6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026
Academy University Hill, 833 10th Street, Boulder
Presented by Mikki McComb-Kobza, Ph.D.
CEO & Chief Scientist, Ocean First Institute
Explorers Club Fellow
Past President American Elasmobranch Society
Women Divers Hall of Fame
Assistant Professor Adjunct CU Boulder Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Most of us have an irrational fear of sharks when in reality, more people die each year from falling vending machines than from shark bites, so desperate as they are to shake loose that final bag of Cheetos.
Learn more amazing facts about shark conservation and the cutting edge of shark science from one of the country’s leading shark researchers. Mikki McComb-Kobza, fresh off a TEDxBoulder presentation this fall, will share stories and findings from Ocean First Institute’s (OFI) latest projects in Florida, including pioneering eDNA research, shark abundance and distribution studies in the Florida Keys using BRUVs and drone surveys, and a new initiative tracking the movements of critically endangered hammerhead sharks with satellite tags.
She will also highlight her ongoing collaborative efforts to uncover the potential connection between mother hammerheads at Cocos Island and nursery grounds in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. Her collaborative work helped inspire the world’s first hammerhead shark sanctuary, and the discoveries continue to unfold. It’s a powerful story of science, exploration, and hope for the ocean’s most misunderstood species.
Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza’s research focuses on the sensory biology and ecological physiology of sharks, skates and rays. Mikki, a dedicated marine biologist for two decades, has been a tireless advocate for sharks, highlighting their global declines and framing new directions for their conservation.
Mikki has been invited to speak, educate and conduct research at labs and institutions in South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Her outreach efforts have been documented in film, magazine and radio by the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, and CBC National Radio Canada. Her current position as CEO & Chief Scientist of Ocean First Institute, based in Boulder, allows her to promote research, conservation, and sustainability.
The Institute supports expeditions and a variety of education initiatives that engage students and public alike. Mikki holds a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from Florida Atlantic University and is the author of numerous scientific publications.
Learn more at: oceanfirstinstitute.org