Alumna Mikki McComb-Kobza, Ph.D. ’09, Shares the Wonder of Nature, Science, and Conservation

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024
Alumna Mikki McComb-Kobza, Ph.D. ’09, Shares the Wonder of Nature, Science, and Conservation

The blockbuster movie “Jaws” likely instilled a fear of sharks into countless viewers, and some may draw the natural conclusion that it did not create a lot of love for sharks. But that could not be farther from the truth for alumna Mikki McComb-Kobza, Ph.D. ’09, who saw the film at age 7. While it did terrify her, it formed the foundation of her fascination with sharks.    

“The only way I knew to overcome that fear was to read about sharks,” shared McComb-Kobza. “When I learned the story of sharks and the truth about them, my fear was replaced with a lifelong fascination.”    

Today, McComb-Kobza shares her elasmo-enthusiasm and research through the nonprofit organization she helped co-found, Ocean First Institute, which is dedicated to marine research, conservation, and education. As the CEO and Chief Scientist of the Institute, she leverages her position to reach extensive audiences and inspire action around the globe. McComb-Kobza’s research has been broadcast by the BBC, National Geographic Society, Discovery Channel Shark Week, and CBC National Radio Canada.   

“I am passionate about sharing the wonder of nature, science, and conservation,” said McComb-Kobza. “Our mission is to support everyone in the world to get involved in shaping the future of ocean conservation. Working at the Institute allows me to answer fundamental questions about sharks and other marine life and to share their amazing stories through our education channels.”   

And it’s working. To date, the Institute has reached more than 500,000 students in 35 countries and 46 U.S. states with its free, online educational courses and resources, in addition to over 1,000 programs and events. As a testament to its outreach, the Institute has received international recognition for establishing high-profile conservation projects and providing compelling educational programming.    

McComb-Kobza has led and participated in more than 40 marine research expeditions, including the regions of Darwin, Cape Town, Manaus, Hong Kong, Nova Scotia, Belize, and across the eastern coast of the United States. Using novel methodologies, her current research focuses on detecting white sharks with non-invasive techniques and assessing shark movement, abundance, and seasonality in the upper Florida Keys. She is also detecting pollutants and pharmaceuticals people use every day in the blood and tissues of sharks in nearby coastal waters.    

While Ocean First Institute’s headquarters are in Boulder, Colorado, it also has laboratories at Florida Atlantic University and in the Keys. Two graduate students from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Department of Biological Sciences are part of the Ocean First Institute’s team.    Alumna Mikki McComb-Kobza, Ph.D. ’09, Shares the Wonder of Nature, Science, and Conservation

Currently, Ethan Dewald works in the Elasmo Lab with Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D.—her former mentor and professor of biological sciences—and Lauren Tracy is in the Florida Atlantic Biomechanics Laboratory (the FAB Lab) with Marianne Porter, Ph.D., co-director of Florida Atlantic’s Master’s in Marine Science and Oceanography program, and associate professor of biology. The Institute also has a partnership with FAU’s A.D. Henderson University School (ADHUS), which consists of a laboratory space where graduate students conduct a plastic pollution program with students.   

“These collaborations allow us to answer research questions in the field through our programs and students gain additional experience while earning their degrees,” stated McComb-Kobza. “At the A.D. Henderson Lab, our graduate students and staff work together to mentor high school students on projects which focus on human impacts on wildlife.”     

As a Ph.D. student in Florida Atlantic’s Integrative Biology Department, McComb-Kobza studied the functional significance of the hammerhead shark head. Using electroretinogram techniques, she determined 3D visual fields, spectral sensitivity, and flicker fusion frequency of species that possess a unique head morphology, eye position, and behavioral ecology.   

Her mentor was renowned shark researcher Dr. Kajiura, whom McComb-Kobza credits for so much of her early scientific training. From shaping her dissertation, to training her in electrophysiology, to building a variety of useful electronic equipment, he also helped teach her how to write, create presentations, and effectively conduct research. Perhaps most importantly, he helped establish the foundation of her holistic approach to science and how to communicate it effectively and enthusiastically.     

“Steve [Kajiura] always puts students first,” said McComb-Kobza. “He found, funded, and freely gave me a huge opportunity with a National Science Foundation grant on hammerheads; he funded and organized travel to multiple countries around the world to answer the research questions we shared; and he included me on major television shows that highlighted his lab’s work. I would not be where I am today or who I am today without these experiences.”    

Among her proudest moments is the realization that her success at Ocean First Institute lies in the opportunity it has brought to so many others. McComb-Kobza has truly brought her educational journey full circle and is now enjoying the gratification from paying it forward to create the next generation of environmental stewards.   

“The mission has helped us connect youth to the wonder of the ocean, to reintroduce native threatened species back to the wild, and to highlight sharks as a species worth conserving,” expressed McComb-Kobza. “Just as Dr. Kajiura did for me, I feel like I have been able to expand opportunity for others to find the joy in the natural world, to value it, and to find a fulfilling career conserving it.”    

McComb-Kobza is the author of numerous scientific publications, and she is an adjunct faculty member in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department. In addition to her many accolades, she is also the Past President of the American Elasmobranch Society, National Fellow of The Explorer’s Club, and in the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Tags: science

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