Mark Heckman is an Education Specialist at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) on Moku o Lo’e (Coconut Island). Mark heads development of the Community Education Program which provide access, appreciation and understanding of HIMB’s research to thousands of visitors, as well as teaching science research methodology to a broad range of students, from grade school to college age. You can learn more through Mark’s blog, “Science Island.” Mark has a B.S. in Ecosystem Assessment from the Evergreen State College and an M.Ed from the University of Hawai’i. From 1991 to 2003, he developed a wide variety of marine science programs for the Waikiki Aquarium and served as the Education Director from 2004 – 2008. Mark has participated in research cruises such as the 2002 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Expedition and led family science expeditions to Johnston Bight, B.C.; Midway Atoll, HI; Kiritimati Atoll, Kiribati, and the Yaeyama Islands off of Japan. He presents at a wide variety of national and international marine science and education conferences, and has taught classes on atoll ecology and elasmobranch tagging and tracking. Mark’s interests include touch pool ethics, translating science, integration of traditional ecological knowledge, and visitor impacts on coral reefs.

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