This event is free and open to the public!

About the Speaker: Alexandrea grew up land-locked in the Midwest but has always been passionate about wildlife conservation and driven to study marine biology from a young age after becoming scuba certified and witnessing the world underwater for the first time. Alexandrea uses she/her/hers pronouns and deeply values advocacy - whether for students, researchers in the field, or early-career women in STEM. From wrangling piglets to wrangling harbor seal pups (in a safe and permitted way, of course), she has always been drawn to marine mammals' unique capabilities and exploring how they survive and thrive in their dynamic environments. Alexandrea graduated with a Bachelor's in Fisheries and Wildlife with a Biology minor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is currently finishing her Master's at Western Washington University, studying harbor seal population genetics in Washington state! The past year and a half she has been building and honing her skills through the WDFW Marine Mammal Investigations internship and working directly with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. She is incredibly grateful and excited to have continued working in the stranding network this past pupping season and deepening her field experience on the water with The Whale Museum this summer.