she
was getting ready for a trip to the deep-sea. Here's what I discovered...Tammy is a research professor at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. She's originally a California girl, having gotten her Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Long Beach, and Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She's lived happily in Florida for 16 years with her two dogs, Penny and Melody
Tammy, what's your favorite animal? My favorite domestic animal is the dog, with cats a close second (although I'm allergic to them, so they make my eyes swell shut). I think the most interesting marine animals are
octopus
squid
and hyperiid amphipods.
However, I think what really got me interested in
studying animals in the ocean were all the Jacques Cousteau specials that
used to be on TV when I was a kid. I, like any other child who watched those
specials, wanted to work on whales and dolphins, but when I was in college,
I found that the ocean was full of interesting animals, and my first
research cruise in college convinced me that the deep sea is what I wanted
to study.
live animals in trawls nets, or going down in the Johnson-Sea-Link
submersible. Seeing wonderful, sometimes oddly shaped (to us)
animals in the trawl net,
often spewing bioluminescent fluid, ties with seeing incredible animals alive in
the water from the submersible as my most amazing oceanic experience. 
What are two things do you do in your home to help the environment?
I recycle everything I can, and use canvas shopping bags instead of plastic when shopping. I walk my dogs every day, and have to pick up their deposits.
I use biodegradable poop bags instead of plastic newspaper bags, which I was using until I read that they took over 20 years to degrade in a landfill. I now recycle the
newspaper bags in the bins they have outside grocery stores for plastic bags.