jeff milisen

Marine Debris Technician II

Hometown: Ledyard, Connecticut

Current Residence: Kailua-Kona, HI

Most people think that Jeff is a biologist, while real biologists call him a photographer. He thinks of himself as a naturalist and writer of “The Field Guide to Blackwater Diving in Hawaii.” His underwater photos have placed in 18 international competitions, he’s published 3 peer-reviewed papers, he received a Master of Science while studying cone snail venom, and has written countless popular articles, so each of the labels has some element of truth. For over a decade, he worked to develop the logistics, technology, and pure grit required to move aquaculture into exposed water over the horizon. For this cruise, he’ll be taking a break from his role as the founder and director of a pelagic biodiversity monitoring program called the DRIFT Project.