Christopher Wojcik grew up surfing, fishing and diving the waters near Point Pleasant, N.J., a shore town known for its long beaches, arcades and nightlife. His passion for exploring the ocean never let up. In 1998, after getting a master's degree in biological oceanography from Western Washington University, Wojcik returned to New Jersey. There he was asked to help improve the animal habitats at one of his hometown's most popular attractions, Jenkinson's Aquarium. He responded by launching Ionature, a Bay Head, N.J., firm that designs and builds exhibits and habitats for zoos and aquariums.
While he may be best known for his underwater photography and HD videography work for The Discovery Channel, Christopher Wojcik is very much the true saltwater enthusiast. Chris has a Master's degree in Biological Oceanography, twenty years' experience as a SCUBA instructor and an impressive portfolio of zoo and aquarium exhibits under his belt. When he wasn't working as a National Marine Fisheries Service Biologist aboard commercial fishing boats in Alaska, he was most likely thrilling enthusiastic audiences through his international travel adventure tours.
No matter how far away he traveled, Wojcik remained worried about the limited reefs off the New Jersey coastline and the threat of overfishing. He started exploring a possible fix he'd learned about while working at Jenkinson's: artificial reefs. By sketching ideas for reef structures that could provide cover for young fish and crustaceans, surface area for encrusting organisms and interstitial spaces for other creatures, eventually he arrived at a design of a giant concrete-and-steel horseshoe crab.
In 2010, Wojcik finally had the time, contacts and resources to move the project ahead. Earlier this year, the Department of Environmental Protection approved his plan. Wojcik also recently received financial commitments from friends and interested parties to offset some of the $50,000 cost of the 40-foot crab, though his fundraising efforts continue. He plans to begin the six-week construction process and drop the reef off the coast later this year. (This is a compilation of related articles on Chris)
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