A marine biologist with a passion for science communication, Olivia graduated from Pepperdine University in 2019 with a B.S. in Biology. Her research on the California Grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) for her senior research thesis ignited her desire to share scientific knowledge with the broader community. She further honed her communication skills during her three-year tenure as a Sea Center Interpreter and later as the Science Communication Coordinator at an aquarium in California. Simultaneously, she developed and taught a marine biology curriculum for homeschooled students, further demonstrating her dedication to science education. In 2022, she moved to Guam to pursue her current job as the Coral Reef Policy and Communications Coordinator for the Guam Coral Reef Initiative, a division of the Government of Guam's Department of Agriculture.

Voneric currently serves as a Water Quality Technician and the RMI / Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) Liaison at the Marshall Islands Environmental Protection Authority (RMIEPA). A graduate of the College of the Marshall Islands, he holds an Associate degree in Liberal Arts with a specialization in Marine Science. His dedication to the field is further evidenced by his participation in a Diatom Online course in 2022 and his upcoming engagement in a ciguatera workshop in 2024. He is eager to contribute his knowledge and skills to the deep-sea research and exploration training program, collaborate with fellow participants, and further his understanding of the Pacific
region's marine environment.

Val holds a Master's of Public Affairs with a focus on Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management and a Master of Science in Environmental Science with a focus on Applied Ecology. She has two decades of experience in the Pacific Islands, initially serving for 15 years as a NOAA Fisheries/Coral Reef Conservation Program Fisheries Management Liaison in Guam. She has been the Research Coordinator for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa for the past five years. Her career has primarily centered on coral reef management, particularly within marine protected areas. She emphasizes the application of scientific data to enhance the management of marine resources, utilizing a holistic socio-ecological systems framework that integrates biophysical and socioeconomic factors into management and climate adaptation strategies.

Harshna holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry and a Master of Science in Climate Change from the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Fiji. She also earned her PhD in marine plant ecology from Tohoku University in Japan. During her Master's studies (2014-2017), she taught Biology courses in genetics, general ecology and evolution, and environmental microbiology. From 2017 to 2018, she was a Science Instructor at the College of the Marshall Islands. After completing her PhD, she returned to Fiji last year and currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the Fiji National University. She is passionate about exploring Fiji's deep sea, especially since 97.2% of its ocean territory is deep sea.

Maverick graduated from high school in 2020 and obtained an Associate of Science degree in Marine Science from the American Samoa Community College. He is currently attending the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, where he is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Marine Science. He is particularly passionate about deep-sea corals and coral reef restoration and has a strong interest in remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and their applications in deep-sea exploration. In the short term, he aims to complete his Bachelor's degree and gain foundational knowledge in marine science. In the long term, he hopes to contribute to the field of deep-sea science and exploration, recognizing how much of the deep sea remains unexplored.

Sahal holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Pacific Adventist University in Papua New Guinea. His professional journey began as a Laboratory Technologist at the Soil, Plant, Environmental & Scientific (SPE), where he developed expertise in marine and freshwater nutrient analysis. He is skilled in various techniques, including physical chemistry, heavy metals analysis, BOD, COD, oil and grease analysis, and microbiology. Currently, he serves as a Safeguard Consultant Officer at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) in the Solomon Islands. His responsibilities in the Solomons encompass supporting community awareness initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and project monitoring, with a special focus on addressing social, environmental, and gender concerns. Hailing from an island nation deeply connected to the ocean, he is passionate about marine conservation and sustainable development.

Samantha attended school in Samoa and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the National University of Samoa. Following graduation, she joined the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, where she dedicated 10 years to their marine conservation unit. Currently, she holds the position of Project Manager for Samoa's Guardians Environmental Educational Programme and Citizen Science for Guardians at Conservation International in Samoa. Samantha is particularly interested in the connectivity between deep-sea and shallow-water ecosystems.

Sarona is pursuing her Master's in Marine Science at the University of Auckland, having also completed her Bachelor of Science at the same institution. Her passion lies in marine mammal research and conservation. Her Masters research involved cetacean surveys alongside government ministries and international organizations in Samoa, and she hopes to continue this work upon returning to Samoa. She is also open to exploring other marine animals and deepening her understanding of Samoa's deep-ocean ecosystems. Her long-term goal is to become a leader in marine conservation and research, particularly marine mammal conservation. She envisions participating in fieldwork and research expeditions and collaborating with diverse partners in Samoa and other Pacific Island countries. She aims to work with fellow marine biologists, NGOs, and government agencies to advocate for marine conservation, preserve marine habitats and resources, and build awareness within local communities and capacity among youth in marine science, ocean literacy, and traditional knowledge.

Casidhe graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies in 2022 and began working as a Marine Invasive Species Coordinator. Casidhe is passionate about exploring the unknown and the interconnectedness of near-shore and deep-sea ecosystems, with a particular focus on biodiversity. She is interested in the reef flats and reef slopes within the American Samoa archipelago and learning more about how deep-sea ecosystems impact near-shore living species. She plans on pursuing her Master's degree in Marine Conservation.

Anj earned her MS in Marine Science (Marine Biology track) from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in 2019, with research focused on sea cucumber behavior and reproduction. Since 2020, she has been a faculty member at the University of the Philippines Los Banos, focusing on invertebrate biodiversity assessment in Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines. Her team plans to build on this baseline assessment to evaluate the status of commercial species and expand the survey sites for future research requiring larger geographic coverage. Her primary interest lies in biodiversity assessment, focusing on the patterns of species distribution and the factors influencing them. She's also eager to explore the connectivity between shallow and deep-sea
environments, particularly within the Philippines' deeper regions of the Verde Island Passage (VIP). The VIP is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, and she's particularly curious about the diversity found in its deeper areas.

Joselito is pursuing a Master of Science in Marine Science at the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman (UPMSI). He is completing his thesis on the gut microbiome diversity of sea cucumbers. His academic journey also includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a major in Microbiology from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. As a research associate at the UPMSI Marine Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, his work primarily centers on shallow-water organisms. He is particularly interested in the genetic connectivity and microbiome composition of sea cucumbers. This research encompasses field sampling, molecular lab work, analyzing high-throughput sequencing data, and bioinformatic analysis. His deep passion lies in leveraging diverse tools to investigate deep-sea biodiversity in the Philippines and the biological processes influencing it.

Julie-Anne is a contributor to the volunteer coordinator role at Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative and a marine ecology researcher at the University of Papua New Guinea. Her research compares macro-infaunal communities in constructed sandy beaches and natural sandy beaches by examining how particle size influences the distribution and abundance of marine infauna, particularly the macrofauna of the intertidal zones of these areas. She aims to shed light on the ecological impacts of artificial beachfronts. On a broader scale, her research contributes to how human-altered coastal environments affect biodiversity and habitat quality. Her goal is to make good science accessible to communities in Papua New Guinea, empowering them to make informed decisions for the future of our people on our land. She has a Bachelor of Biological Sciences from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).