Ask a Marine Biologist: Chloe Kotik
By: Chloe Kotik October 7, 2022 High School Adventures, Marine Biology
At Broadreach, one of our main goals is to help middle and high school students discover their passions through real-life experiences during our summer programs. If you’re like many Broadreach alumni, you’re wondering how to pursue these interests in college and beyond. We asked one of the rockstar instructors in our Broadreach community, marine biologist Chloe Kotik, to share her experiences and advice with future marine biologists!
What did you study as an undergrad? What advanced degrees and/or professional qualifications do you hold?
B.Sc and M.Sc in Marine Biology
What is your relationship with Broadreach?
I was a student in 2016 and an instructor in Fiji this [summer 2022]!
What do you do when not working with Broadreach?
I am a marine mammal researcher specializing in the behavioral ecology of killer whales.
What do you love the most about what you currently do?
I am very proud to be a part of work that directly informs the conservation and management of a critically endangered subpopulation of killer whales.
What skills help you the most to do what you do?
Field skills like boat driving, drone flying, photography, species ID, and trailering; statistical programming and data visualization in R, Matlab, or Python; strong working knowledge of cetacean ecology, scientific writing and communication, grant writing, and persistence!
What’s something you didn’t know about your profession or field that you wish you had known as a teenager?
The job market is incredibly limited and competitive, and it is very difficult to find work without also doing a lot of unpaid volunteering and interning.
What advice do you have for teens who are in becoming marine biologists?
Get involved ASAP. Volunteer after school in research or animal-related positions (shelters, zoos and aquariums, etc). Also, learn to code!
Do you have a favorite Broadreach memory you’d like to share?
An evening swim on Tintamarre after a long day of sailing the Caribbean!
Chloe is a marine biologist specializing in killer whale research. She led our Fiji Shark Studies program in summer 2022.
