Born and raised in Maine, Jillian’s love for the ocean started at an  early age and has continued to play an integral role in her adult life.  She has spent thousands of hours in the field working and diving with  sharks across the globe. She is a marine biologist, shark  conservationist, scuba instructor, explorer and educator. She has filmed  for numerous television shows and networks, has appeared on Shark Week,  is a PADI Ambassadiver, was named Scuba Diving Magazine's July 2016 Sea  Hero and was awarded the inaugural Shark Con Shark Hero Award in 2017.   She is the author and a member of the prestigious .Norman the Nurse SharkOcean Artists Society