Welcome back to our blog series of Q&As with our staff. As our team has grown in recent years, this is a chance to get to know some of our stories and quirks. Caring for creation and equipping others to do likewise is so much more meaningful — and fun — when done as a team!
Photo caption: A Rocha USA Lead Marine Scientist Dr. Bob Sluka.
What drew you to A Rocha?
We lived in England near A Rocha UK’s Chiltern Gateway Project, a conservation initiative close to Lewknor. I began to volunteer and soon became a part of the A Rocha family. What drew me was the connection between my faith and science. Conservation isn’t just something I enjoy, but part of God’s mission to bring new creation now.
When did the connection between faith and environmental work first “click” for you?
During my time in England volunteering with A Rocha UK. I peppered Rev. Dr. Dave Bookless with so many questions, he must have tired of me. My book Connected by Water details this transformation.
What’s your favorite species and why?
A manta ray (genus Mobula) — graceful, beautiful, huge, amazing to be in the water with them.
Manta Ray (genus Mobula), by Svetlana Obysova, on Pexels.
What places are near and dear to your heart?
The Indian River Lagoon near Titusville, Florida. The Maldives and southern India where we lived for 10 years. Almost all of the UK where we lived for 11 years — I could give Slough a miss and maybe even be okay with some bombs falling on it. (You’ll have to look up the famous poem.) Townsville, Australia, where I lived as a student for a year. The Florida Keys and Bahamas where I did my Ph.D. research on coral reef fish.
What training/background do you bring to this work?
I have a Ph.D. in coral reef ecology, more than 70 peer-reviewed publications in marine science, 30+ years of scuba diving experience, and marine conservation experience in most oceans of the world — except the cold ones! I also bring my training in theology and practical experience in church planting.
What are the most challenging aspects of your work?
Dealing with the Church and finding funding.
What are the most rewarding aspects of your work?
Spending time with amazing fellow creatures, including a few Homo sapiens.
What would be your creation-oriented book recommendation?
The Bible and Ecology by Richard Bauckham, or Saltwater in the Blood by Easkey Britton.
What is your favorite creation-oriented song?
“Revelation (Mother Earth)” by Ozzy Osbourne, or “Blackened” by Metallica.