Author Event: The Extraordinary History of Cephalopods

Octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish are some of Earth's most fascinating animals! But did you know their family tree goes back twice as far as dinosaurs?

Join us for an evening with author Danna Staaf, researchers Tessa Montague and Connor Gibbons, and a live cuttlefish to learn about the scintillating past, present, and future of cephalopods. Be sure to arrive curious – there will be lots of time for Q&A!

This event is part of the SciFri Book Club and #CephalopodWeek, presented by Science Friday. Find out more on their website!

Danna Staaf is an author, artist, and marine biologist who earned a PhD from Stanford University with studies of squid. Her writing has appeared in Nautilus, Atlas Obscura, and Science, and her first book, Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods, was named one of the best science books of the year by NPR's Science Friday. Her book for young readers, The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology, was listed as a best book of the year by both the School Library Journal and the Children's Book Committee. Danna’s most recent book is Nursery Earth: The Wondrous Lives of Baby Animals and the Extraordinary Ways They Shape Our World. Staaf lives in San Jose, California, with her husband, children, cat, and innumerable plush octopuses.

Tessa Montague is a neuroscientist at Columbia University in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Richard Axel. Tessa earned a PhD from Harvard University, where she studied embryogenesis and gene editing. After her PhD, Tessa attended a course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, where she met live cephalopods for the first time. The experience changed her life, and she decided to dedicate the rest of her career to studying these bizarre creatures. Outside of research, Tessa is passionate about increasing scientific opportunities for people from historically excluded backgrounds. This year, Tessa co-created and taught high school science workshops in Ghana, and this fall she will be teaching a full semester neuroscience course in a high-security prison.

At a very young age, Connor became interested in marine life after reading about the fantastical battles of giant squid and sperm whales in Joyce Milton’s book “Whales and Other Creatures of the Sea”. Since then, Connor has dedicated his career to understanding cephalopods. Connor received a B.S in Marine Science from Rutgers University in 2016. After graduating, Connor worked as an aquarist at Jenkinson’s Aquarium in New Jersey and became involved in cephalopod aquaculture. Connor moved to the New York Aquarium in 2018 to assist with the opening of their award-winning shark exhibit, “Ocean Wonders: Sharks!” After becoming senior aquarist, Connor opened an invertebrate-themed exhibit, “Spineless”. In this role, Connor oversaw the care of all fish and invertebrate species, and started a breeding program for both cephalopods and jellyfish. Shortly before leaving the New York Aquarium, Connor was appointed the Species Survival Plan (SSP) Coordinator of Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia sp.) for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Connor joined the Axel lab in 2021 as the Cephalopod Facility Manager. Connor oversees the culturing of dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis), a dynamic cephalopod species used by the lab to study the neural basis of camouflage.