Unique Experiences

Item Description

Meet Scott Curatolo-Wagemann for lunch or dinner in Ridge, Long Island, New York

“Jaws” had a profound impact on Scott. Like most people who saw the movie in the early 70s, Scott developed a fear of what might be lurking in the water-sharks were the things of nightmares and were mindless killing machines. As Scott grew up, more research was coming to light about the true nature of sharks, and he began to develop a fascination, replacing the fear. That fascination made him decide to pursue a degree in marine biology.

Scott went to college on the east end of Long Island, coincidentally the setting for the novel Jaws. In 1994, Scott spent his last semester at sea before graduating with his undergraduate degree. The special program took place on board a 125-foot schooner sailboat, traveling from the Caribbean and up the Atlantic Coast to the eastern end of Long Island. However, while wading in three feet of water off a small island in the Bahamas, he encountered a lemon shark, which bit his leg, slicing into the muscles and tendons that control ankle movement. The incident happened on such a remote island that he lost a large amount of blood before he could reach the mainland for surgery. Although doctors predicted he would be unable to walk without a leg brace, he relies on it only to play sports.

Scott has maintained his fascination with sharks, and his incident has only intensified that fascination. He recently completed his master’s degree with a thesis on shark fishing regulations and the health of shark populations along the U.S. East Coast. For the past 18 years, he has been working as a marine biologist on eastern Long Island.  He has kept busy as a stormwater specialist and fisheries specialist, as well as conducting shark education classes.

Concerned about the declining populations of sharks worldwide, he has worked with the Pew Environment Group’s Shark Attack Survivors for Shark Conservation.

Scott is also the creator and host of an internet podcast dedicated to all things sharks. He enabled the Shark Research Institute, while at CITES in 2013, to disseminate real-time information to listeners about the proceedings.

Currently he is on the Advisory Panel for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Workshops. These panel members provide the data and analyses and advise NOAA Fisheries on the scientific information, data and models used in stock assessments for sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.

Scott is also a field investigator in New York for the Global Shark Attack File, and can explain what really happened in the two cases at Fire Island earlier this month.

Item Special Note

The objective of this auction is to spotlight individuals and organizations working effectively for ocean conservation, and raise funds for field research, conservation and outreach projects.

Being auctioned is a dinner or lunch with one of the world's foremost shark experts or celebrities. This is a unique opportunity to "talk shark" face-to-face, one-on-one, with a real authority on sharks.

How this auction works

1. Bid on a celebrity you would like to get to know personally (shark scientist, educator, explorer filmmaker, shark photographer, television host, conservationist) who works or lives nearby, unless you are willing to drive or fly to meet them in their area.

2. We will introduce the winning bidder to the celebrity. The two of you then set a mutually agreeable date, time and place to meet within one year of the close of the auction.

3. The winning bidder pays for lunch or dinner and may bring guests.

NOTE: The winning bid is 100% deductible from US Federal 2018 income taxes as a Charitable Donation. A tax receipt will be issued to the winning bidder.