Alex lost his arm as a kid, but you would never recognize that loss as a handicap. He is incredibly agile and fast in the water. He doesn’t take much time to become comfortable with newcomers. Before you know it, he’ll be questioning you about your life, places you’ve been, and whether or not you can follow his devious sense of humor.
Darren is one of the youngest fishers, something he is reminded of regularly. He often dawns a sheepish grin and likes to get competitive with the other fishers (unless he’s not the one to make the day’s most impressive catch). He gets really excited about deep-sea fisheries and is always eager to see what’s on the other end of the line.
Dan is Darren’s older brother. He manages to remind Darren of that relationship whenever possible. Dan, unabashedly funny and charismatic, captains MarAlliance’s boats and coordinates field research. He likes to let the fisher team know that even though he stays on the boat more often than the rest of them, he still has the skill to show them how it’s done.
Upon first meeting Evaristo, you would almost be taken aback by his soft-spoken nature. It doesn’t take long for that to go away. He will be the first to playfully tease newcomers, making sure that graduate students and visitors are properly initiated with silly pranks. He is particularly active in fisher engagement, seeking out fishermen interested in the deep-sea fishery and conducting fisher surveys.
Jason is a bit different from the rest of the turtle team. He doesn’t offer up playful pranks. He will hardly speak unless spoken to. Noted among his peers as the best turtle catcher, Jason remains modest and reserved. When asked what he is passionate about, he doesn’t respond with the usual. Instead, he proudly turns to stories about his children and their futures.
There are many other fishers and graduate students that have participated in MarAlliance’s research. Each person has contributed unique skills and insights that have largely impacted research along the Mesoamerican reef system. Visit maralliance.org to learn more about these incredible men and women and to find out how you can get involved in their work.
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