My Story: Crocodile Encounter 2018

7/26/2018

Less than 12 hours after my bite.

They say your life can flash before your eyes when you are in a life-or-death situation. That’s not what happened to me. It was just literal darkness (because I was scuba diving at night) and my inner voice clearly saying, “This can’t be happening” as I was being dragged away by my leg farther away from the dim lights of our production crew. My left calf was in the mouth of a 3 metre (10 ft) American crocodile.

The wildlife biologist in me knew what often happened in these scenarios: a person did not survive. I had never heard of someone being bitten while scuba diving, so this was new territory for me. “Whatever you do, do not move that leg.” If I moved too much the predator could bite down harder (making this an extremely painful situation to be in) or worse, roll. If it did either I would surely lose my calf or my leg. Or my life.

To be honest, I wasn’t certain it was a crocodile while everything was happening. I never saw the animal that had its jaws around my leg. But given the fact we were diving with one, I put two and two together. Plus, as we would later see, the wound was in the perfect shape of a crocodile jaw.

The exact crocodile that bit me.

What felt like 5-10 seconds probably was much shorter time due to time feeling like it was slowing down. The first few seconds I clawed at the sand (making visibility worse) to see if I could latch onto a rock or something to keep from being dragged far away. Not worried about oxygen (because I was on a tank with enough air to last me a bit) or my mask being ripped off (I had a hard enough time taking it off- that thing was TIGHT around my noggin), I was able to keep some of my cool.

Blindly raking my fingers through the sand wasn’t fruitful so the next best thing was jamming my finger on the microphone button and hoping someone would hear me. My mask had been acting up and I wasn’t able to hear topside or my diving buddies. I just hoped they could hear me.

They couldn’t.

Just as I was wracking my brain to think of what else I could do, it let me go. No big fight, it released me and when I was certain I wasn’t about to be snapped at again, I filled my BCD with air and shot up to the surface. Safety stop be damned, getting the bends was the last thing on my mind. Due to the bite itself not hurting (it felt like hard pressure, but no actual pain), I didn’t know if I was bleeding, how much, or if I even had a leg still. I wasn’t about to chance it, and knew I needed to get any wounds looked at immediately. If a crocodile bite doesn’t kill you, an infection could. I won’t list all the bacteria you can find in their mouths, but know it is extensive and it isn’t pretty.

Surfacing, I didn’t know the confusion that awaited me. My crew had been looking for me, and I had popped up near one person, my dive buddy I had been with seconds before until he began to surface. They must have seen the terror in my eyes and I fumbled with the straps of my mask to take it off and wanted to scream, “I’ve been bit.” I didn’t scream and I don’t remember what I said. I don’t remember much.

I remember my buddy grabbing the back of my tank as he swam us closer to our crew. I remember seeing dive guides and camera men around me and at one point I think I had three people crowding around me. Everything was hazy and I remember looking up at the stars (we were in the middle of nowhere so they were shining brightly without light pollution) and then my medic’s eyes as he said, “You’re okay” to calm me down. We were both scared. We were all scared.

Getting dragged out of the water must’ve snapped me from my haze because I started telling anyone who would listen that it was just pressure - “It’s just an exploratory bite, it’s no big deal” - and it didn’t seem as if it had drawn blood. My suit still got ripped open to inspect the damage- three deep puncture wounds and the rest were manageable. It wasn’t until then that it kind of hit me what had almost happened; I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dark and to be dragged, underwater, in the dark was a nightmare I had never thought to be afraid of. My medic saw my eyes well up and said, “You’re okay.” I nodded and to lighten up the mood said, “I’m just upset about the new wet suit.” Everyone laughed, tension broken. “I’ll make it a shortie.” He chuckled. “On one leg?”

The crocodile and I the day after I got bit; I let it know I forgave it!

My amazing medics who easily saved my leg from extreme infection. You two RULE.

Students in the Miami hospital wanting to see my leg.

My bite the next day - check out that bruising (it got worse before it got better).

My bite a little while later; there are two other deep puncture wounds on the other side of my leg.

More painful than the bite was the process of cleaning the wounds. Being in the middle of nowhere meant we had to work with what we had. A high pressure hose and a combination of water/bleach made me cry out in pain and let of a string of curse words, but it worked because in the end I had minimal to no infection. What followed was a few tense nights, lots of dry-heaving from an unsettled stomach (and heavy duty antibiotics), an IV administered in the field (I hate needles), and talking about medivac options (eventually implementing one). I always thought my worst-case field scenario would be malfunctioning equipment or bad weather. This was beyond anything I could have come up with.

