Samantha L Flounders
Remotely Operated Vehicle Pilot Technician
Samantha is a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) pilot and technician for UNCW's Undersea Vehicles Program (UVP). UVP was founded in 1987 and is responsible for piloting and maintaining a handful of underwater vehicles. Their main asset is a 1000m rated Mohawk ROV which is contacted by scientific agencies and universities to conduct surveys, monitor reef health, collect biological samples, investigate shipwrecks, and a variety of other research missions. Before joining UVP in 2022, Samantha was a NOAA Corps Officer. She served aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster as an Officer of the Deck and as a Staff Scientist at the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Earlier in her career is was a Fleet Service Technician at a sailing school in the San Francisco Bay. After graduating from the University of Hawaii at Monoa with a degree in Marine Biology, she was an Eco Tour Guide taking guests sailing, kayaking, and snorkeling throughout the patch reefs of Kaneohe Bay.
Education
B.S. in Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Professional Service
100T Masters License Inland
100T Mate Near Costal
NOAA Diver Medical Technician, Scientific, Rescue, Master
Honors & Awards
NOAA Corps Atlantic Sea Service Ribbon