Dan Rapp, known as the man behind the camera and current FWS volunteer and biologist, is now currently serving as a co-crew lead for the volunteers. This position was cut from the Midway Atoll Refuge staffing chart when a previous 4-year term Volunteer Coordinator position ended in Spring. Dan is tremendously grateful to be able to return to directly support this critical program.
Originating from a suburb of Chicago, Dan Rapp has made his way to Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) eight different times as a contractor and volunteer. Dan began pursuing biological fieldwork after completing undergraduate studies. He started working in fisheries restoration and eventually landed in remote parts of the Pacific Ocean finding a deep connection to seabirds. His work in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument began in 2010 on Tern Island at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) as a FWS volunteer. After completing a Master’s in Marine Science at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, Dan began alternating field seasons between Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
Dan’s primary research interests include long-term monitoring of the health of seabird populations and seabird tracking as used to understand how these species interact with their marine environment.
He is slowly learning the art and acquiring the skills to capture and share the world he lives in, first dabbling in time-lapse photography, because it could capture wildlife and his work without him having to be behind the camera (a kind of set-it and forget it). Over time, Dan has assembled better gear and gained more experience to be able to capture stunning footage of wildlife and the work to conserve it. It has been an unexpected life, and not without its pitfalls, but life as a seabird biologist has brought Dan exactly what he wanted: a life in the wilds and a path to help conserve it.