Months after the fact, my leg still hurts if I stand on it for too long, walk for too long, or squeeze it too hard. Repetitive stairs hurt after a while, but thankfully a bag brushing up against my leg no longer hurts. The bite marks have just recently closed all the way and the ugly purple scars are what remains to remind me of what happened. I actually came face-to-face with a saltwater crocodile recently in Malaysia... and while the large part of me was fascinated and in awe, a little part of me was right back in the dark inky water. Don't worry, it was in an enclosure and I walked away after I stared at it for as long as I could bear it. I did not have any nightmares that night.

I have yet to scuba dive again (not out of fear; planned to in Malaysia until conditions wouldn't allow it... oh well, will have to try when I go to the Great Barrier Reef soon). I can't wear heels yet because my leg feels like it is on fire after an hour or two, and I can't wear shorts without people staring. The dark still freaks me out, and I don't know when I'll go night-diving again.

Just some of the wonderful friends who dropped by my house to see how I was doing. I got many stuffed crocodiles as gifts.

My accident puts me in a unique position as both a "survivor" (though I don't like that term) and as a scientist who studies predators and knows them better than the average person. But even I definitely know more about crocodiles now than a few months ago, that's for sure! My keeping my leg still worked for this particular animal this particular time - had it acted differently (more aggressive), I would have fought back, as many experts say you should.

I wouldn't say I was afraid of crocodiles any more or less than I already was. I have always had the upmost respect for them and that has never wavered during this process. I respect them even more now, if anything, because I know what could have gone wrong-- and just how lucky I got.

"Was I afraid of death?" I get asked a lot. Strangely, no. While my first thought was, "This can't be happening" at no point during the incident did I think about death. And I still say that the scariest thing of that whole event was being dragged backwards into the darkness, not even the crocodile bite itself (I know, I'm weird) -- that's the fear you see etched on my face in any video. It was a nightmare I never dreamt of having.

We - my family and friends - are not ignorant to the fact this could have ended differently. At best, I could've lost a leg. At worst, my life. It's a risk we take any day, however, doing whatever it is we do in our lives. It's a risk I know I take whenever I wake up and walk out the door; it's a risk I know I take whenever I dive beneath the waves. It's a risk I happily take. Knowingly take. My parents hugged me extra hard when they saw me in the hospital and when my dad wheeled me to the airplane back to Australia.

Death itself? No... I'm not afraid of that. Whenever it's my time, it's my time. This time wasn't it. This time, I got very lucky. And the pain in my leg continues to remind me of that every day.

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Tommy Dalziel

7/23/2018 11:40:24 pm

Great read!! I watched the show & agree your one lucky lady. Those gators/ Crocs are quicker than people can imagine & sneaky bastards. I can fell you for the dragging into the dark fear.. it’s that feeling of unknown.. & won’t return..

Thanks for read & hope the leg gets s better

Paul

7/25/2018 01:16:36 pm

You are amazing--saw this and just had to tell you that your story and calmness are an inspiration. Your professionalism in the field researching is awesome. Fantastic storytelling and a narrow escape from something that could have been very bad indeed. Your medics were great to ensure you did not get an infection. Bien hecho! Rest and recover!

Paul Cuadros

7/25/2018 01:34:27 pm

Melissa, was just thinking of your story and your wetsuit and the observation that perhaps the croc found the taste of your neoprene suit unpalatable and it got me thinking of developing a wetsuit with an inner lining that could secrete a liquid substance to leave a bad taste or repellent for the predator and to reject the diver on its test bites. Sharks as you know will bite this way too to test and perhaps a suit with an inner lining of fluid that would be released upon being bitten into may ward off a predator--like squid ink but with a bad taste? Don't know where this would go but a thought.

Katrina

7/24/2018 12:16:02 pm

I'm really interested in your non-traditional path since I saw you in the shark week episode. Glad to hear you're OK and recovering from the bite.

Your most interesting blog post was about not pursuing a PhD, and it's this I wanted to comment on as a woman who has gotten their PhD but now works in a non-academic setting.

