Mora (also) Interviews Shaun

As the Chief Science Officer on board the Marcus Langseth, Shaun Shaver is responsible for making sure the scientists and crew on board are following all the permits. This includes when the boat needs to be turned off for certain animals and how data is taken. He is responsible for deploying equipment such as the seismometer and the CTD. He also ensures that all the data collected on board is accurate and usable. Without him, the boat would not be able to collect data. When Shaun isn’t navigating the sea, he is at home in Texas where his son lives. He enjoys taking his son on fishing trips around the United States. Some of the places they have travelled together include Louisiana and the Bahamas. Right now, he is looking forward to docking in San Diego so he can go see his son graduate from high school. Not only that but it’s possibly his last docking before he retires. He has already been working on boats for forty years! He started at age nineteen when his stepbrother offered him a position on board a boat. He hasn’t gone back since. The community on board gives Shaun reason to stay aboard the ships. When the science party gets large enough there are ping pong tournaments to be won and salsa dancing to learn. The crew helps each other stay entertained on board and become good friends to see when on time off. Shaun has done an amazing job showing us around the boat and keeping things in order. When he retires, he is leaving behind a strong community of friends, but he is ready for his next adventure!