Oceanic Society Naturalists

Martha Brown has worked with Oceanic Society at Midway Atoll and Palmyra since 1992.   Martha is senior editor at the Center for Agroecology at the University of California at Santa Cruz.  Her articles have been published in a number of natural history magazines and she has contributed to a number of natural resource management plans.

Jennifer Cruce holds an MS in Conservation and Biodiversity and is currently in
the doctoral program at the University of Exeter in Cornwall. Ms. Cruce was a
Natural Resources Conservation and Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Ulithi
Atoll, Yap, FSM from September 2004 through November 2006. During this time,
she was the project supervisor of the 2005 and 2006 Ulithi Turtle Tagging
Project on Gielop and Iar Islands. She has worked on coral reef surveys in
Palau and is a certified diver. She has worked with the Oceanic Society since

Katherine Cure holds an M.S. in tropical marine ecology and fisheries biology from James Cook University in Australia. Her specialty is tropical reef fish, their ecology, population dynamics and fisheries.  She worked as an assistant in reef monitoring surveys of the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Knowledgeable in coral reef species in the Caribbean, Pacific and Indo-Pacific, familiar with worldwide conservation issues and experienced in living at remote locations, Katherine brings a wealth of experience to every expedition.

Garv Hoefler holds an MA in biology from San Jose State University has been a biology instructor at DeAnza College. . A talented and dedicated expedition leader, Garv has been the Principal Field Researcher for the Oceanic Society's Belize Expeditions and co-developed the Crocodiles and Corals Research. He was worked with the Oceanic Society since 1996 when he served as the Midway Atoll Field Manager.

Wayne Sentman has a B.S. from the University of Delaware and has completed graduate courses in Wildlife Management. Since 1991, he has worked as a field biologist/technician for agencies such as the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wayne has worked as a naturalist and field biologist for the Oceanic Society since 1998 including work at Midway Atoll, Suriname, North America and Belize.

Susan Sherman has a B.S. in Biology. She is a science educator in California and recently won a national award for teaching talented youth science. Susan has led naturalist history trips for the Oceanic Society for the past 15 years including two previous trips to the Amazon. She is an experienced rafter and has traveled the world extensively. She is very knowledgable about the ecology of the rainforest and marine mammals.

Juan Carlos Solis has worked as a naturalist for the Oceanic Society since 1997, and has led expeditions to Baja California, South America, and Antarctica.  Currently, he is the Public Programs Manager for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and is a former naturalist for the East Bay Regional Parks District. He is knowledgeable about tropical wildlife and ecology, and has a special interest in birds.

Bruce Stewart received his Bachelor of Science in Zoology at the University of California at Davis and completed graduate studies in marine science at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. He is former Director of Public Programs at the Birch Aquarium, and served as Program Curator at Monterey Bay Aquarium and Education Director at Texas State Aquarium.

Isidore Szcepaniak, holds an M.S. degree from San Francisco State University .He is a Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences' Department of Mammalogy. He has conducted research on harbor porpoise in the Gulf of the Farallones for 25 years, and has conducted humpback whale research in California and in Costa Rica.