Alan - Birmingham, UK This is my 4th trip out to Bimini and my 2nd PIT... I did my undergrad and my masters project at the Sharklab and I am planning on coming back next year. Marine Biology, music and snowboarding are my interests and I like acting seriously and in a professional manner with Bryan, Steve, Sam, Matthias and Grant.

Jo - Felton, Pennsylvania, USA I just completed my B.S. in marine biology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and will be starting my M.S. there in August. When I’m in North Carolina, I like to hang out at the beach, make artichoke-based meals with my roommates, root for the UNCW Seahawks, and try to figure out ways to come back to the shark lab. I also like to take lots of pictures, which I spend way too much money developing and have to wait weeks or months to even see.

Chian - San Jose, California, USA I graduated from Grinnell College with a Political Science major. A college friend worked at the Sharklab and recommended it to me. I have enjoyed working with all the marine life here. I will be attending law school in the fall.

Kelly - Westport, Ontario, Canada I am currently a lab tech at the University of Guelph studying endangered freshwater mussels. I graduated with a degree in marine and freshwater biology but for the past three years have focused my research on freshwater animals so I figured it was time for me to jump into some salt water and I thought that PIT would be a great place to begin. Aside from mussels and sharks I love basketball, reading and the fam.

Janet - Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada I’m from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, and will be 21 in September. I grew up in the Southern United States but have been living in Canada with the majority of my family for the last 5 or 6 years. I have one year left to finish my BSc in Biology at Acadia University (A big shout out to everyone in Wolfvegas!), and hope to continue on into the research end of marine biology, working with sharks. The lab is great, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in getting into the field!

Katie - St Paul, Minnesota, USA I am from St. Paul, Minnesota, USA and I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2002. I have been at the lab for nearly a year now and have seen some of the most amazing things in my life. I am truly lucky. Oh yeah… and one more thing… I luuuv animals!!

Jackie - Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada I am from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and I graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a bachelor in marine biology. I am close to finishing up my stay here as lab manager after two years and will head back to Canada for my graduate degree in the hopes of finding a place as amazing as this one.

Grant - Minneapolis, MN, USA By the time PIT 2004 is finished, I will have been working at the Sharklab in Bimini for more than 3 years as lab manager. If you ever need someone to unclog your toilet, change the oil in your car, or catch a 9 foot long free-swimming, smalltooth sawfish, send me an email.

Bryan - Vineland, NJ, USA I’m from Vineland, NJ (represent Boogie Down and the 856) and I’m principal scientist at the ststaion, currently working on my doctoral research.. My project involves using GIS to examine the habitat utilization of lemon sharks. I’ve been here since November 2002 and this is my 2nd PIT.

Joy - Webb City, Missouri, USA I originally hail from San Diego, California where my interest in elasmobranchs developed. After a move to the Midwest, I ventured to the Bahamas to try my hand at research on wild shark. Last May I came back for the second time and I never left. I plan to return to the states in July to finish school and pursue a career in shark research. I am sad to leave but I am very grateful for the people whom you will read about here and all the past volunteers for making my experience a wonderful and memorable one.

Steph - Exeter, UK I first came to Bimini in February of this year and loved it so much I had to come back. I was fortunate enough to be able to return in April and stay for the much talked about PIT. I’m 21 years old and am currently in the 3rd year of my Environmental Science Degree at Bristol University (West of England) which is a placement year, so I thought what better place to come and spend it than in the Bahamas working with sharks. Since being here, as well as seeing countless species of sharks including a Great Hammerhead, I have seen two Sawfish, a and to top it all off, Bryan squeezing in to a pair of my pink “love and kisses” hotpants.

Julia - Germany I’m 22 years old, and come from Germany. I am currently doing a project on biotopes in Bimini at the Sharklab. I arrived in April 16th.

Jamie - Indialantic, Florida, USA I am from Indialantic, Florida and graduated from Florida Tech with a bachelors in Marine Biology. I just spent 5 months studying fish identification at Reef Environmental Education Foundation in Key Largo, as well as obtaining my Dive Masters. I love diving, boating, and anything that involves being on the water.

