Meet the Models
Erin Carter Lyman is a Senior Aquarist and Biologist at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA. She holds Bachelors of Science degrees in both Marine Sciences and Geology from Smith College, MA. Her research on angel shark populations in Bodega Bay has recently been published. She also models locally in the Bay Area and Central Coast, and lives in Monterey with husband, Chris Lyman.
Christopher Melville Lyman is a Life Support Operator at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA and was previously chief engineer at Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. He is the drummer for San Francisco psyche-rock band, Turn Me On Dead Man, and for Giant Squid on their landmark album, The Ichthyologist.
Pam Montbach is a Senior Aquatic Biologist at Steinhart Aquarium, located at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, CA. There she is the head of husbandry and habitat for all jellyfish and elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). She has a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Macalester College, MN. Pam owns and operates an aquarium maintenance company, Aqueous Aquarium, with partner, Mike Grassman.
Pearl Gray Perez Gregory is the daughter of Aaron and Jackie, and was born in San Francisco in 2011. She is an avid swimmer, like her mamma, having trained at the prestigious San Francisco swim school, La Petite Baleen. She's also a collector of aquatic themed stuffed animals, and lover of music and doggies.
Paul J. Clerkin is a graduate researcher at the Pacific Shark Research Center of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Moss Landing, California. Clerkin specializes in rare and deep-sea chondrichthyans and is focusing on new species descriptions and life histories of poorly understood sharks species. His thesis work is with David A. Ebert studying sharks encountered during two surveys in the Southern Indian Ocean in 2012 and 2014, a total of 126 days at sea. He has also conducted research for other projects aboard ships in the Bering Sea, South East Atlantic, Philippines Sea, and across the Pacific. He is currently describing some of the 12 new species he discovered in the Indian Ocean and planning his next expeditions.
Vicky Vasquez is currently a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Labs and studies under the Pacific Shark Research Center where her research endeavors focus on lesser known shark species. She received her Bachelor of Science from UC Davis in Evolution and Ecolog with Minors in Art Studio (for photography) and Psychology in (for animal behavior). Vicky is also active in outreach, with a special interest in reaching out to Spanish speakers and underserved communities. Currently she volunteers as the Deputy Director of the Ocean Research Foundation and blog manager for The Drop-In. You can follow her latest work through Facebook or on Twitter @VickyV_TeamORF
Mike Grassman is a Biologist III and Drive Safety Officer at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, CA. He has a Masters of Science in Coastal Management from Nova South Eastern University, FL. His research work on captive born angel sharks was recently published in Drum and Croaker. Mike is also a skilled practitioner of kung-fu, studying at the Shaolin Temple USA in San Francisco, CA.
Hattie Smith is a family friend of the Gregory's, born in Sacramento, CA in 2006. From a very young age she has affectionately referred to Aaron as "Uncle Aaron Shark Stealer" from his days as a diver at Aquarium of the Bay. Hattie has been a lover of the sea and all it's many creatures since she first soaked her feet in the ocean at Kalapaki Beach, Kauai, Hi at the age of two. Her favorite sea animals are dolphins and seahorses. Hattie also enjoys singing, dancing, and theater acting.