Zen, the Art of Research, and Violating Pelicans with Dr. Catherine Macdonald from the Field School

Dr. Catherine Macdonald is one of the founders of the Field School, a hands-on marine biology experience based out of Miami, Florida. At a young age, Catherine had a profound experience on the beach with a shark that led her to want to either “be a marine scientist, or scrub the shark tanks.” When the time for university came, however, Catherine ended up majoring in history. When she graduated, she was accepted as a Thomas J. Watson fellow, a prestigious fellowship that enables participants to study anything they’d like, as long as it wasn’t something they’d studied before, and they must travel the world while doing so. This pushed Catherine well outside of her comfort zone, as she followed her initial dream of working with sharks, and traveled around the world doing so.

Now Catherine runs the Field School, where she teaches students not just about field research, but about life. One thing that struck me about my conversation about Catherine is that it wasn’t just a conversation about marine biology. We chatted about how yelling is never an appropriate response, how getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is really something we should all strive to do, and if there really is such a thing as sustainable tourism. It was a fascinating conversation. Enjoy.

Connect with Catherine: Dr Cat Mac Insta | Field School Insta | Website

Quick Links
Bonecrusher
Bonnethead
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
Amherst College
Bimini Biological Field Station
KZN Shark Board
The Boston Herald Article on Great Whites
Drumlines in Western Australia
Cape Town Shark Spotters
Black December
Hawai’i Shark Cull
Suwannee University of the South
University of Miami
Using shark fisherman for tourism
The Field School
American Elasmobranch Society
R/V Garvin
First ever life recorded sawfish birth in Andros Island
Dr. Dean Grubbs
Shark Week
Woods Hole
Dr. Greg Skomal
Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization (BMMRO)
Sperm Whale
Beaked Whales
Melon headed whales
Tropical Marine Ecology (Field School Course)
Shark research skills (Field School Course)
NOAA
NOAA cooperative [shark] tagging program
Satellite tag on fin
RASMUS
Bahamas Relief: Operation 300
Bahamas Relief: Humane Society of the Bahamas
Bahamas Relief: The Global Empowerment Mission

Show Notes
How throwing up on a sea creature makes you love them [2:42]
“Bonecrusher” the nurse shark [3:12]
How a Jersey Girl becomes a marine biologist [4:32]
Formative experience with sharks on the beach that piqued Cat’s interest [5:32]
“I either want to be a marine biologist or clean the shark tanks at sea world.” [6:30]
Humanities, reading, critical thinking skills lead to a surprising undergrad major [6:45]
A transformative fellowship that changed the trajectory of Dr. Cat Mac’s life [8:02]
“You don’t have to have everything planned out. You don’t have to have one clear path to follow for your whole life.” [10:47]
It’s not an “attack,” it’s an “interaction” [14:54]
Nets on beaches aren’t barriers, but fishing tools [15:58]
The question is if people are willing to tolerate the inconvenience of living in a world that’s wild [16:47]
“Jaws” may not be to blame [19:08]
Not accepting simple answers [22:03]
Futbol hooliganism [23:32]
Violating pelicans [26:10]
Knowing when you’re ready to continue higher education [27:50]
Eco-tourism may not be as sustainable as we think [29:02]
The Field School – the place to get a hands-on marine biology experience [35:17]
What a lot of internships can be like [36:24]
What university professors are rewarded for [37:10]
A note on why most internships are unpaid [38:52]
On becoming an entrepreneur [40:22]
The biggest single project the Field School has taken on [41:00]
How to help with Dolphin and Whale reserach [43:24]
The goal of a field school course [44:17]
“You should treat things [experiences] that you find you hate as equally valuable as finding things that you love” [45:32]
What a shark introductory class looks like [46:34]
Coolest publication from Field School [48:58]
Best part about her job, and the main thing that sets the Field School apart [50:42]
Human ingenuity at its finest [54:03]
Nature can be a religious experience. Everything is connected. [55:02]
There’s a lot of different ways to do what you love [57:48]
You’re not behind. Everyone has this fear, and you’re in exactly the right spot. [59:20]