Underwater Living, Movie Consulting, and Conch Verges with Dr. Ellen Prager (#27)

Ever think you know where you’re going, only to take a detour in the road?

When most people start their career, they have a vision for where they may be in the future, only to discover that, down the line, they’re doing something completely different.

And loving it.

At least that’s the case for my guest today, Dr. Ellen Prager.

Chief Scientist for Aquarius Reef base, movie consultant for Disney, author.

Quite the resume isn’t it?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Prager.

Exploring the watery world, and sharing it with others, is another one of Dr. Prager’s superhero talents. Marine scientist, both non-fiction and fiction author, she currently working as a freelance writer, consultant, and science advisor to Celebrity Cruises in the Galapagos Islands. She has appeared on The Today Show and NBC News, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, CBS Early Show, Larry King, The Weather Channel, in shows for the Discovery Channel and was a consultant for the Disney movie, Moana.

In today’s episode, Dr. Ellen Prager shares with us her inconspicuous beginnings, how jumping into the deep end of a pool with a dive tank, and being able to breath, ignited her interest in the underwater world.

This flame was further fanned into a full blown career during college in Connecticut, where Prager took a course in oceanography and worked in a research lab in the Caribbean.

The author of ten books plus innumerable oceanic experiences, Ellen Prager’s knowledge is seemingly as vast as the ocean, yet she’s quite entertaining to listen to. She has quite the knack for naming things, especially the title of one of her books, Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime, which we get into.

Also in this episode:

• verge of conch and why they’re so impressive
• what it’s like living and working as a marine scientist in the St. Croix and the Bahamas paradises
• how Dr. Ellen Prager influenced policy and created underwater maps that are still used today.
• Dr. Prager also shares her favorite tales from the Galapagos including close encounters with sea lions, orcas, and humpback whales.

And much, much more.

After you dive into today’s episode, please leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite thing you learned was!

Connect with Dr. Prager: Twitter| Facebook

Quick Links
Wesleyan University
West Indies Laboratory
Peter Glynn coral biologist
Celebrity Cruise Lines
Rhodoliths
Dr. Harry Roberts
Sea Education Association Woods Hole
Aquarius
Bob Ballard Jason Project
Sylvia Earle
US Geological Survey
Florida Bay
National Ocean Conference
Disney’s Moana
Aquaman
National Geographic
McGraw-Hill
Sex-Drugs and Sea Slime
Tristan Hunt Book
Lee Stocking Island
Ooids
Wonderlist Series: Escape Galapagos
Orca Whales
Humpback Whales
Dolphins in Galapagos
Sea lions in the Galapagos
Octopus
Manatees Crystal River
Dangerous Earth

Show Notes
3:05 how diving in a pool with a scuba tank started her interest in the underwater world, and how taking an oceanography class in college that led her to working at a lab in St. Croix.

5:10 learning lots and doing field work helped to get a master’s degree. Practical hands-on learning was instrumental when it came to classroom learning. “Don’t just go to grad school just to go.” These early experiences helped shape some of the work she does currently.

8:40 The importance of asking: biking across a bridge to ask for a job led to a summer position working at an undersea lab as a safety diver. Be unafraid of rejection: it’s the only way forward to success.

12:55 how a diverse background helped to land a job teaching marine science at SEA, and ultimately helped to gain Dr. Prager a job as the chief scientist of Aquarius. Dr. Prager explains what it’s like to live underwater for a week to two at a time. You get to know the neighborhood and witnessing the change of shifts with the passing of each day.

17:40 Dr. Prager’s time in the US Geological Survey included work in the Florida Bay that’s still used today: mapping and ground-truthing the bottom. After moving from St. Pete, Florida to Washington D.C. to further her career in USGS, she was able to work within the National Ocean Conference and was able to be a part of the planning committee, which is overseen by the President and Vice President of the US.

20:20 Being a marine biologist movie consultant on Disney’s Moana: how she got the gig and some of her contributions that made it into the film. She even has a line!

22:08 starting into the world of book writing: a children’s book was inspired by her own sand collection. Nat Geo bought it, and then her career went from there! Her favorite thing? When she can put humor in the books.

26:10 When writing “Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime,” Ellen was surprised to learn some of the more imaginative undersea reproductive strategies were, how often ocean animals are used in biomedical research, and how many of the ocean’s organisms use mucus in some way, shape or form.

32:13 Tristan Hunt’s adventures paralleled Dr. Prager’s career as an associate director of Lee Stocking Island. Ellen explains some behind the writing inspiration of some of Tristan’s adventures, some of which she’s witnessed in person.

37:15 Bringing the Galapagos, which has been speckled across her career, into a book. Her favorite part? The response from parents, kids, and educators.

41:18 what makes the Galapagos so special: remoteness, volcanoes, and 3-4 different oceanic currents. The result: an amazing array of wildlife and topography.

45:25 what it means to be a science advisor for Celebrity Cruises. Prager gets to travel to the Galapagos and Caribbean and gets to create talks, videos, and wonderful guest experiences all about the amazing flora and fauna on each island. The Galapagos also provides the fodder for some of her amazing stories involving an orcas, humpback whales, and dolphins.

52:30 Advice for aspiring marine biologists: don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities. Even if you hear “no,” it’s not a reflection on you, it’s that the opportunity may not be there right then. Try new things. Be open to opportunities.

54:10 Ellen’s new book, released this spring, is called “Dangerous Earth: What We Wish We Knew about Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Climate Change, Earthquakes, and More.” It dives into what scientists wished they knew about these things. One of them? The plumbing behind (or under) volcanoes.

56:15 Dr. Prager’s ask for the audience: yes, reduce, reuse, recycle, but also: vote for leaders that believe in science and understand the value of our oceans to human society.