Megan Cook
Photographer’s Assistant / Scientific Diver
Bio
Megan Cook, the 2012 North American Rolex Scholar of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society, is midway through a year of traveling our planet’s oceans and learning from its greatest leaders. Selected as one of three emerging leaders globally, Megan is building on her marine research background with diverse experience from mentors in marketing, ocean policy, filmmaking, photography, journalism, industry and conservation. Born far from the ocean in Idaho, Megan’s love for the sea grew from a spark lit by her first-grade teacher. Extraverted and eager for new challenges, Megan has had her eyes on the sea ever since. A love for investigating new questions brought her to Oregon State University where she graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Science in biology, chemistry and marine biology.
Megan is always eager to discover new parts of the underwater world. She’s built experience living and researching along the Great Barrier Reef, sailing a tall-ship across the Equator, wrestling metric tons of derelict fishing gear off reefs in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, exterminating Caribbean invasive species, leading community coral reef education, and snorkeling in Antarctica.
Her passion is collaborating with dynamic leaders of research science, expeditions, media and tourism to understand and communicate the wonder, vitality and dramatic change alive in today’s underwater world. Megan aspires to become a spokewoman for the ocean on a national and international stage forming pathways for new discoveries to influence public perception and inspire a global conservation ethic.
