Every year for my birthday, before I could fully talk, we would go visit the "mo's" at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. I have always been enamored with the ocean, even though I lived in the landlocked state of Illinois. The Shedd Aquarium was my window to see the watery world so far from my own that I inhabited. This inspiration led me to pursue an education in marine biology, with the goal of one day studying the complex coral reefs across the globe. Ocean acidification has been on the rise for decades, putting coral health on the line, and thus impacting the rich and diverse ecosystems held together by the hard exoskeleton of the coral. My goal is to one day work with the scientists who aim to aid corals in becoming more resistant to changing temperatures and pHs. Specifically in my home state, the Shedd Aquarium assists in the development and relocation of coral reefs in Florida in order to protect endangered species from ongoing construction. They also aid in the development of thermal resistance in corals, as previously mentioned. Every year this research and effort of taking action become even more crucial. It is one thing to read about these facts and figures, but it is another entirely to see the impact of climate change in real life. I study at Hawai'i Pacific University, where coral degradation can be spotted right off campus. The bleached white corals glow underneath the waves and wash ashore in chunks, then the fish that once inhabited that space disappears, and the cycle of death and forced relocation continues. In order to have a healthy planet, we must have a healthy ocean. The ocean supplies hundreds of millions of people with their food, income, and oxygen. The ocean regulates the climate and rainfall cycles, as well as the origin of most of the oxygen on the planet. I personally like to think of the biosphere as less like a food web or chemical cycle, and more like an intricate tapestry woven over time. If one thread is removed from the tapestry, others connected to that thread unravel also, eventually leaving a once beautiful work of art as a pile of string. Every organism in the environment from the smallest microbe to the blue whale plays a vital part in the biosphere, meaning we cannot afford to lose countless species at the rate we presently are. It is imperative to protect our oceans in order to protect ourselves and those that we hold dear.

The oceans are the lungs of our planet, producing more oxygen via phytoplankton and algae than the entirety of the worlds forests. As carbon emissions continue to rise, all living things are put at risk, and the first place on Earth to feel the effects of climate change are the oceans. Dead zones are becoming even more common across the seas, over-fishing is leading to population decline of keystone species, and ocean acidification is bleaching coral at an unprecedented rates. I care about the oceans because they care for us, they provide the oxygen we breathe, they regulate the temperatures globally, and provide a universal way of transportation between continents. They connect humanity and as a form of thanks we poisoned the glaciers to the Mariana Trench. My plans following my graduation at Hawai'i Pacific University with a bachelors of science in marine biology begin with pursuing a graduate degree at a research focused institution. After that, ideally I would like to get a job at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and advocate for responsible fishing, clean energy, and conserving larger swaths of the ocean for wildlife. But, for now I can take action by cleaning beaches locally, support conservation efforts by volunteering and donating when I can. For too long people have left it for others to take care of our environment and I believe that my degree will help me make greater change later, but without it I can still difference now.