Megan Amico
She/Her
I am queer and I am a fisheries biologist. //
I graduated with my B.S. in Marine Science from the University of Maine in 2019 and became a Northeast Fisheries Observer with NOAA. Covid derailed my plans, and I ended up moving home and taking a job at Starbucks and at as a microbiologist for a cannabis testing lab. I consistently applied for marine science jobs until I landed one at NOAA Fisheries in 2021 as a Gear Researcher, where I work still. My main focus has been collaborating with fishermen to research and develop on-demand (“ropeless”) fishing technologies to reduce North Atlantic right whale entanglements, while also ensuring the survival of local fishing industries. I am also involved in other research projects aimed at reducing bycatch of other protected species by collaborating with commercial fishermen and other stakeholders. In 2023, I graduated with my M.S. in Marine Science from Unity College with a concentration in Conservation of Marine Predators. My master’s research was completed alongside the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and I continue to contribute to white shark research where I can.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/science-data/protected-species-gear-research