“I think right now there’s a skepticism that scientists are very biased or they are out of touch with reality,” he says. “A lot of things like Shark Week, to be honest, aren’t necessarily the best, because they give people the perception that shark research is going out and looking for the biggest great white shark, when 99 percent of shark research isn’t,” he says.
His social media content has even led to collaborative opportunities with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and has provided a vessel to connect with younger generations, Hlavin says. Hlavin now has 144,000 followers and 5.4 million likes on TikTok.
In high school, Hlavin wanted to be an entrepreneur or inventor. Fish were generally in the picture. He had an idea for a mom-and-pop fish store that would be an experience to visit, with well-maintained tanks and an aesthetic look, rather than the “utilitarian” and tiny tanks seen in some pet shops.
“I always joke that I went from wanting to be on Shark Tank to wanting to be on Shark Week,” he says.
Outside of work, he enjoys scuba diving, reading sci-fi and fantasy books, spending time with his wife and two children and walking their dog Mufasa (“Moofie”).
In true Eckerd fashion, Hlavin recognizes the College’s interdisciplinary nature. Research, Hlavin says, is not the only way to have a meaningful career in marine science. We also need people in policy and law, education and communication.
“I’m dedicated to making sure that they [students] develop the skill sets that they need to be competitive and make a career in this field work, and show them that there’s so many different ways that can look.”