Underwater with Dr. Shelby Thomas

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Introduction to Dr. Shelby Thomas. 2:07 min. Interview: Raymond Elman.  Post-Production: Lee Skye.  Recorded via Zoom.  3/3/2022, Miami.

 

Dr. SHELBY THOMAS, PhD (b.1996) is the CEO & Founder of Ocean Rescue Alliance International (OCAI).

Dr. Thomas is an ocean solutionist who specializes in marine conservation and restoration. She received her master’s degree in Marine Ecology and a PhD in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. She is an environmentalist and marine conservation leader who hopes to inspire others to protect our environment. Dr. Thomas has worked with various restoration projects including coral, sea grass, oyster, sea-urchin, and scallop restoration.

She is passionate about preserving our natural ecosystems and creating a foundation for their appreciation. Dr. Thomas has worked with over 40 different restoration projects around the world and continues to expand her scientific breadth. She was the head laboratory director for AMEC Foster Wheeler in Gainesville, overseeing and managing 7 different restoration projects. She has received various scholarly awards and accreditation such as Florida Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance NSF, McNair Fellow, Challenge 2050, and Aylesworth Scholar. She was awarded most inventive woman of the year, woman of the year, and top executive of the year at the Stevie Awards. Along with becoming a Tampa Titan.

Through her research and outreach, she plans to assist in conserving, restoring, and better managing our ecosystems. Dr. Thomas strives to make a lasting impact, conserving our environment while also improving people’s lives around the world.

The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 5  minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.

 

INTRODUCTION TO ORAI:   1:40 min.

Introduction to Ocean Rescue Alliance International (ORAI)

 

VALUES FIRST-RATE EDUCATION:   0:23 sec.

Give us a brief description of the three largest reef systems in the world.

 

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION:   1:53 min.

In the Western Hemisphere I am aware of reefs in the Atlantic Ocean but not the Pacific Ocean. Why is that?

 

CRITICAL THINKING:   1:48 min.

I have always been aware that only a small portion of the oceans have been explored. Why?

 

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND:   3:04 min.

Jules Verne fired up 19th century imaginations with books like “From the Earth to the Moon” and “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.” Since then there have been tons of imaginative books and movies about being in outer space, but comparatively few about being under the sea.

 

COLLABORATION:     0:51 sec.

I will introduce you to “artivist” Leonor Anthony, who is planning to make a movie about Climate Change.  See our ArtSpeak video conversation with Leonor Anthony discussing her residency on a tall ship in the Arctic.

 

UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE’S PERSPECTIVE:    4:33 min.

Being underwater on a reef is such a magical experience. Why is it important to use creative people to help generate interest in what’s below the surface?

 

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND:     4:48 min.

When did Florida’s reef system start to deteriorate?

 

UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE’S PERSPECTIVE:    0:45 sec.

How do visitors to Hollywood Beach find your coral marine parks?  View the “Guardians of the Reef” website.

 

COMMUNITY VALUES:    0:30 sec.

Have you worked with artist Carlos Betancourt (who was a cover person for a 2024 edition of ArtSpeak’s e-Magazine for iPads & iPhones)?  See our ArtSpeak video conversation with Betancourt.

 

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION:    3:16 min

What was your early in life engagement with the ocean? And when did you move from the surface to underwater?

 

SELF-CONFIDENCE:    0:41 sec.

I surfed Ballston Beach on Cape Cod from 1970 to 2012 when great white sharks took over. Have you been diving with great whites?

 

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND:    2:53 min.

Describe some of your ocean conservation programs for kids.

 

DEVELOP A VOICE:    1:40 min

You are such a terrific spokesperson for ORAI. Did you have formal training?

 

OPTIMISM:    4:12 min.

My longtime friend and surfer buddy, Jim Gilbert, was one of the founders of the International SeaKeepers Society, and he was the first person to alert me to Climate Change, telling me it was already too late to save the planet. Do you share his pessimism?

 

UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE’S PERSPECTIVE:   5:02 min. 

It must be so upsetting for you to see the government cut funding for the kind of work you do.

 

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED:    1:57 min

You dealt with extreme trauma at a young age. How did that impact you?

 

CRITICAL THINKING:    0:38 sec.

You must be excited by the new developments with underwater turbines.

 

UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE’S PERSPECTIVE:   3:25 min.

Why do some people try to eliminate terms like “Climate Change” and “Global Warming” from public discourse?

 

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED:     2:49 min.

What are some of the most dangerous or challenging situations you have encountered?

 

CREATIVE FLEXIBILITY:     0:43 sec.

What’s your favorite movie?

 

This story was originally produced by ArtSpeak, an arts publication platform housed in the FIU Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, which is part of the FIU College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. ArtSpeak has developed a content sharing partnership with Miami Community News. Read more at https://artspeak.fiu.edu/

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