I think the key takeaway for me is that you've kind of skipped over the "grunt work" of being a scientist to the more media-forward work of disseminating ideas and promoting K-12 science education to inspire new scientists. While these are extremely valuable activities, I kind of take issue with calling you a scientist. A basic definition of a scientist is a person who engages in the scientific method. This involves much less blogging and TED talks, and much more boring data collection, analysis, and publication of peer-reviewed research. I'm curious what you think about this perspective. To me, you might be minimizing your full potential as an influential figure on tv and in social media, and maybe overestimating your potential as a day-to-day researcher. Thanks for taking the time to read this and good luck with your career!

Elise

7/24/2018 04:20:50 pm

I’m sorry, I have to interject here. You are making assumptions about a person you don’t know about and you should be ashamed. As a fellow scientist who is a woman you should be applauding her efforts to do science communication and research instead of tearing her down.

First: Did you not see ALL OF THE SCIENCE AND RESEARCH Melissa has been a part of? Look at her credentials! She has hundreds of hours at sea doing research - have you ever done field work on a boat? She’s done hundreds of hours in labs and analysizing data. THAT IS GRUNT WORK. A Bachelors and a Masters are all about grunt work: you should know since you’ve supposedly gone through that process to get a PhD. She is a *scientist* whether she fits your little definition box or not - one who is between a Master’s and her PhD - so get out of here with that nonsense that she isn’t a scientist. She can be a scientist who does research AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATION at the SAME TIME.

Also, since when is her work with The Fins United Initiative NOT “grunt work”? She has talked extensively about the work she puts in FOR NO PAY. Do you know how long it takes to put a website together? The hours she takes to research for blog posts so people who read are getting scientifically accurate information? The long hours she takes in intervieweing other scientists about their work, coming up with material for other people to understand and get hooked on the ocean thanks to her? You clearly don’t know her because you don’t know she never takes a damn day off and is CONSTANTLY WORKING HER ASS OFF. She also is working on a book and has a podcast. Her whole life is grunt work.

So I’m sorry, but I take issue with you not calling Melissa a scientist. She’s working on data and publishing papers- she’s still in academia. You apparently aren’t. So are YOU a scientist anymore by your definition? Take several seats, Katrina, because her career is doing just fine without your input.

Leilah

7/24/2018 05:15:32 pm

Thank you. <3

7/24/2018 05:31:50 pm

The basic definition of a scientist is actually "a person learned in science and especially natural science : a scientific investigator". Another is "A person who is studying or has expert knowledge of one or more of the natural or physical sciences." While they employ scientific methods, that's not the key property of their work. Setting up the scientific method as the be-all and end-all of who can call themselves a scientist is ridiculous.

They do research, they put out information on that research, and they engage with the public. Not all people do all those things, but more and more do. Speaking about your work is critical to getting accurate information out there, and "blogging and TED talks" are part of that.

The disrespect I'm seeing in your comment is completely unwarranted and it seems like an argument in bad faith. Her research and work is really easy to find, so I'm puzzled why you would ignore all of that to get a dig in about not being a real scientist.

7/24/2018 06:25:42 pm

To call someone "not a scientist" is not to diminish their work ethic or contributions to society. It is an acknowledgement of a privileged title that comes with active research and peer-reviewed publication - which Melissa is open about not having. Her research is not "easy to find". It's absent. That doesn't mean she isn't smart, capable, or anything else positive. By the definition I provided (which is pretty basic and not controversial among academics, anyway) I'm not a scientist, either. I'm OK with that. I'm less OK with people who are expert self-promoters and have a media kit prepared before they have proven themselves with a peer-reviewed publication. Am I showing my pettiness and jealousy of her success? Yes, in fact I am. But I've also walked the hard path of getting a PhD and it does mean something to earn one. I also had to face the music when I left academia and I don't self-identify as a scientist because I know people who do that work and I don't feel right using that title. It's my opinion and it's obviously not a popular one, but there you go.

Jamie

7/24/2018 07:13:51 pm

I 1000% agree with Leilah and Elise here. Thank you for standing up for a woman who has clearly worked her ass off to get where she is- especially as a minority.

