Melissa Cristina Márquez

Melissa Cristina Márquez is a well-known Hispanic marine biologist whose research relates to sharks’ migratory patterns, habitat choice, and overall characteristics of sharks and their relatives. She was most known for being bitten by a crocodile on the discovery channel, which gave her notoriety, but why is she an important figure to know? I chose to make my blog post about Melissa, because very similar to her, I found sharks to be such fascinating creatures to learn about and observe. As a child, I was aspiring to become a marine biologist to show others that sharks aren’t as evil as they seem. So finding out that a Hispanic woman was trying to accomplish a goal that I once had is inspiring, but what sucks is that there aren’t many Hispanic or LatinX people in the maritime industry besides those in the Navy. Still, I was able to find a Hispanic person who had the same interests as me and accomplished her goals. She had to move past all of the hardships she had to deal with because of her race. Her story makes me wanna push myself further and achieve the plans I have in mind now. Nothing can stop me if I put my mind to it.

For more information about Melissa, check out her website here to know more about her and her journey: https://www.melissacristinamarquez.com/.

Kendall, VO-3 Coastal Piloting and Seamanship