Shannon Secco will be spending the month prior to the beginning of fall quarter in a virtual paradise known as the Bimini Islands, located 50 miles off the coast of Florida. However, little time will be spent sunbathing and sight-seeing as Secco will be gaining invaluable experience as an intern at the nationally-renowned Bimini Biological Field Station, known to many as "Sharklab".
Secco, a junior transfer student in evolution and ecology with a minor in zoology, has been waiting a long time to get this kind of hands-on experience. At the age of nine, she visited Sea World in Florida and was immediately entranced by marine life.
"It was exhilarating that somebody could actually do that for a living," she said. "Get paid to do what they like to do and work with animals."
Her experience had such an impact on her that she continued to love anything to do with oceanography and decided to make it her life's work. Previously a student at Oakland University in Michigan, Secco is transferred to OSU after putting school on hold to take care of her family.
Not long after her return to school, Secco was presented with an opportunity to study at the Bimini Biological Field Station, owned by Dr. Samuel Gruber. The field station is known for its cutting edge shark research and has been visited by shows like "Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe" and "Mythbusters".
The opportunity called for applications six months previous to the intended internship, but Secco decided to jump on top of it and applied a year in advance.
In mid-July, she received the good news that she had been accepted into the program. Leaving on Aug. 24, Secco is looking forward to receiving vital hands-on experiences and learning how a remote field station works.
Secco wants to come away from the experience empowered with knowledge that will help fight misconceptions and stereotypes about the animals for which she has a peculiar love: sharks.
"Sharks, especially, are the most misunderstood," she said. "They're not evil. They don't hunt us down. Sharks kill maybe 10 humans a year and usually it's by accident. We kill 30 to 50 million a year and that I just don't get. I don't understand why people do it."
Her goal to use this experience to help her educate others does come with a price, however. Her participation at Sharklab will cost Stecco $650 in addition to other costs such as flights, equipment and other necessities associated with the trip.
Secco recently acted as hostess at the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet fundraiser at Pizza Hut located at 1397 W. Lane Ave., refilling drinks and talking to patrons about her work and Sharklab.
"It's an opportunity to be a lot more social and explain why we're doing what we're doing," she said.
Although the fundraiser is over, people can still help Secco with her fundraising by visiting her web site and making donations.
In an act of generosity, Secco decided that any funds over the $500 she hopes to raise will be donated to Dr. Gruber and the Sharklab.
"I plan on giving most of it to the field station, what little it may be," she said. "It's just my way of saying 'Here you go, thanks for having me.'"
For more information or to make a donation, please visit scubashannon.tripod.com.
Amanda Forbes can be reached at forbes.34@osu.edu.
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