For this month’s Fish Sister profile, we would like to (finally!) introduce you to Dr. Chelsey Crandall, one of our founders, current board member, and the first president of Women of Fisheries, Inc.!
Chelsey Crandall is a social scientist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Her work focuses on the human dimensions of fisheries and natural resources, and includes exploring people’s attitudes and behaviors as well as ways we connect stakeholders with science and management.
We would love to feature and amplify your experiences in a Fish Sister Profile! Please fill out our Women of Fisheries Profile form to be featured in a future blog post!
CURRENT POSITION(S):
Social Scientist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF YOUR WORK/RESEARCH:
I lead the conservation social science team in our Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. We conduct research into the human dimensions of fish and wildlife in our state, including our saltwater and freshwater fisheries.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN FISHERIES?
I’ve been working in fisheries in one form or another for 14 years, with a few years of education prior to that.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE FIELD?
To make a long story short, I got into fisheries because I enjoy research and wanted to have an applied and positive impact for our marine and aquatic environments in Florida. I grew up in Florida and love our fish and wildlife and our amazing and diverse ecosystems. I also love science, and getting to ask questions and learn new things about our world (it’s so cool!). I started off in a more general sense with the intention to be a marine biologist, and so enrolled in an undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Florida. There I was fortunate to get to work in a bunch of different research labs, helping out on projects with manatees, marine snakes, sea cucumbers, sharks and rays, and more. After college, I worked for a bit in the invertebrate collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History and on a really cool project with Madagascar land snails, and then for the Florida Program for Shark Research. It was then that I realized fisheries was both a super interesting field of research and also a chance to do important work for Florida (fisheries are really big here). So I went on to grad school and started my fisheries-focused journey!
WHO HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOU?
This is such a hard one! I’ll stay focused in the conservation realm (though there are so many others for whom I am so grateful) and go ahead and say Steve Irwin had a huge influence on me. I remember watching his show as a teen, sitting in my room with a notebook jotting down all the cool species facts. His passion and enthusiasm were inspiring!
WHAT WAS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE GOTTEN?
Don’t be afraid to fail. It’s simple advice, but very hard to practice sometimes! I’m a bit of a perfectionist with a tendency to be hard on myself, so reminders that failure is not only ok but an important part of the process are invaluable.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEW WOMEN ENTERING THE FIELD?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Too often we find ourselves feeling we must know everything, but it’s ok to ask questions or lean on others. I think this can sometimes be especially true for women, as we often feel we have to work extra hard to prove ourselves. The Women of Fisheries group is amazing because it provides a support network for us all. Remember that there is this awesome group here to help you, and reach out and lean on us for help!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WORKING IN FISHERIES?
I love that the work I do has an impact, both for the fish species as well as for the people fishing.
WHAT WAS THE COOLEST EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD WHILE WORKING IN FISHERIES?
Working in fisheries is so cool all the time! But I’ll highlight one field experience that was neat – underwater fishing. I was helping Dr. Debra Murie on a research project in the US Virgin Islands; we needed to tag a couple of species of reef fish, and to catch them we fished for them underwater while scuba diving. It was so much fun! And the research was really cool.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FISH?
Batfish, hands down
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?
The network that has grown in Women of Fisheries brings me so much joy! I am so honored to be a part of this inspiring group of women!