Where are they now? Spotlight on our Previous Interns: Mattew Speegle

We love to highlight what our former interns are up to after their time at Forfar Field Station. Matthew Speegle was a member of the team here at Forfar during the 2018-2019 season.

How did the Forfar internship benefit you in your current job or your future career goals?

The main skill set I took from my time at Forfar is the ability to learn to identify a large quantity of species in a effective way while being able to quickly identify them in the field. It has truly helped my throughout my career because if I am working in a new field, or region, with different species that I haven't worked with before, my employer always feels reassured that they won’t have to spend extra time and effort training me.

What professional skills did you gain from the internship?

Learning to work with and communicate with such a variety of people was definitely the most important skill that I gained from the internship. As part of my current job, I am always meeting, working with, and living in close quarters, with new people. It is essential to be able to communicate effectively in order to work together with new people. If you don't, you quickly learn that you will enjoy your job much less.

What is the most memorable or favorite part of your Forfar internship?

There are obviously so many memorable moments during my time in Andros from swimming in the blue waters to dancing with my fellow interns on the weekend. But the one memory that always comes back to me is when I was able to scuba dive in Cousteau's Blue Hole on my 26th birthday. It was a great experience because of how “once in a lifetime” it actually was. I never thought that I would be able to dive in such a amazing and distinct location. Never before did I think I would get a chance to dive in such a place that made me feel like I was on a different planet.

Where is your hometown? Where are you living now?

My hometown is Castro Valley, California. And I am currently living in Dana Point, California, where there is a little bit more sunshine and a lot better beach.

What job(s) have you had since your time at Forfar? What are your responsibilities in the role?

I have worked two jobs since my time at Forfar. My first job title was Fishery Observer. I worked for Frank Oarth and Associates, who is contracted by NOAA to work the Southwest region of fisheries. I would travel on commercial fishing boats from a week to a month at a time, to collect data (i.e. measurements, weight, sex) and samples (i.e. stomach, tissue, liver, reproductive organs, gills) of all the fish that we catch and keep while on the boat, then bring them back to the lab to do an in-depth analysis of all the samples. All of the data and analysis goes to NOAA scientists. My second job is a biological monitor for an environmental consulting firm. I work with construction firms to minimize and mitigate the biological impacts or their projects. It mainly consists of a lot of surveys and technical reports, but I get to work outside and meet new people everyday.

Any current hobbies or places traveled?

While I am not working, I am spending mostly all my time either surfing or playing golf. Dana point is the perfect place for these because, as you can imagine, it is always sunny, and there are always waves. As for travel, I have mostly been finding new places around California to camp, as there is never a shortage of new locations, and travelling to Mexico to get a taste of the tropical weather which I miss so much.

Any other updates you would like to share?

I miss being in such an amazing place as Andros, and it is nearly impossible for me to refrain from telling any new person I meet about my time there.