Since childhood, the oceans have always fascinated me, despite life emerging from them they are more of an alien world to us today. They cover 70% of the globe, contain 99% of all living space for organisms, and produce over half the oxygen on the planet and yet we know more about space. What’s more, is that they contain some of the most vital and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Having gone snorkeling off the coast of Cancun once, I had the opportunity to dive among the coral in the area and witness firsthand just how full of life these reefs are. Sadly I also saw the large amount of bleaching that had taken place due to record temperatures. These events and interests have ultimately inspired me to pursue a career in marine biology. My college experience has only deepened my interest and passion for the conservation and study of the oceans, especially having researched and learned about topics such as plastic pollution and just how much of a problem major issues like these have become today. To me, the oceans represent both one of our most vital ecosystems to be protected and a frontier of untapped discovery and innovation. As of now, I am hoping to spend my senior undergraduate year at the Warrnambool Campus of Deakin University in Australia through a marine biology program by the University of Whitewater Wisconsin. After my undergraduate degree, I am also hoping to further my education at James Cook University to pursue either a master’s or Ph.D. in marine biology. From there it would be my dream job to work as a research diver and/or on laboratory research covering various topics of interest such as coral restoration, the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, the ecology of marine communities, microplastics, the bioaccumulation of pollutants in bivalves, the impact of sonar on marine mammals, and the study of deep-water coral communities. The latter may even end up leading me to travel to Antarctica to observe and study the deep-water coral communities that appear to have been relatively undisturbed by human activity to better understand how such ecosystems function and if any knowledge from their study can be applied to help preserve more disturbed corals. Similarly, I may end up on a research vessel documenting the concentrations of microplastics and the levels of ingestion by native fauna. While, I don't know exactly what position the future holds for me, I do know that it will be involved in research that aims to further our understanding of vital ecological challenges our oceans face. It is my end goal to participate in research that would help to bring about knowledge to better shape public policy and ecological management plans to better preserve our oceans. The addition of more scientists to the workforce in areas concerning these topics will ultimately go a long way to helping preserve our oceans for generations to come and it is my hope to be one of them.

Since childhood, the oceans have always fascinated me, despite life emerging from them they are more of an alien world to us today. They cover 70% of the globe, contain 99% of all living space for organisms, and produce over half the oxygen on the planet and yet we know more about space. What’s more, is that they contain some of the most vital and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Perhaps the most vital being coral reefs. These fragile underwater cities of polyps are not only a marine equivalent to terrestrial rainforests in terms of biodiversity but provide extremely vital nurseries and habitats to numerous species, including ones that make up fisheries and popular aquarium fish. Having gone snorkeling off the coast of Cancun once I had the opportunity to dive among the coral in the area and witness firsthand just how full of life these reefs are. Sadly I also saw the large amount of bleaching that had taken place due to record temperatures. These events and interests have ultimately inspired me to pursue a career in marine biology. To me, the oceans represent both one of our most vital ecosystems to be protected and a frontier of untapped discovery and innovation. As of now, I am hoping to spend my senior undergraduate year at the Warrnambool Campus of Deakin University in Australia through a marine biology program by the University of Whitewater Wisconsin. After my undergraduate degree, I am also hoping to further my education at James Cook University to pursue either a master’s or Ph.D. in marine biology. From there it would be my dream job to work as a research diver and/or on laboratory research covering various topics of interest such as coral restoration, the impacts of climate change on coral reefs, the ecology of coral communities, microplastics, the bioaccumulation of pollutants in bivalves, and deep-water coral communities. The latter may even end up leading me to travel to Antarctica to observe and study the deep-water coral communities that appear to have been relatively undisturbed by human activity to better understand how such ecosystems function and if any knowledge from their study can be applied to help preserve more disturbed corals. It would be my end goal to participate in research that would help to bring about knowledge to better shape public policy and ecological management plans to better preserve our coral reefs. In the end, coral reefs are too ecologically and economically valuable as well as too slow growing for the world to afford to lose. Therefore, the addition of more scientists to the workforce in areas concerning these topics will ultimately go a long way to helping preserve these reefs for generations to come.