Profiles of Women Working In STEM

Jess Cramp

Marine Conservationist & Shark Researcher

Jess Cramp is an American shark researcher and marine conservationist. She is passionate about stopping the overexploitation of sharks and the degradation of the ocean—and believes that fostering a lasting impact requires a comprehensive approach and local buy-in. Because of this, Cramp prioritizes listening to local perspectives while actively engaging community members, community leaders, and government officials in her research and advocacy efforts. In 2011, while living in the Cook Islands, she co-championed a grassroots campaign that resulted in the two-million-square-kilometer Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary.

Cramp is currently pursuing a Ph.D. through James Cook University while residing in the Cook Islands. She is studying the effectiveness of large-scale marine reserves on wide-ranging sharks. She also advises national governments, foundations, and NGOs in marine reserve and fisheries policy in the Pacific and is the founder of Sharks Pacific—a nonprofit organization dedicated to shark and fisheries research, outreach, education, and advocacy. sharkspacific.org

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