Diving into Diversity: The Underrepresentation of Black Women in Marine Science

It’s rare to find a Black woman in marine biology. According to the job research site Zippia, less than 3% of people in marine biology identify as Black. Zoleka Filander is one of few Black women working in marine biology with an emphasis on deep-sea research. After watching OCEANXPLORERS, she hopes to inspire the next generation of Black marine biologists.

OCEANXPLORERS is a National Geographic ocean adventure film that takes viewers aboard the research and exploration vessel OceanXplorer. The audience joins researchers as they journey to the farthest frontiers of the world’s oceans, 95% of which are entirely unexplored. Filander is one of the experts on the ship.

“When I started this career, it was never about wanting to be in the center stage. It was never about breaking glass ceilings. That was not my intention. I started because I was curious, and I was interested and intrigued by the ocean and the passion I had for it,” she tells The Buckeye Review. “[Then] you just all of a sudden find that just by purely existing in a space, you are creating a ripple effect. You are spreading something unknowingly. I am honored by that.”

Filander says the six-part documentary is filled with a roller coaster of emotions. People should anticipate feeling excitement and some disappointments as they witness amazing discoveries firsthand. During an interview with The Buckeye Review, she says the documentary is worth a watch because it helps to color in the gray areas around how things function.

You can watch the documentary on Disney+, Hulu, or National Geographic.