Reflection Essay

Although there can be certain cons to pursuing marine biology as a profession, there are an abundant amount of pros to living this life. In addition to learning about marine creatures, marine biologists also help develop medicines and find different cures for sicknesses ("What is Marine Biology?”). Marine biologists get to see amazing aquatic places and animals that are very astounding and beautiful. I have wanted to be a marine biologist since I was five years old I never saw myself being anything other then that. After reading five articles and writing this essay, I cannot wait to go to college and become a marine biologist. The ocean takes up 96.5% of the surface of the earth. There are numerous amounts of mysteries that make up the deep-sea and without the help of marine biologists they would all be

After many family vacations to the beach, where I experienced the ocean first-hand and most recently, a summer camp through MOTE Aquarium, I now have a new goal, which is to become a marine biologist. The majesty of the ocean, the ocean life, and the ecosystem are something that I have always been intrigued by and now plan to make it a career. I realize that becoming a marine biologist is not going to be an easy task to accomplish, but I am prepared for the hard work and dedication it will take to reach my long-term goals. I am excited about not only the classroom portion of marine biology, but equally excited to get in the field and experience hands-on learning and research.

My passion for the ocean emerged at an early age. From my first encounter, the beauty and mystery of the ocean has captivated me. I was able to observe dolphins, sharks, crabs, and corals, and was staggered by the abundance of vibrant life that presides within the ocean. At this time, I didn’t realize that the ocean was facing many problems. When I was younger I didn’t pay much attention to the papers, but one day a photo caught my eye - sea creatures, slick with oil, dejectedly moving through the polluted ocean.

95% of the ocean has not been explored. With all the species and environments within the ocean that we have discovered, it is mind blowing to think that we have only seen 5% of what the ocean has to offer. The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s are One explores our long standing relationship with the ocean. This book is penned by oceanographer, explorer, and lecturer, Sylvia Earle. She earned her B.S degree from Florida State University, M.S and PhD from Duke University, and has accumulated 22 honorary degrees. She has worked as a director for multiple corporate and nonprofit organizations and as chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [1]. Earle’s research concerns marine ecosystems with an emphasis on conservation, which is the focal point of her novel. It is woven with stories compiled from decades of work and exploration, and with facts and arguments concerning our changing ocean. Sylvia’s novel is about the relationship between humans and the ocean, whether it be through the extinction of species, climate change, or even exploration and aquaculture, we ultimately affect the ocean and it affects us.

All my life I have been exposed to the sea through family trips to Hampton Beach to frequent trips to the Mystic Aquarium. That exposure is what led to my fascination for animals and the ocean. This fascination grew into a passion for the sea and that led me to start seeking different experiences to widen my knowledge. This included Volunteering for the Mystic Aquarium, choosing to go to school at the University of Rhode Island and eventually to applying for a chance to be involved with the top organization in terms of science, service, and stewardship of the climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. With this prestigious honor, I plan to do the summer internship in a different climate near the coast working on a project involving conservation or the effects of human interaction on different species.

After reading “Walking on Water” by Derrick Jenson, I became more aware of my life, in the sense that I need to take advantage of the remaining time I have left on earth doing something that I not only love, but is helpful to people surrounding me and our environment. With this new found inspiration, I feel that my “good work” can be found in data analysis with in marine biology. Many people today are so focused on the problems of today’s atmosphere and global warming that no one is paying attention to the problems arising in the oceans. Oceans are becoming too high in acidification and marine life is beginning to plummet. Given this information, I can apply my skills of creativity, ambition, persistence, and ocean/ earth systems knowledge.

Living and raised in the Philippines has affected me to nurture and explore more about the ocean. For instance, when my family took me on vacation to travel another island, we rode a boat and I would always gaze at the clear ocean and observe a school of fish or the structure of coral reefs. The more curious I was about the ocean life, the more I researched about it. However, when I migrated to the United States, since my parents wanted me to have a better life and opportunity in education, limited my access to the sea. But I studied hard based on academics for my parents in order to have a better career and help them by paying their bills or taking care of them as they age. This pushed my interest away from the ocean, until my family took me to the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world. After reminiscing my childhood and the passion for the ocean, I realized that I want to study biological oceanography, which is the concern of interactions with marine organisms and its environment. Not to be confused with marine biology, which is the study of marine organisms specifically.

I hear the laughter and shouts of children, the playful chatter of dolphins and the cries of birds soaring overhead. I smell salt, fish, and freshly popped popcorn. I taste the salt on my tongue when I breathe; the metallic sense parching my throat. I feel the smooth, silky, rubbery hide of the dolphins as the swim against the wall flipping their fins for more fish. I see smiling faces of children, wonder-filled eyes, families united, dolphins performing tricks, and trainers teaching man and beast alike. Water, wind, salt, sun, dolphins—all of these are a part of my dream, to become a marine biologist.

Now, since I live in a state where no oceans are located remotely near me, I have a few special experiences that got me interested in this field of study. I have been vacationing in Florida every year since I was two years old, and the ocean has always been my favorite part of the southern state. I have also been to Oregon in the past few years and that was my first encounter with tide pools, which I have been interested in ever since. Reefs have also been a point of interest for me since I was a child when I watched the movies “Shark Tales”

II. This topic is relevant when it comes to our marine life, and it's important to recognize how our actions can affect the communities under the sea.

All in all, the subject of Biological Oceanography brings upon a better understanding of life under the sea.

Personal Statement: One hour and thirty-two minutes determined what I wanted to dedicate my life to. I was 15 years old when I sat in my oceanography class and watched The Cove for the first time. This chilling documentary inspired me to go to the principle’s office, in the middle of a school day, to call my mom and tell her we needed to go to Taiji, Japan to save the dolphins. Overhearing this call, the principle sat me down with my oceanography teacher, who then told me that there was a field of science with the sole purpose to conserve the world’s biodiversity. That night I read research articles from the Biological Conservation journal. While reading articles, I came across one about the Florida manatee. This article stated that the manatee’s only predator is people, and inspired my selection of manatees as a study species in my undergraduate research because of this human-wildlife conflict.

At the start of the day, the work seemed like little more than catching and measuring fish. It wasn't until later that I learned the significance of the work we were doing. At the end of the day, the lead researcher explained to us that many of the fish we caught were not native to New Jersey, but South America. Their presence in the typically cold mid-atlantic water was a nod to a much bigger problem; the fish were being driven north by extremes in the climate, as well as overfishing in South American countries. This first day in class truly opened my eyes to issues in global ecosystems and the impact of humans on the world. Before that day I did not understand how important it is for humans to maintain restoration and preservation projects around the world. I learned that day that the world is a fragile place, and it is our responsibility to protect it; without those protecting the earth, others will destroy

“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” Jacques Cousteau, a brilliant explorer, filmmaker, and intellect, was that such man. Living life to the fullest, he pushed the boundaries of ocean exploration and is a personal role model. The human, the orchid, and the octopus: exploring and conserving our natural world is a thought-provoking, passionate account of Cousteau’s adventures that only made me fall more in love with the ocean.

This article describes in the abstract how most people are unaware of the complex life cycles that are very prevalent in marine environments, and how such marine invertebrates have a microscopic larval stage that looks nothing like the familiar adult form. While this is not particularly helpful for my lesson plan because it is a very specific and technical article, it did provide some quality information on sea stars, sea urchins and crabs. The article contained many pictures of these animals, specifically in different cycles of life, which could be used in my lesson plan to teach students about how animals have various life cycles. It also included information on the basic anatomy of crabs and how a single organism can live in different habitats during its life.