Membership Meeting, May 1, 2025, 7 p.m. Oxbow Eco Center

Dr. Edie Widder is our guest speaker.  She will be joined by Ms. Michelle Martin. 

Dr. Edie Widder is a deep-sea explorer, bioluminescence expert, and CEO/Senior Scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), a nonprofit she co-founded in 2005 to protect ocean ecosystems. Renowned for capturing the first deep-sea video of a giant squid in 2012 (and again in 2019), her pioneering work has been featured by the BBC, PBS, Discovery, and National Geographic. She’s received numerous honors, including a MacArthur “genius” grant, the Explorers Club Citation of Merit, and the inaugural Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration. Her 2021 memoir, Below the Edge of Darkness, was hailed by The New York Times as “a thrilling blend of hard science and high adventure.”

At ORCA, Dr. Widder leads efforts to find science-based, results-driven solutions to ocean conservation challenges. ORCA, based in Vero Beach, FL, focuses on developing innovative technology, collecting actionable water quality data, and engaging the community—especially young citizen scientists—in marine conservation. Learn more at www.TeamORCA.org.