Join us for a screening and panel discussion of "The Last Dive", a new documentary following the story of a giant manta ray off the coast of Mexico. The film tells the story of a man named Terry who's life was transformed by an unlikely friendship with Willy, a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly two decades, Willy would slap his wings against the hull of Terry’s sailboat to signal their next dive, and together they explored the ocean’s depths—an extraordinary bond that turned Terry into an unexpected conservationist. Now in his 80’s, Terry embarks on one final journey to a remote island in hopes of reuniting with his old friend. But he’s also searching for something deeper: peace, closure, and a chance to say goodbye.
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Food, drinks, and a chance to win some exciting prizes will all be available at the event, so get ready for an evening of ocean adventure.
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Dana Tricarico received her Master's of Professional Science from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in 2015 where she researched the invasive lionfish species in South Florida. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from Siena College in 2014 with a minor in Psychology, and concentration in Globalization Studies.
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She began her professional career as a biological science technician for the National Park Service, where she researched tropical marine ecosystem health and urban marine conservation. Through her fieldwork, and her experiences at various non-profits, she gained crucial outreach and administrative skills needed to coordinate conservation efforts.
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Dana continues to maintain her certification as an AAUS scientific diver, National Park Service Blue Card Holder for their dive teams and is also a PADI Divemaster. Using her skill set, she hopes to continue to assist in the growth of the New York Seascape and the WCS Global Marine Conservation as a whole.
 Cody Sheehy is an award-winning filmmaker whose films intimately tell the stories of characters challenged by our changing world. He has lived on a sailboat for decades and is the founder of Rhumbline Media. As a filmmaker, he is best known for the film Make People Better, which was an official selection of HotDocs and the winner of DocVille.
 Michael Carvalho is an environmental attorney avid scuba diver with a passion for diving in Antarctica and the Arctic. A National Member of The Explorers Club, Mike recently completed his 4th Polar expedition to the Arctic where his team is studying Plankton using live photo microscopy, eDNA and physical oceanography. The results of the POLEs expedition will be presented to the United Nations Environment Program and recommend policy enhancements to the Treaty of Antarctica’s Madrid Protocol. Carvalho is the President of Carvalho & Associates, PC, a law firm he founded in 2004 with offices in Manchester by the Sea, MA and Marietta, GA.
John A. Cigliano is a marine conservation ecologist who received his Doctorate from Boston University. His doctoral research was on the behavioral ecology of two octopus species. John's research has also included longterm projects on the effects of a new marine protected area on a population of queen conch in the Sapodilla Cayes of Belize and the effects of ocean acidification and warming on rocky intertidal communities in Acadia National Park. His current focus is on the effects of microplastics on marine species and communities. John is also an expert on applying citizen science to marine conservation. As a Marine Science Advisor for Seaside Sustainability, John is helping to develop a citizen science program on microplastics. He is also vice chair of the board of Massachusetts Oyster Project, whose mission is to restore native oysters to Massachusetts coastal waters. John is also an avid photographer and a passionate SCUBA diver who has dived on six continents, including Antarctica, and explored all seven.
Andrea Capurro is an independent consultant specializing in ocean conservation, environmental policy, and marine governance, with a particular focus on Antarctica. She brings over a decade of experience at the science-policy interface, advising on marine protected areas (MPAs), ecosystem-based fisheries management, and multilateral environmental negotiations. Andrea played a key role in advancing the proposal for an MPA in the West Antarctic Peninsula, has served on the Argentine delegation to high-level policy forums under the Antarctic Treaty System, and is a member of Leading Women for the Ocean.
