Jessica Schem

Jessica hails from sunny Los Angeles, California. She grew up by the ocean with a deep passion for everything water related. Growing up in a family that is heavily involved in boating, cruising, and diving she spent much of her free time at sea with Catalina Island and Mexico as favorite destinations, and it was not long after that she began working summers at Camp Emerald Bay, Catalina. In 2009, Jessica began school at the University of California Santa Barbara studying marine biology. By the end of her freshman year she started working with PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans) where she worked on juvenile fish recruitment. Later she started on the PISCO dive team, surveying the Southern California Coast. Continuing her interest in marine monitoring, she joined Reef Check California as a Santa Barbara student intern. Jessica graduated with a degree in marine biology and a minor in spatial science. Following graduation, Jessica worked as a scientific field technician on the remote Atoll of Palmyra in the South Pacific. On Palmyra, she assisted graduate students where her work included fish and benthic surveys, focal follows, shark and fish acoustic tagging, and acoustic telemetry work. All these experiences have solidified her love of the sea and passion for pursuing a career path in marine conservation. Jessica returned to Catalina Island where she now works part time as an environmental scientist.