Benjamin D'Avanzo
Buoy Team
Benjamin joined the Key West buoy team in 2017 as a marine operations technician. His interests are rooted in the desire to be a part of, and contribute to, strategies that promote the protection, preservation, and restoration of our ecosystems, the services/resources they provide, and the intricate life cycles associated with them.
Born in Connecticut, Benjamin studied wildlife biology and management at the University of Rhode Island and, in 2005, moved to Martin County, FL, to rehabilitate birds of prey at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and perform environmental assessments with SubSurface Environmental. Benjamin also studied marine environmental technology at Florida Keys Community College, worked as a marine research assistant, Divemaster and deckhand, and volunteers with the Coral Restoration Foundation.
He represented the Surfrider Foundation on working groups including the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative Team. His other pursuits have included freelance environmental technician, Florida Oceanographic Society subcontractor, Martin County Artificial River Reef Project lead coordinator, Florida Oceanographic REEF Field Station coordinator, and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Dolphin Ecology Project volunteer research assistant.
