MARSHA STAMATAKIS

I received my dive certification in 1999 and immediately fell in love with the ocean. Wanting to preserve the awesome sights I was experiencing, I began taking photographs with a Sea & Sea camera. I have since upgraded my equipment a couple times and am currently using a Nikon D800. I recently retired from education administration, so my husband and I now spend the majority of the year in Florida allowing us to dive whenever we want to (rather than the four or so weeks a year that we did previously).

I love to travel and have been to Malaysia, Indonesia, Micronesia, and the Caribbean. One of my favorite destinations is Bonaire, and a newly found favorite has become the Blue Heron Bridge.

I believe that it’s important for all of us to do our part to raise awareness about climate change, conservation, pollution and the critical importance of our oceans. Photography is such a moving media, and can be a valuable tool to help us communicate these messages. I am looking forward to becoming more active in SFUPS, improving my photography skills, and learning from everyone.