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Joshua Idjadi
What are your areas of specialty? Benthic Marine Ecology, Coral Biology/Ecology What is your daily job like? On a typical day I might attend a class, read journal articles, and teach an introductory biology lab. What is the most exciting thing about your job? I love to travel, spend time underwater, and try to learn new things about the marine environment. What is the most boring thing about your job? My job is not very boring but sometimes it's difficult to spend long periods of time writing papers. Did you always know you wanted to be a marine biologist (or work around the ocean)? Did you start out wanting to do something else? I've always been interested in the ocean but I never thought that I could be lucky enough to study the ocean and spend so much time exploring it. Where did you grow up as a child? I grew up in a very rural part of northern New Jersey. How did you become interested in the oceans? Did you have a hero growing up that got you interested in the ocean? Who were your role models, then and now? I became interested in the ocean by spending time in the Caribbean with my parents on vacation. I've always looked up to people who can balance work and play and people who feel at home in the ocean. I've always admired Ricky Grigg, an accomplished marine biologist, word class surfer, and all around waterman. What is the coolest thing you have seen underwater? I once saw two 1500 lb stellars sea lions while diving in Washington state. Scariest? The sea lions were pretty scary! Funniest? I was once in an underwater pumpkin carving contest! What is your role in the mission? I will be a saturating research assistant on this mission. What types of special training enable you to participate in this mission? We are required to have several kinds of dive certifications including: scientific diver, rescue diver, scuba lifesaving and accident management, nitrox diver, and CPR and first aid. Also, we will be train to live safely and efficiently in the Aquarius Habitat. What are you most looking forward to about this mission? The opportunity to work with Peter Edmunds and Ove Hoegh-Gulberg and the rest of my team. I'm also excited about living underwater for a long period of time. What do you like to do that's not work-related, like hobbies (coin collecting, sky diving, gourmet chef, boating, raising a family, tennis - that sort of thing)? I enjoying surfing and volleyball. I also shape and fiberglass my own surfboards. What advice would you offer to a middle/high school student or undergraduate who wants to be a marine biologist? Try to take classes that relate to marine biology, look for opportunities to spend time in the water just looking around, and try to get to know your instructors and teachers, especially if they study marine biology.
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