To Katrina: As you have stated, you are clearly jealous this minority's hard work has paid off to get her where she is. Instead of helping her help other minorities get their voices out in the science field, you instead try to diminish her work ethic and contributions to society by not calling her a scientist. Shame!! And don't tell me you weren't trying to diminish her because this line: "kind of take issue with calling you a scientist" does just that. It's you trying to undercut her work. Her work is easy to find- how is it absent? She has a whole damn tab about her research and what she has been a part of here: https://melissacristinamarquez.weebly.com/independent-student-projects.html

How do you know she is not active in research? Are you friends with her? Do you know she is not working on research, analyzing data, getting papers ready behind-the-scenes of what she shows on social media? (If you ARE her friend then you are a pretty bad one)

What is wrong with a woman in science self-promoting herself? As the saying goes "if you don't sell yourself, no one will" and she is doing a damn good job of it. What is wrong with having a media kit when she has done SO MUCH? She has a popular podcast, a great organization, she has written environmental pieces for magazines, she has given talks (including a TEDx talk), etc etc etc. WHAT IS WRONG WITH LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT IN A FANCY PAMPHLET, I ASK YOU? If you are "less ok" with people like Melissa, why even bother coming on to her blog (did she MAKE you? No) and writing such a nasty comment?

Also, I take issue with you condescending tone. Clearly she HAS "proven herself" if all her colleagues on Twitter (and I mean ALL of them have said nothing but good things about how she is great at science communication, at research, etc.) respect her in the field of shark science/marine biology. I don't think she has to prove herself to someone as petty as you.

Claire

7/24/2018 08:02:09 pm

I'm SMDH right now at Katrina's insensitive and uncalled for comment. Who do you think you are?

Are you the scientific world gatekeeper or something? People regard her as a scientist. Her colleagues regard her as a scientist. She just happens to do more science comm. while in between 2 degrees. How do you make change in the science leadership if you stick to a mold?

Do you know the person you are questioning personally? (I don't) Do you know her work? (I know some) Maybe she isn't sharing it because if you get too sciencey and technical it'll isolate a lot of her target population which isn't just those in science but the the general population?

This is the start of her incredible career and while the rest of us take front row seats YOU can leave the room.

Michelle

7/25/2018 04:46:18 pm

Katrina, it appears to me that you are part of the problem and the reason people take a non-traditional path. I a Ph.D. candidate getting my degree in genetics and education. I am doing the grunt work, I am publishing my work, I am experiencing the peer-review process (in two fields!)... and dealing with science snobs that think you need to spend over 60 hours in the lab in order to be called a 'scientist'.

These people are full of shit. You don't need to be like these people.

I understand, as I am sure you do, that I am busting my ass to get this degree. And that work is recognized by the distinction of 'Dr.'. THIS is the privileged title that comes with active research and peer-review publication. Melissa is not a doctor. I, as of yet, am not a doctor. You, Katrina, are a doctor.

Believe me, I totally understand. And you best believe when I get my degree I will not hesitate to remind people that "it isn't 'Miss', its 'Doctor'". However, to say that someone is not a scientist because they don't qualify to be in some exclusive, elite club made up by rich white men who couldn't get regular jobs in their time (AKA academia) is, frankly, ignorant. What's worse, is your perpetuating the damaging stigma that scientist who leave academia, even after earning a doctorate!, are not as valid as scientists who stay in academia (which is a fine choice, but not the only choice).

Your choice to not identify as a scientist is just that: YOUR choice. And I respect that. Honestly, I'm just a little surprised that someone so educated can't see the difference between a 'title' of distinction and one of identity.

Helen

7/24/2018 07:59:33 pm

Non traditional pathways are NO less valid.

Although Melissa hasn't got her PhD (yet - it's still an option for her if she chooses it, she's in her mid-20s, I didn't start mine until I was 27), that doesn't mean she hasn't or doesn't engage in scientific method. She is also the hardest working person I know.

As an insider I know how hard she worked on her MSc, the other side of the world from her family, with data collection, complicated analysis and writing, WHILST producing her TedX talks and Fins United content, volunteering at an aquarium and helping with data collection there. She's participated in research world-wide and continues to collaborate today whilst ramping up her Fins United work, speaking (Invited) at international conservation science conferences, preparing and revising her MSc work for publication, and fundraising for a research trip to antarctica (where if successful she'll be the first Puerto Rican woman EVER to go to the continent).

To Melissa, the most important thing is that young girls, particularly those from Latina backgrounds can see themselves in someone doing these kinds of things, so media and talks etc is essential.