Sam - Reading, UK I am from Reading, south east England, and I currently go to Cardiff University in Wales. I study Marine Geography and have been here in Bimini since September doing my own project on prey species of the lemon shark. In my time here so far I have seen 2 sawfish, countless lemon, nurse and tiger sharks, learnt to herkey, put 51 clothes pegs on my face, and have successfully managed to cast my fishing hook into the back of Bryans head. Oh, and made the most amazing banana bread known to humanity.

Alex - South Kent, Connecticut, USA I grew up in Connecticut but have worked in San Jose, Beijing and Manhattan as a Web Programmer since graduating from Grinnell College in 2000 with a BA in Biology. My stay at BBFS is a break from being in front of a computer and a chance for me to experience field research (and the Poisonwood) in my favorite country.

Carlos - Lisbon, Portugal I am 23 years old and I am from Lisbon, Portugal. I am on my last year of a five-year degree in Marine Biology at Lisbon’s University. This last year is dedicated to my senior project, which I am conducting at the Sharklab. I will be here for 5 months leaving in August.

Andre - Lisbon, Portugal I live in Lisbon, Portugal, where I study Marine Biology at the University of Lisbon. In January I came here with the intention of learning more about sharks and how to deal with them. For my graduation project I am also undertaking research on decapod (crustacean) ecology. I am trying to understand the spatiotemporal variation of crab, shrimp, and lobster larval settlement. Both for larvae of commercial species and for sharks, Bimini is a wonderful place, and spending these last months basically living on the sea has been a dream fulfilled.

Paul - Liverpool, England From Liverpool, England. I’ve just finished my PhD on deep-water sharks to the west of the UK. So after a long period of number crunching, reading and having no life, I felt the ideal tonic would be a stint in Bimini. Like everyone else who has visited the field station, I share a passion for shark conservation and research. I’m sure my 3 weeks at the station will “re-charge” my enthusiasm for sharks, and make me realize how much bugs love my blood!

Donnie - Jacksonville, Florida, USA I’m from Jacksonville, Florida and just finished a double major in Marine Science and Biology at the University of Miami (Go Hurricanes!). I enjoy mosquitoes, sand flies and especially horse flies (aka doctor flies). I like sitting in small boats in long dangerous thunderstorms sleep deprived and coming back to doc’s eggs and a warm bed. If this sounds like a match to you hit *475 now.

Laura - Lancashire, UK I’m a Science teacher from Bury, Lancashire and I did my degree in Applied Biology at LJM University. I first came out to Bimini two years ago and did a project on the behavioral patterns of juvenile lemon sharks. This will be my third visit to the shark lab and second PIT project I’ve participated in and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Need I say more!

Matthias - Philadelphia, PA, USA I was born in 1982 in Dresden, Germany. I have just completed my BA in Physical Education from Harvard University - GO BADGERS! – and I am here because I am looking for freedom. I like sharks because they have sharp teeth and they kill things. My favorite star is the universe and my favorite actor/musician is David Hasselhoff. I am currently working on an independent project on why turtles die.

Doc - Miami, FL, USA I’m Doc and they tie boats to me. Click on my bio elsewhere on the BBFS website to read about what I did and why I am here.

Mari - Miami, FL, USA I'm a former fashion designer married to "Doc". Doc says they tie boats to him, so I guess I'm a boat! I help run the Shark Lab by cooking for special events and classes or whenever I go to the Shark Lab. I help organize all the volunteers and keep the files back in the Miami office. I came to Florida back in the '60s from Los Angeles, California on a designing job and met the "Doc". The passion he has for sharks kind of rubbed off on me (not to swim with them or kiss them) but to help him with his work and studies. We raised our own "Mini-Shark Docs", 2 daughters. They both love Bimini and the Shark Lab. They were both instrumental in building and training the early staff. Although they return frequently, they are off on their own careers.

Steve - London, UK I recently graduated from a degree in Marine Geography at Cardiff University. This is my second visit to the lab, I spent 10and a half months here in 2002/2003 on a placement for my degree. It’s great to be back, cause there is a serious lack of sharks in London, but then, nowhere is perfect.