Participants - Speakers

ONC/NEPDEP

NEPDEP is a collaboration of scientists, communicators, and marine planning professionals from Federal and Indigenous governments, non-profit institutions, and academia. Our mission to discover, explore, and monitor life far below the waves for the conservation of these remarkable ecosystems is made possible through our shared work. We cultivate excellence through partnership, diversity, and inclusivity and enhance our understanding of the deep sea through different ways of knowing. The knowledge generated will guide the cooperative creation, management, and monitoring of effective conservation strategies for the region’s diverse habitats, species, and ecosystem functions. As a UN Ocean Decade and Challenger 150 endorsed project, NEPDEP contributes to global deep-sea knowledge and 30×30 efforts. Our work aligns with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and honors the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. NEPDEP members are from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Council of the Haida Nation, Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council, University of Victoria, Royal British Columbia Museum, and Ocean Networks Canada.

Callum Backstrom

Callum Backstrom is a graduate student (Masters-bypass Ph.D. track) at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. As a member of the Padilla-Gamiño lab, Callum studies the interactive effects of environmental stressors on reef coral symbiosis and reproduction. His research spans corals from shallow to mesophotic depths of Hawaiʻi and explores questions such as how heavy metals and microplastics are incorporated within corals during bleaching events. Callum’s most recent study, exploring the role of photosynthesis in reef corals of the mesophotic zone, was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B in February. Callum is involved in various outreach and science communication efforts at UW, including organizing educational exhibits for the public and illustrating programs for community events.

Samuel Georgian

Dr. Samuel Georgian is a deep-sea ecologist who studies cold-water corals, ecological modeling, and ocean conservation. He received his Ph.D. in Biology from Temple University in 2016, and a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Environmental Science from Hobart College in 2010. Sam has amassed over 100 days at sea on research expeditions, including field work in the Mediterranean Sea, central Pacific Ocean, California coast, and Gulf of Mexico. Most recently, he worked at Marine Conservation Institute as a marine biogeographer. His research focused on modeling the distribution of deep-sea organisms, seamount ecology, and the conservation of high seas ecosystems.

Ocean Exploration Trust

A pioneer of marine research, the Ocean Exploration Trust and Nautilus Exploration Program aim to explore the ocean and seek out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, archaeology, and chemistry while also pushing the boundaries of education, outreach, and technological innovation.

Dexter Davis

My name is Dexter Davis. I am a member of Sustainable Ocean Alliance Pacific Northwest (SOA PNW) and an artist with the Deep-Sea Biology Society (DSBS). I'm currently a master's student at Oregon State University (OSU) studying the role of macrofauna in filtering and assimilating methane at a methane seep in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.
I study chemosynthetic habitats (areas where chemicals are the base of the energy in a system as opposed to sunlight) in deep-sea and polar habitats. Before my master's degree, I spent two-and-a-half years working as a lab technician in a deep-sea invertebrate biology lab at Western Washington University (WWU). During this time, I participated in 6 deep-sea research cruises over 150 days, visiting hydrothermal vents and methane seeps in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico. We used a multitude of instrumentation to collect and research invertebrate larval dispersal, settlement, and distribution. I am passionate about protecting deep-sea biodiversity, and demystifying the process of studying the deep-sea.
If you are interested in seeing my art, please check out my DSBS profile.

Fathomverse

FathomVerse is a community science game that invites ocean enthusiasts to interact with real underwater images and improve the artificial intelligence that helps researchers study ocean life. The game combines immersive imagery, compelling gameplay, and cutting-edge science to inspire a new wave of ocean explorers. Available for free on the App Store and Google Play, FathomVerse empowers anyone with a smartphone or tablet to take part in ocean exploration and discovery.

International Ocean Film Festival

The mission of the International Ocean Film Foundation is to be the premier global platform for ocean literacy and education through film. Based in San Francisco and now celebrating its 22nd anniversary, the IOFF is a year-round ocean conservation organization using the power of independent film to raise awareness around the importance of our oceans. The flagship film festival will take place on April 11-13, 2025 featuring films, panel discussions and educational opportunities for middle school and high school students.

Sebastian Martinez

The focus of my research interests relates to the spatial distribution of deep-sea communities in relation to distinct features found on the seafloor. As a student at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, I worked as an undergraduate researcher at both the Deep-Sea Fish Ecology Lab and Benthic Ecology Lab, assisting in projects related to polymetallic nodule mining within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. My most recent research explored the composition and distribution of flat-topped seamount communities within the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument around Wake Atoll. I have also worked on other deep-sea projects with Hawai'i Pacific University, Rutgers University, and National Geographic Pristine Seas, and also participated as an at-sea data logger for the Ocean Exploration Trust during expeditions aboard the E/V Nautilus.

Jay Chavez

Jay Chavez (they/them) is a Seattle based playwright, educator, and all around theatre maker. Through the power of Red Bulls they earned a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University, concentrating in Directing, Dramatic Writing, and Education. They were crowned the unofficial title of Lil’ Miss Kennedy Center and Miss Kennedy Center Continental for their play “how to clean your room (and remember all your trauma)” which was awarded The KCACTF National Undergraduate Playwriting Award 2020 and the David Mark Cohen National Award in 2021. “how to clean” is featured in the Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays, a first of it’s kind anthology of Trans plays written by Trans playwrights for Trans people. It’s been over two decades and Jay is still chasing the knowledge of how wind works. They currently work as a Teaching Artist at Seattle Children’s Theatre teaching playwriting, sketch comedy, and acting. They also work at the Seattle Aquarium as a Marine Science Puppeteer, teaching kids and patrons empathy for marine creatures through the art of puppetry.

The following organizations have provided their support for this project, making our Deep Sea Conservation Festival possible.