Jacqueline Rajerison: Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Buzzzzz! Merlin the drone launches into the sky. The controller screen in my hands displays a bird's eye view of sandy shores and seafoam green waves. A grey-purple smudge slowly swishes in the corner. 
“Hey- is this what I think it is!?” 
“Yeah! I think you just spotted a white shark!” 
This moment captures the thrill of my time with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy(AWSC) as a MISS fellow. Who knew a conversation at the POSea conference would lead me to meet white sharks on Cape Cod? Assisting the research team was one of many roles I dived into this summer. 

Thanks to the generosity of MISS and AWSC, I was able to extend my fellowship from 6 to 13 weeks. Over the course of that time, I've honed my communication skills, met fin-tastic people, and weaved art and science into several masterpieces. A year ago I was a lab assistant with a bachelors in Marine Science studying intertidal anemones, snails, and limpets. Through MISS, I dived head first into sensational shark science and surfaced as a fired up artist and scientist. Stepping into the future, my goal is to use multi-modial art to increase accessibility to science for people and groups historically excluded from 'academia' with the intent of empowering them with connections and knowledge to protect what they love. I plan to apply for my masters degree in scientific illustration and someday do a PhD in conservation science. I can now envision myself soaring into a career of science communication- whether it be in shark science or beyond the elasmo-verse!... Read the rest below!

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