Frank

7/24/2018 08:27:39 pm

Melissa, ignore thtlis person. I know that's difficult, but remember, some people will try to put you down, while so many, vastly many more are cheering you on and singing your praises. Think of all the little girls, of color or not, all throughout the world who you have made an impact on. You've paid your dues, done your work. You have your degrees and are churning through paper after paper, attacking different approaches to learn more about your field and make the world a more complete, knowledgeable place in the process. You're changing lives because you are a LATINA SCIENTIST. You can and will continue to perform actual science like the BADASS LATINX MARINE BIOLOGIST that you are, while also performing communications and outreach. You're a scientist in the modern world, making it easier to understand and embrace the work of yourself and others. You. Are. A role model. You. Are. A SCIENTIST. And you Are An INSPIRATION

Randy

7/29/2018 05:52:24 am

Wow. You have an inflated self ego! Do you make your co-workers call you "Doctor" in the work setting?

Susana V.

7/24/2018 04:26:00 pm

This episode is wonderful. Seeing scientist interact without celebrities is how Shark Week should roll. I read somewhere you had worked with Tristan G. in Bimini, seemed like you guys worked well together.

Better yet, watching your display of composure and knowledge in addition to reading this Behind the scene account made my week! You should be proud how the public, and your colleagues in the scientific community responded to your episode. Great sucess in all your endeavors, especially scicomm. The tweet about the little girl and representation shows how important your work is. My respects.

james

7/24/2018 07:21:31 pm

wonderful episode melissa! you are a fantastic role model for all who watched you last night.

hey katrina while i'm glad you've earned a PhD (it's hard work), who says Melissa won't??? she said she was debating pursuing one in that piece she wrote... debating WHY she wanted one. helloooo, it's something MANY people debate due to opportunities, funds, time, and many more reasons. glad you got to do it but don't shame people for second-guessing a big financial/time commitment like that. it doesn't make her less of a scientist... in fact the definition of a scientist is "a person who is studying or has expert knowledge of one or more of the natural or physical sciences." who says she isn't studying? isn't doing work you don't know about/she doesn't share until she is published??? DO YOU KNOW HER???

she has talked about wondering if she is 'good enough' to be a scientist and your mean comment probably hurt her. as they say 'if you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all.'

7/24/2018 07:39:29 pm

OK, so if you have diabetes and go to "Dr. Smith's" clinic, only to find out that person didn't graduate from medical school and have an M.D., would that be OK? Of course not. Even if they worked at a clinic for years and educated themselves about diabetes til the cows came home. Credentials matter to all of us. There are many marine biologists out there with long CV's of peer-reviewed research that deserve to be called on for their expertise. Melissa is taking up the space that in some sense belongs to those people. If she wants to call herself a "women in science advocate", great. But "scientist"? No. The system of peer-review is what we all depend on to preserve the quality of scientific information that is disseminated. It matters. Again, I don't discount her contributions to encouraging women and minority groups and children in science. But it's not the same thing as being a scientist. I don't think it will deter Melissa from her efforts, and of course it shouldn't. I wish her nothing but success. Critique from your peers is also a bedrock of science and I hoped my comments could be taken in that spirit. But if Melissa does go ahead and pay her dues by earning a PhD and/or publishing her work in a scientific journal, good on her.

7/24/2018 08:09:06 pm

"Pay her dues"? You're full of shit.

Also, "Melissa is taking up the space that in some sense belongs to those people." is horse crap. SHE WAS CALLED BY SHARK WEEK TO BE ON THE SHOW. She stole no one's spot- THEY ASKED HER to be on. She EARNED her spot for a TEDx spot, she has EARNED every success she has gotten.

"There are many marine biologists out there with long CV's of peer-reviewed research that deserve to be called on for their expertise." And they ARE called for. Have you noticed the majority are white, old, males? Expertise doesn't have to be just in articles, Katrina.

"If she wants to call herself a "women in science advocate", great. But "scientist"? No." LOL who are YOU to be defining what is or is not a scientist? Hush, honey. The science world sees her as a scientist - what do they see YOU as?

Karen

7/24/2018 08:12:35 pm

Katrina, who hurt you in life? LOL

But seriously, who gives you the right to say who is or isn't a scientist? You aren't anyone important in science so many don't overstep your bounds and be saying things about someone WHO INSPIRED A LOT OF POC AND WOMEN IN STEAMM last night while all you've done is sit on your butt and type mean comments through a computer screen.

Your extra letters mean nothing if you aren't using them. She's using the ones she has and is going after more. So stop spreading hate.

