Dr. John Schacke

I am a non-traditional student. After graduating from MGSU with a Marketing degree and working for a year as a technical recruiter, I decided to transfer to UGA to capitalize on the demand for workers with tech degrees. When I’m not in class or playing catch with friends, I work as a wedding photographer/videographer and write code to automate day trading of stocks. I first heard about GDEP while riding the UGA bus home from class. I was interested in GDEP because I wanted to meet new people, and I was excited to get to work with dolphins in the field. I plan to contribute to the research project by utilizing my experience in photography and video production. I also look forward to assisting the team with marketing.

My whole life I’ve had a love for marine mammals and a drive to make it a career. I joined GDEP because my passion for marine mammals and my willingness to learn more set me apart. I was not qualified enough when I first applied to the team, but I was eager to prove myself so I could gain the experience. My attitude and dedication for the subject is what got me noticed and invited to join. Career Goals/Accomplishments. I joined GDEP in the summer of 2016 and now I manage the GDEP catalog of photo-ID fins. I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to intern with the Pacific Whale Foundation research department in Maui, HI summer of 2017. I’ve expanded my knowledge in the field and I hope to continue to do so by going to Graduate School to receive a Master’s Degree and continue doing research.

Why did you join GDEP? What makes you, you? What are you passionate about? I joined GDEP originally out of interest and enthusiasm to be able to do hands on research on one of my favorite animals. Through the experience that I have gained from GDEP, I have found my calling towards Shark research and conservation. Since gaining my open water dive license when I was 12, the ocean and its creatures have always been near and dear to my heart and future career plans. Career Goals/Accomplishments: After finishing my undergraduate from Grady College, I hope to be able to move onto getting my masters from Scripps Institute of Oceanography in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation. With all my education and enthusiasm, I hope to be able to educate the public about the shark finning epidemic and to transform the reputation of the shark from a dangerous man eating predator to the oceans most important carnivore. My work teaching children of various ages about marine conservation and my coordination of informational conferences has given me the experience and confidence I need to pursue my goals to their fullest potential.

After my first family trip to Jekyll Island, GA’s beaches when I was four years old, I fell in love with coastal Georgia and its wildlife. This love became my career path. I joined GDEP because it was the perfect opportunity to get involved in important dolphin research along the Georgia coast. I am passionate about bottlenose dolphin and sea turtle conservation, as well as coastal Georgia conservation. Career Goals/Accomplishments: I graduated from the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources with a B.S.F.R. (’12) in Fisheries and Wildlife and a M.S. (’15) in Wildlife Ecology and Management. I have volunteered for the Georgia Dolphin Ecology Program for 5 years, serving as a graduate student researcher and photo-identification catalog manager. I served as a night patrol sea turtle tagging technician the Florida Marine Turtle Research Group in summer 2012, and in summer 2016, I worked for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as Little Cumberland Island Sea Turtle Project’s field technician, where I found and monitored 106 sea turtle nests (a part of the loggerhead record-breaking nesting season). I am currently serving as an AmeriCorps Education Member at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, where I am able to share my passion for conservation with guests of all ages. My career goal is to continue to be involved in conservation research and education.

My passion is the Georgia Coast – from the whispering longleaf pines that lead to the fields of luscious Spartina that dance in the Marsh with droplets of sparkling water that float above the dark marsh mud containing a nursery for my most beloved creatures, to the rolling waves of the ocean so alive from each droplet that encompasses the sea. That feeling on the boat, navigating thru the sounds whilst the birds above sing and the redfish whip their tails as if to wave and the crabs scurry about on the marsh mud but most magically – being invited into an afternoon in this splendid world and being hosted by a local dolphin is the reason I joined GDEP. The delight that learning the patterns and habits of these awe-inspiring mammals and their place in the ecosystem is crucial to the conservation of the Georgia Coast and is never regarded as work, but a privilege. Career Goals/Accomplishments: As an undergrad I studied sea turtles in Belize, dolphins in Georgia, cassiopeia in Key Largo and worked as a researcher for The Department of Natural Resources upon the R/V Anna for a summer. I am currently working in a lab in Marine Sciences at The University of Georgia to hone my laboratory skills while applying to Graduate Schools. One day, I hope to work on the Georgia Coast full time either in conservation or fisheries management.