Paolo Marra-Biggs

Paolo grew up just five miles from the ocean and for as long as he can remember, he’s always spent his free time in and around the water. As a high school student, he volunteered during the summer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and he was an active Junior Lifeguard. 

Paolo majored in marine biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz and took advantage of the many unique courses offered, starting with scuba certification. He learned to scuba dive in the biologically bountiful Monterey Bay, which compelled him to learn scientific diver skills and techniques. He continued his diver education by participating in, and conducting his own, research projects and he is now a qualified Divemaster. 

As a marine biologist Paolo has been fortunate to work around the globe, experiencing the many different ecosystems of the world’s oceans. His passion for the marine environment and his eagerness to travel have taken him from the nutrient-rich kelp forests of California to diving with great white sharks in South Africa. He has studied coral diversity in the crystal-clear waters of Southeast Asia, managed crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, and studied giant clams in the Samoan Archipelago.

No ecosystem escapes his curiosity, and the more he explores the vast oceans, the more ardent a steward he becomes.