Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Gonzales.
Claire, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story really begins when I was 16 and first learned how to scuba dive. I was immediately infatuated with the ocean. In the little town where I’m from (Elk Grove) in Central California, diving isn’t a popular pastime. Not to mention that most of my family was and is afraid of the ocean. Scuba diving was something that I thought I would never be able to do, and when I did it felt like an entirely new world that no one else knew about. Humans hadn’t conquered this yet. Long story short, I fell in love.
I went to college at Duke University to become a Marine Biologist. Here, I got to experience as an NSF Research Fellow and a program assistant for the Ocean Foundation’s Sea Turtle Census in the USVI. (I also finally fell for country music and hush puppies but that’s really not too integral to this story). After I graduated from Duke in 2015, I packed up all my things into one duffel bag, spent the last of my savings on scuba gear and Trader Joe’s chocolate, and hopped onto a plane for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Here, I spent the next year living on the small island (and I mean SMALL) of South Caicos, working at the Center for Marine Resource Studies. My two colleagues and I lead groups of students on scuba dives, managed marine research studies and ate more beans, rice and chicken than any of us are proud to admit. Each morning, we steered our skiff out of the safety of the harbor and into the piercing waves of the Columbus Passage. Alone, our tasks would have been impossible. But, together, the three of us conducted coral bleaching surveys 100 feet underwater, visited uninhabited islands to monitor shoreline dynamics and recorded conch abundance along the pristine Caicos Bank. These long afternoons of fieldwork inspired my love for adventure and my passion for scientific discovery. Meanwhile, I watched local fishermen, who had grown up and built their livelihoods from fishing in these waters, start to come up empty. Scientists at the CMRS have been studying the coastal and reef habitat to monitor and assess these trends. But with unenforced conservation laws and a dysfunctional fishery system, there was little room for improvement. Ultimately, science was able to diagnose this disease, but could not provide a cure. There was no pathway to connect the science to the change that the island needed and, to me, that was the biggest issue.
When I returned to America, this is what I wanted to work on: building a bridge between scientific efforts and conservation efforts. I soon joined the team at Blue Latitudes, a small company that I had read about a few months prior in the TCI. Blue Latitudes was founded to investigate sustainable alternatives to oil and gas decommissioning, specifically pertaining to the “Rigs-to-Reefs” program. Beneath the surface, oil rigs foster a vast and unique habitat, one that will be completely destroyed through traditional decommissioning practices. As a Marine Scientist for Blue Latitudes, I strive to preserve this habitat.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s never a smooth road! And I’m sure I will continue to face bumps in the road. I have faced a lot of rejection, money limitations and sleepless nights. Not to mention, being a short, young, woman of color comes with its own set of struggles in this field (and most fields). It can be really hard to be taken seriously sometimes. However, when people underestimate me, they just have to start talking to me to realize that I know my stuff. When someone underestimates me, I take that as an opportunity to prove them wrong (my mom says it’s my stubbornness and she’s usually right). My advice to other young women is to find something that lights you up inside and ignore anyone who tells you that you can’t achieve that goal. Instead, find someone that you look up to and ask them for advice (career or otherwise). Work hard, lean on others when you need it, and ALWAYS be yourself. Authenticity is priceless. I’ve wasted a lot of time trying to be what I thought “success” looked like.
I am nowhere near having all the answers, but those are just some of the things that I’ve learned so far on this little adventure,
Please tell us about Blue Latitudes.
Blue Latitudes was founded to investigate sustainable alternatives to oil and gas decommissioning, specifically pertaining to the “Rigs-to-Reefs” program. Beneath the surface, oil rigs foster a vast and unique habitat, one that will be completely destroyed through traditional decommissioning practices. As a Marine Scientist for Blue Latitudes, I strive to preserve this habitat. In the 2.5 years, I have spent working for Blue Latitudes, I have discovered that my passion lies in this niche, integrating science with industry to develop solutions to traditional challenges in marine conservation. We also recently founded a non-profit called the Blue Latitudes Foundation (BLF). The BLF investigates innovative solutions to traditional issues in conservation, shedding new and interdisciplinary light on ocean management. As scientists, we must continue to come together to hold each other up and push each other forward to discover new tactics in ocean management. When we do, we can leave the world a little better than when we found it.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I feel that the biggest barriers to female leadership today is lack of authenticity. As women, we are told that we have to fit a certain mold to be a successful leader: polished, strong but still nice, etc. In general, this is a really complex and societal issue and, again, I’m not claiming to have all the answers on it but, personally, I am drawn to leaders that are genuine. Similarly, when I am put in leadership positions, I strive to just be myself, while providing the structure that my team needs from me and being the hardest worker in the room.
This is especially complex within the scientific field, as this entire industry has a lack of authenticity. Prestigious universities, men in suits, big words in scientific papers (that, of course, are only available for purchase). I think this is a huge issue in this field that future leaders should address. Science should be accessible and relatable to everybody because it affects everybody!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://rig2reefexploration.org
- Instagram: @clairegonzo93
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rig2reefexploration/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: @claire_gonzal
Image Credit:
Stevie Schweighardt, Chris Casaclang
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