Kaylee

7/24/2018 08:30:46 pm

Hold up. Melissa not having PhD being the reason she is not a scientist is an insult to anyone working in science who doesn’t have their doctorate. Some of the greatest scientist do not have a doctorate degree and no intention of getting one yet still do amazing work. Are they not scientists? Melissa is in the beginning of her career; she’s 24 (so says her blog, not sure if she is 25 now) and already accomplished more than most people WITH a doctorate. (Probably has accomplished more than you, Katrina.)

Melissa, if you are reading any of this I am sorry you have this sad potatoe in your blog that was supposed to be about a scary incident that happened to you and you walking us through what we didn’t see on TV. You are an inspiring SCIENTIST to so many of us who are watching and have been watching your career. Ignore this potatoe. Flourish, my rose.

Isla

7/24/2018 08:07:18 pm

JUST SAW YOUR SHOW, MELISSA! YOU WERE JAW-SOME AS YOU LIKE TO SAY ON THE THE FINS UNITED INITIATIVE!

"Am I showing my pettiness and jealousy of her success? Yes, in fact I am."

That's ALL I need to know about this person who is trying to call Melissa "not a scientist." Stop trying to downplay a POC's achievements.

HEY MELISSA, MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TODO LO QUE TU HACES DE TU ISLA, PUERTO RICO. !!!!PUERTO RICO IS PROUD OF YOU, HERMANA!!!! WEEEEPPPPAAAAAAA!!!!!

Shannon

7/24/2018 08:20:45 pm

“Critique from your peers” means you give constructive criticism Katrina and all you’ve done is spat out jealousy and a POV that no one agrees with. You have literally given no critique outside of “you aren’t a scientist” which isn’t a critique at all. Also you aren’t her peer because you said it yourself you aren’t a scientist! Were you even a marine biologist?

I agree with James that if you have nothing nice to say? Be quiet.

7/24/2018 08:44:06 pm

"I am not confident that the author understands the context of the material or has thoroughly reviewed the subject at hand."

This is the quote Melissa gave in her precious blog post about the review to her submission of her work to a peer reviewed journal. She appears to have a better grasp of what her colleagues think than anyone here. Perhaps if she wasn’t surrounded only by cheerleaders she would have been able to critique and revise her own study in a satisfactory manner and get it published.

I’d love to see a response to reviewers for a journal submission claim that the reviewers were just “spreading hate” by not accepting everything she wrote as gospel truth. Good Lord. Truly you are all proving that we need better education about the nature of science.

7/24/2018 08:52:36 pm

Btw “previous” was autocorrected to “precious” and was not what I meant. Not that it matters, *sigh*. Clearly you all know what a scientist is more than I do, and I stand down. Once again, I so not wish Melissa any ill will and I’m sure she will continue to wow the general populace with her science-y science.

Jason

7/25/2018 10:11:50 pm

"I’m sure she will continue to wow the general populace with her science-y science."

If you were still hoping to convince everyone that you were approaching this issue from a dispassionate, logical angle, you slammed the door on it there. You couldn't sound more snotty and condescending if you tried.

7/24/2018 09:01:08 pm

You’ve never heard of a reviewer who is mean? Good Lord. She even said the second reviewer gave her constructive criticism and that she will be revising her article and resubmitting. For an ex-scientist you don’t know how to read!

7/24/2018 08:56:27 pm

Peace, everyone. - Sad Potatoe.

George

7/25/2018 04:46:25 am

Guess you did not see the backlash coming did you Katrina?

A GOOD scientist would gather facts and then come to a conclusion. A BAD one has a conclusion based on what they assume. I will let you decide in which one you fall under.

People here have given you the definition of a scientist that you can find in the dictionary. As you will note, nowhere does it say anything about needing a PhD to be considered one. Right this minute you have thousands of people working to find cures and improve our lives, all without PhDs. For most of us, we call them scientists, but since they do not fit your definition, we are to assume their contributions are not important? Think about that next time you are taking a medicine, was it really developed by scientist with a PhD?

I come from an Accounting background, and have been around the block a few times. Have had the privilege of working with many accountants, some with CPAs and some without. When the time came to hire someone, the last thing I looked at was whether they had some alphabet soup after their name. I can tell you, some of the best ones didn’t and I never regretted hiring them, and some that did, I did have regrets and eventually fired them. So don’t get hung up about people’s credentials. Look to see what they do with the knowledge they have.

