Projects

Communications Volunteer

As a volunteer for DOSI, Michelle is working with a team on the development of a deep-sea podcast for policymakers and the general public. She is also active in the making of policy briefs and webinars. Michelle loves participating in creative projects that involve the arts, such as the virtual performance of song of the ocean for World Ocean Day in 2021.

Public Speaking

Michelle is passionate about public speaking and communicating science to diverse audiences in accessible ways. She has spoken at conferences, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022. Her thought-provoking and engaging talk highlighted the importance of the deep ocean in our lives and for the health of the planet.

At the Ocean Sciences Meeting in 2024, she gave a talk on the biodiversity of mineral-rich rocks of interest to the mining industry.

Oceanography Research

Michelle has participated in deep-sea research expeditions aboard R/V Falkor and R/V Atlantis, under the guidance of chief scientist Prof. Lisa Levin. Her experience participating in ecological research programs for marine conservation have resulted in several published scientific articles. At Scripps Institution of Oceanography, she conducted the first study that analyzes deep-sea macrofaunal communities of economically valuable mineral-rich hard substrates in Southern California, providing crucial baseline information for marine conservation and management. This work included creating data visualizations for peer-reviewed papers and assisting in the crafting of reports for funding agencies.