It might be because she’s a close friend of Blue Ocean Summit host, Laurie Wilson. Or it could be because she just really loves sharks. One thing that is immediately clear, though, is that returning Summit alumna and marine biologist, Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza, exudes passion and enthusiasm about the ocean.
What probably helps contribute to her incredibly hopeful personality is that through her work at the Ocean First Institute, Mikki gets to spend her days with an overwhelmingly optimistic segment of the population: kids and teenagers.
“Working with young people is an elixir,” said Mikki. “It gives me hope.”
Before becoming executive director for Ocean First Institute, which opened its doors in Boulder, Colorado, in 2014, Mikki spent the first 20 years of her career as a scientist and dive instructor in Florida. As she puts it, her time at OFI is a perfect marriage of her research experience combined with her love of ocean outreach and education.
“Science needs to reach the public and people,” said Mikki. “When people understand what science really is, they value it.”
Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza
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