The first step to correct one’s problem is to admit that they have one. You admit that you are jealous of this young lady. Sadly, your negative comments say more about you than about her, as it sounds as if you don’t even know her. If she is in her early 20s, she has a long road ahead of her which will be filled with many choices. My guess is that she will travel it and enjoy it, and from the looks of it, take some chances along the way, some which will be good and some not so good. If she helps someone along the way by being a role model, then she will have led a pretty good life.
Katrina, I know nothing about you. I have no idea where you are in your road. You might want to talk to somebody about where you are and how to get to where you want to be. In this world there is nowhere where when one person has success, another one is bumped off. We all can be successful at the same time. I wish you well.

Rachel

7/24/2018 09:31:10 pm

I think Katrina missed the important bits of Melissa's PhD blog post:

"hen people asked me what I was doing with my life, I would proudly say I was hoping to get my PhD in Marine Biology. All the marine biology jobs I was interested in said, “PhD required, PhD required, PhD required, PhD required, MS required, PhD required.” I got the point. "A PhD is a basic requirement for a career in academia." A statement of truth-- and I listened to that for a while, until I declared I did not want a career in just academia (no offense to those who have decided to pursue that path). So then another statement popped into my head to replace the old mantra: "A PhD is what makes you a scientist."

That statement started feeling wrong as my science communication took off after my TEDx talk (read about my TEDx experience here) and even before then when I was doing it with The Fins United Initiative and seeing it all around me. I was still a scientist, just not in the traditional sense of a white lab coat, goggles, and scalpel. And it was the mantra that punched me across the face when I got the result of my first article publication put up for review: rejection."

...

"Was I a good scientist but not a good enough scientist to get even a chance at a PhD?

Which then led to me thinking: Do I even want a PhD? Gasp, I know!"

She then went into why some people don't need a PhD AND CAN STILL DO THEIR JOB AS SCIENTISTS WITHOUT ONE.

She also has stated before that she has revised the paper and is working on another TWO. So HAHAHAHA, take that Katrina.

Penny

7/24/2018 09:41:24 pm

"Perhaps if she wasn’t surrounded only by cheerleaders she would have been able to critique and revise her own study in a satisfactory manner and get it published."

Dear lord, Katrina. jesus take the wheel on your heart. Two things to note in that blog post of hers to REFUTE the ignorant comment you made:

"What I think hurt more was the fact that I had numerous people go through this article with me (because I essentially went at it alone) and not one said anything to this degree."

So other people gave her critiques. You seriously think people looked at her VERY FIRST PAPER EVER and did not have a single "Hm, maybe change this or do this better or add this part"? Come on. I follow her on Twitter and saw a few HIGHER UP SHARK PEOPLE offer their services to her, which she seemed to take up.

The second quote:

"At this point, I had been trying to get a paper published for 8 months with little to no word from the person who was supposed to help me."

She tried to publish a paper ON HER OWN because the person who was supposed to help her abandoned her. I'm going to assume it was her Master thesis advisor who left her out to dry because she was trying to publish her Master work. I would have LOVED to see your first try ever paper, Katrina, and see if it was accepted anywhere. In fact, with melissa openly talking about this SO MANY PEOPLE on twitter came out saying they also have had their first papers rejected or mean comments.

I'm glad melissa has cheerleaders in a world filled of "sad potatoes" like you. There is nothing wrong with having support. I am confident she gets constructive criticism from the people she surrounds herself with... but that's the difference... it is CONSTRUCTIVE. Unlike your unnecessary and unhelpful comments of "I kind of take issue with calling you a scientist... To me, you might be minimizing your full potential as an influential figure on tv and in social media, and maybe overestimating your potential as a day-to-day researcher." and this gem: "Melissa is taking up the space that in some sense belongs to those people."

Tell me where the constructive criticism is in those two statements? I'll wait. (spoiler alert: THERE ISN'T ANY)

Hellen

7/24/2018 09:48:41 pm

"Good Lord. Truly you are all proving that we need better education about the nature of science."

Who says the people commenting are NOT scientists???? Assuming once again, Katrina!!!! It's going to bite you in the a$$.

