Who We Are

Aloha! Lee Shannon here, co-founder and co-owner of Safewave, LLC. I have had a lengthy, two-part career working for the US Navy. First as an active duty Special Operations and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer, I served from Asia to Afghanistan making things safe like IEDs and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) on land and underwater, as well as salvaging ships that ran aground on reefs. After transitioning from Active Duty to the Navy Reserve, I served as the US Navy’s only civilian qualified in diving and EOD while working as a Marine Ecologist in the Marine Resource Assessment Diving Services detachment. I was conducting underwater biological surveys with military units around the world in support of operations and training. During that time, I earned my Master’s and PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Hawai’i, with my research involving the study of marine mammal acoustic behavior and the ecology of underwater demolition ranges.

I currently reside in Kane’ohe on the island of O’ahu with my wife, Dr. Kira Shannon, and son Taran Lee.

Hello! I’m Paul Leary, co-founder and co-owner of Safewave, LLC. I am an interdisciplinary marine scientist and engineer with a B.S. in Marine Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2008 and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Biology and Civil and Environmental Engineering (minor) in 2017. I currently hold a position as a Research Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at Naval Postgraduate School, where my research focus is on hardware and software development in the areas of undersea acoustic sensing systems and autonomous robotics. Previously, my focus was on oceanographic sensing and environmental monitoring, focusing on the oceanographic drivers and ecological impacts of nearshore hypoxic events in Central CA kelp forests. I’m also a NAUI Divemaster and AAUS Scientific diver with extensive experience in environmental data collection and analysis, as well as field methods and engineering of monitoring tools.

Håfa Adai! I’m Amy Price, one of the co-owners of Safewave. My love of the environment, particularly the ocean and marine life, began during my studies at the Naval Academy where I interned with a Marine Mammal program and earned a BS in Oceanography. I served as a Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) Officer for numerous deployments on various vessels out of Japan, working with acoustics modeling and other tactical decision aids for anti-submarine warfare. Then in Hawai’i at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, I led an operational watch floor responsible for providing early-warning to keep units and vessels safe around the world based on NOAA’s and others’ forecasts. I also conducted graduate research for a certification in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance from the University of Hawai’i focusing on sustainable projects in coastal regions for community resiliency. I am currently a MS in Environmental Management student with the University of Maryland.

I currently live in Santa Rita, Guam with my husband, Chris, and two children, Abigail and Dylan. Besides diving, I also make time for paddle boarding and instructing yoga classes.