.🐟🧪
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Did you know that today is National Catfish Day? There are more than 5,500 described catfish species—that means that roughly one out of every 12 or 13 vertebrate species is a type of catfish! 🧵
- How ‘Jaws’ Sank Shark Conservation Before It Began www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Shark numbers are down more than 70% since the 1970s, and the economic and ecological fallout is now impossible to ignore.
- How Miami’s Waters Are A Lifeline For Hammerheads A study from the University of Miami reveals great hammerhead sharks use Biscayne Bay through multiple life stages, despite growing environmental pressures. www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)"The road to repairing sharks’ reputations [post-Jaws] has been long and full of obstacles, and in many ways, it’s a blueprint for how we might reframe other misunderstood or maligned species."
- How Sharks Got Their Reputation Back From “Jaws” www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Once feared as villains, sharks are now key players in a $314 million global tourism industry.
- I just finished David Attenborough's latest, OCEANS, and after I finish blowing my nose and wiping away my tears I HAVE THOUGHTS I WANNA SHARE as a marine educator, science communicator, person & (new) mami.
- Phew. Okay. Watching OCEANS, narrated by the incomparable Sir David Attenborough, was as breathtaking as it was heartbreaking. (Isn't all of his stuff?) The cinematography alone is stunning.
- The natural history unit has done it once again by showcasing everything from the vivid tapestry that are coral reefs, to the lushness of seagrass beds and kelp forests to fragility of the deep sea & vast blue horizons. Like BRAVO everyone!
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View full threadTo make them realise why we need to protect & conserve it. Not just for their sake but for the sake of future children and their children. Everyone deserves a healthy, flourishing planet. OCEANS made me more convinced of that than anything else today.
- How Sharks Got Their Reputation Back From “Jaws” www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Once feared as villains, sharks are now key players in a $314 million global tourism industry.
- Quick favor to ask of my followers: Does anyone follow or know of any myrmecologists (people who study ants)? My little cousin wants to grow up to study and discover ant species and I would love to put him in touch with someone in the field so he can learn a little bit more about it. Gracias!
- The Hidden Language Of Shark Scars www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Decades of shark photos are helping scientists decode the hidden life history of white sharks, starting with their scars.
- Fore! The Most Unexpected Hazard In Disc Golf History: Falling Sharks. www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... A routine game of disc golf turned surreal when a hammerhead shark fell from the sky, dropped by a harassed osprey above Myrtle Beach.
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)A recently published study based on fieldwork in northwest Vietnam shows how even small hydropower projects can have a large impact on communities. With an increase in small hydropower projects, residents of Bien La commune report loss of farmlands, fishing, local jobs and culture.
- These Sharks Aren’t Gone, Just Harder To Find Despite past reports of steep decline, changes in fishing behavior suggest Wales’ elusive angelshark may be faring better than feared. www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...
- Reposted by Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her/ella)Four dams are now down on the Upper Klamath River in northern California in the largest river restoration project in U.S. history. But a rarely mentioned cold-water creek is essential to restoring health to what was once the third-largest salmon run on the West Coast of North America.
- Jaws Anniversary Coincides With Real-Life Shark Sighting In Rhode Island www.forbes.com/sites/meliss... Diners were treated to an unexpected nature show when a harmless basking shark swam through a Block Island pond.
