Melissa Cristina Márquez
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Melissa Cristina Márquez is a Puerto Rican marine biologist and science communicator. She studies chondrichthyan fishes, including great white sharks.[1]
Márquez was inspired to study sharks when she first saw a great white shark on the Discovery Channel program Shark Week when she moved from Mexico to the United States.[2] She completed her undergraduate degree at the New College of Florida in Sarasota, Florida, and a master's degree from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.[3][4][5] Márquez is currently pursuing a PhD at Curtin University in Australia, where she uses remote sensing techniques to assess environmental influences on the composition and distribution of elasmobranchs.[6]
Research and career
Márquez is involved in multiple forms of public engagement. She launched The Fins United Initiative to provide "scientifically accurate and open-access (free) materials for educators worldwide", which includes bilingual resources for educators.[7][8][9] She co-hosts ConCiencia Azul, a podcast that interviews Spanish-speaking researchers about ocean-related topics and unique challenges faced in Hispanic countries.[8][9] In spring 2021, Márquez wrote a children's book series, titled Wild Survival!, based on her animal encounters.[8] In 2023, she published a children's picture book titled Mother of Sharks.[10] She is also a contributor to Forbes' science section.[11]
In 2018, during a taping of Shark Week, Márquez was attacked by a crocodile while on a shark dive.[2][3][4]
Márquez has previously been recognized as a member of InStyle's February 2021 Badass 50 list, and as a member of the annual Forbes 30 under 30 - Science list (2021).[8][12] She has spoken about her research for various media outlets, including NPR, National Geographic, and BBC.[13][14][4][15][16] She was named to Fuse Media's Future Hispanic History Class of 2021.[1]
Márquez was named a Superstar of STEM for 2025–26 by Science and Technology Australia.[17]
