Shell museum welcomes new staffers
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel recently welcomed two new staff members, educator Jessie Macaluso and Ambassador Animal aquarist Claire D’Agostino.
Born and raised in Illinois, Macaluso graduated from the University of Iowa with degrees in biology and anthropology and moved to California shortly after. It was there that she discovered her favorite mollusk in the tide pools of San Pedro — the California sea hare. Macaluso is returning to the shell museum following part-time positions in 2022 as an educator and a visitor services associate. She spent the summer as a shorebird monitoring intern for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, D’Agostino is a graduate of the University of Tampa and received a Bachelor of Science in environmental science with a minor in sustainability, as well as a scuba certification. Before joining the shell museum, she worked at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and SeaWorld in Orlando as both an aquarist and a maintenance diver. In her new role, D’Agostino will educate the public about the animals on exhibit at the shell museum, in addition to caring for them and maintaining the aquarium systems.