Favourite papers?
Cohen, S. (2014). The Ethics of De-Extinction. Nanoethics, 8(2), 165–178.
Hays, G. C., Bailey, H., Bograd, S. J., Bowen, W. D., Campagna, C., Carmichael, R. H., ... & Sequeira, A. M. (2019). Translating marine animal tracking data into conservation policy and management. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 34(5), 459-473.
Favourite species?
Bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo)
Mina Hatayama
Research Associate
BMarSc | James Cook University
Originally from landlocked Colorado in the United States, Mina's journey to becoming a Marine Scientist was unlikely. Initially interested in studying sustainability science, Mina's plans took an unexpected turn when she had the opportunity to do her divemaster, during which, she discovered her love for the underwater world. After realizing that her aspirations for her dream school were hindered by financial constraints, Mina took a very last minute gap year to travel, gain practical experience, and be more competitive for scholarships. During her gap year, she was lucky enough to travel and after spending some time in Honduras and South Africa, she became interested in the overlap between sustainable fisheries and conservation efforts for sharks and rays.
Mina started her Bachelor of Marine Science at JCU in 2019, during which, she began volunteering on projects with the Fish & Fisheries Lab. In 2022, Mina began an Honours research project with the lab. Her thesis focused on using modeling to understand and predict changes to distributions and physiology of bull and epaulette sharks with rising ocean temperatures off the east coast of Australia.
Mina is still interested in sustainable fisheries management, shark and ray conservation, and specifically focuses on how to make these two objectives achievable under climate change. She is currently working as a research associate for the Fish & Fisheries lab and will pursue a PhD on these subjects later this year.