You have a very narrow mindset of what a scientist is, Katrina. Welcome to 2018:: the world is changing!!!! Evolving!!!! And a 'scientist' is no longer the cookie cutter thing you think it is. Thank the Lord you aren't teaching people

On another note:: Melissa, you did fantastic on the Shark Week show!!!! Great job!!!! I hope you post your PUBLISHED PAPERS on here so you can rub it in Katrina's jealous face. Clearly you threaten her in some way if she decided to spit vile in your direction. She survived an alligator bite, darls, you think YOU can dampen her spirit????

7/24/2018 10:31:11 pm

Was it a mistake to click tab to see other comments in this blog?? It’s become Katrina & The Waves.

I just came on here to read her story & comment. Try a
Snickers bar, might help with the caring of education statue. Other than that .. Enjoy Shark Week 🍺🍺

Reskha

7/24/2018 11:05:32 pm

I definitely think we should flood Melissa's blog with POSITIVE waves now. This young woman has been through a lot!

7/24/2018 11:04:55 pm

Wow, the comments on this are VILE. The majority of you have run far away from the point of THIS article, which is Melissa's harrowing experience with a crocodile that she overcame! Regardless of whether you find her a scientist or not (I am the former), we can all agree she went through a traumatic experience with a level head and cool confidence. I hope she is on more TV because she is a natural (good thing she has a media kit... loved it! I wonder if she does design work, too). Will be following your career!

Melissa, I hope you don't read any of these comments: stick to twitter where people are nicer!

Sylvie

7/25/2018 12:03:31 am

Watched your show Melissa and you handled this incident with grace and calm! WOAW! You are one strong woman!

(sorry for the influx of bad commenters)

Marianne

7/25/2018 12:19:31 am

"There are many marine biologists out there with long CV's of peer-reviewed research that deserve to be called on for their expertise. Melissa is taking up the space that in some sense belongs to those people."

But people aren't asking for them. They're asking for Melissa. Shark Week CHOSE Melissa and they could have chosen any marine biologist out there with a long CV. But they didn't. And if you follow her on Twitter (please don't, because you'll just ruin it for the rest of us with your questioning her every tweet) you'll see she hosts Q&A's and even states, "If I don't know the answer to your question, I will find someone who does!" again and again and again. It's a breath of fresh air, really, since STEAMM is such a competitive ivory-tower elitist house.

She has stated she is all about collaboration over competition and lives and breaths this. She isn't taking anyone's space away - she came to a table with her fold out chair and was acknowledged by others who made space for her because they felt she was worthy through her experiences and knowledge. And then Melissa made the table longer by "shining a spotlight" on other scientists through her efforts like her podcast and her series with FU.

She isn't taking up anyone else's space: she BELONGS there. She IS a scientist and she has the letters to prove it... letters she worked hard at getting. It's sad you think a POC and WOC (who already have a hard time fitting into the world, let alone science) is taking up someone else's space. She deserves and earned that space at the table.

7/25/2018 07:16:28 am

MELISSA IS A SMART, WITTY, BAD-ASS WOMAN WHO I HOPE I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK WITH SOME DAY.

END OF STORY.

oliver

7/25/2018 10:47:07 am

Hi Melissa
I have to ask ".. was it a titleist..? "

Sorry, but you are bad ass. Get well soon

atika

7/26/2018 07:53:17 am

Thanks for your story, Melissa! I read your story on Jezebel and I am so happy to know about you!! The croc was just doing what he does best and it was a great learning experience for the both of you, I'll bet. But it was also beneficial for everyone for if we ever end up face to face with a crocodile, so thank you!!

I'm Malaysian and I've been to a croc enclosures and boy I hated it. The crocs were just chilling but wow the fear of someone knocking me over into the enclosure is too real lol. Anyhow, my ultimate point is that I read that you recieved your degrees from New Zealand. SEAsians and Malaysians in particular, because of our shared colonial history, are very familiar with the tertiary education systems in Aus/NZ but not so about the US. If you are ever inclined, I would love to read your throughts on the similarities and differences between US and Aus/NZ eduction!

Thanks and love you!!

pinky

7/29/2018 12:22:17 pm

I just started to replay through Tomb Raider: Underworld
and I really wish you were a selectable character to play as.

Partly because you look the part, and partly because it would be fun to play a scuba game as someone who actually scubas in real life. ^_^;

Your blog has a post about how people claim you aren't Latina enough...
I thought right up writing this comment that you were Pinay. Not sure if that's the same thing as claiming you aren't Latina enough, or if it's the opposite. :P

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Melissa Cristina Marquez

My Story: Crocodile Encounter 2018

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