Imani Black was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Chestertown. After receiving her B.S. in Marine Biology from Old Dominion University, Imani has worked on oyster farms, nurseries and hatcheries along the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland for the last 6 years. From 2018 to 2020, she was the Assistant Hatchery Manager for Hoopers Island Oyster Company, having the opportunity to work in all aspects of shellfish grow-out. In 2020, Imani founded Minorities In Aquaculture, a nonprofit organization that strives to empower and support women of color in the aquaculture industry by educating women of traditional watermen legacy and heritage in coastal communities. MIA provides opportunities such as paid internships, technical skills training and career development resources in all sectors of the aquaculture industry. In addition to developing the nonprofit, Imani is also pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science researching the historical African American watermen/boat captains & once prominent fishing communities participation in Chesapeake Bay commercial fisheries.