Gianna savoie
Executive Director
They say there are ocean people and mountain people; science people and story people. But Gianna finds her sweet spot in the liminal spaces where everything is interconnected.
An award-winning producer, writer and professor with two decades of experience in Science and Natural History Filmmaking, Gianna uses her penchant for powerful storytelling to dive into some of the most critical conservation issues on the planet. Her Emmy-nominated work has been featured on PBS, National Geographic, Discovery and the BBC, as well as in theatrical documentaries and in print and web publications. In order to pay it forward and inspire the next generation of environmental storytellers, she is the Director of Filmmaking in the Department of Science Communication at the University of Otago.
She and Jeff Reed founded OMI in 2014 as a global creative hub for collaborative work among scientists, communities and media makers. From the Far North to the Wild South, OMI threads together an inclusive and diverse array of voices, enriching the science and story of the ocean and deepening the connection to our blue world.
Jeff Reed
Chief operating officer
Jeff Reed is an EMMY® Award-winning cinematographer, producer, and storyteller whose work bridges the worlds of science, conservation, and natural history. Over the course of his career, Jeff has traveled the globe to capture rare wildlife moments, reveal hidden ecosystems, and spotlight the human stories intertwined with the natural world.
Driven by a passion for uncovering overlooked narratives, Jeff’s filmmaking blends a strong visual eye with a deep curiosity for the complexities of life on Earth. His work has been featured across major platforms including PBS, National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, History Channel, and other leading networks and digital outlets.
Whether working deep in remote forests, capturing the delicate balance of coastal ecosystems, or chronicling the evolution of wildlife corridors, Jeff’s approach is grounded in a respect for the subjects he films and a commitment to visual storytelling that inspires action and wonder.
ERICA MOULTON
Passionate about science since she first declared it age 4, Erica has always been up for an adventure. She has been scuba diving since age 12 and is thrilled by every opportunity to get under the waves.
Erica has over 20 years experience designing, developing and implementing marine and environmental education courses. Her specialty is ocean exploration with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and she has worked in the U.S. and abroad partnering with a multitude of environmental organizations. Her favorite project involved an aquaculture experiment on board the Space Shuttle STS 95 with Astronaut John Glenn and her current obsession is finding the most unique places to pop up a swimming pool to demonstrate ROVs.
Erica’s passion is in helping others understand science and loves every opportunity to teach people how to work in the underwater world. It is hard to beat the feeling she gets when watching someone’s face light up after she helps them turn a plastic coat hanger into an underwater robot!
KRISTEN TRIPP
Before moving to Montana in 1989, Kristen spent three years living on the coast of Southern California and at the wise age of 9 had decided her future would make her a marine biologist.
The move to Montana and other international adventures got in the way of those plans, but a love of the ocean and an intensive marine science course in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, swimming with sea lions and Finn whales and studying intertidal ecology and zoology ingrained an infatuation with oceans.
Always dabbling in sports, travels and lines of work that were connected with water, Kristen has settled
into a career in booking international fly fishing trips to many saltwater destinations – primarily Cuba, Costa Rica and Guatemala. As a mother of a growing boy, the need to engage and educate about the challenges that marine environments (especially plastics) are facing has become a priority for Kristen.
DR. KEENE HAYWOOD
Keene is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami. His background is a broad mixture of media production, environmental history, conservation and educational technology. He has consulted with explorers, video producers, and educators on a variety of subjects related to media production and the application of technology for storytelling and research.
Keene has worked on deep ocean ROV projects, film projects for National Geographic’s Explorer and Wild Chronicles PBS series, and field projects for The Nature Conservancy in Texas and Earthwatch in the Philippines. Keene holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin, an MFA in Science and Natural History filmmaking from Montana State University, a MA in Marine Affairs and Policy from RSMAS, and a BA in Anthropology with a minor in History from the University of Miami.
EDEN ZANG
Eden is a research specialist based in Maui, Hawaiʻi. She has worked in Hawaiʻi for over twelve years with private, state, and federal organizations. Her professional experience includes expertise in passive acoustic monitoring, marine mammal research, scientific diving, animal husbandry, logistics coordination, and protected species management.
Prior to moving to Hawaiʻi, Eden worked in non-profit fundraising and earned a degree in communications. She is excited to now be able to combine her passion for marine science with her passion for creative storytelling that inspires action through the work of OMI.
ALEXA ELLIOT
Despite being prone to seasickness, Alexa loves to scuba dive and spend time on the water. So when she was asked to develop a new science series for Miami public television station WPBT2, she jumped at the opportunity to cover some of the exciting ocean research conducted in Florida and the Caribbean. Since 2008 she’s been busy producing Changing Seas, an Emmy award-winning marine science series that takes viewers to the heart of our liquid planet.
Alexa’s favorite moments producing the show include a visit to the Aquarius Undersea lab in Key Largo, exploring the waters off Roatan from a submersible, and getting up close and personal with some of the coolest critters in the sea. Her goal is to share pressing ocean issues with the general public and one of her proudest moments came when her team was recognized with the prestigious Communication Award presented by the National Academy of Sciences for a program about the impact of legacy contaminants on dolphins.The show can be seen on 90 percent of public television stations in the US and in more than 30 other countries.
JENNIFER SHOEMAKER
Jen has been a science communicator since she led her first guided walk as a park ranger in Yosemite’s giant sequoia grove almost three decades ago. Since then, she has worked in media, communications, and marketing at science organizations such as National Geographic, NASA, and Conservation International.
Jen currently leads communications for The Nature Conservancy’s Montana and Wyoming chapters. As a media producer, she gravitated toward ocean science storytelling, exploring Hawaii’s submarine volcano in a deep-sea submersible and documenting research expeditions to the Caribbean, mid-Atlantic, and Antarctica.
Jen holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in science and natural history filmmaking from Montana State University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from UCLA. She lives in Bozeman, Montana.
CAITLIN BAILEY
Caitlin is a wildlife cinematographer, ocean explorer and National Geographic Explorer from San Antonio, Texas. She has been filming the deep sea with remotely operated vehicles and manned submersibles on ocean exploration vessels since 2015. Caitlin is passionate about sharing ocean stories from the deep sea and polar regions through filmmaking and photography.
Caitlin has worked with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, NOAA Ocean Exploration, National Geographic Pristine Seas, National Geographic Expeditions, Wildstar Films, Ocean Exploration Trust, and Ocean Geographic. She is a partner filmmaker and mentor with Girls Who Click and active in the Wildlife Cinematographer Diversity Fund community and enjoys mentoring the next generation of ocean explorers. Caitlin holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and a Master of Fine Arts in Science and Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University. When not at sea or traveling, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her dog, Camie, and her dad on their ranch in West Texas.