Growing up in the Midwest, Robert’s interest in the underwater world was influenced from afar by nature documentaries and similar depictions of life under the sea. After visiting Grand Cayman during an overseas study in tropical biology and experiencing the beauty of coral reefs for himself, he decided to turn
Internship: National Park Service Research Internship Michael Spector graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in Marine Biology in 2012. Originally from California, Pike has spent his entire life living, working, and playing in the Pacific Ocean. While at university, Pike cultivated a passion for conservation
Internship: REEF Marine Conservation Internship Kara is from the landlocked state of Indiana and developed a love for the ocean at a young age. Being so far from the ocean, she satisfied her longing by reading. In high school, Kara’s interest in ecology was triggered by an environmental sciences course.
Internship: AAUS Scientific Diving Internship Catie Mitchell is currently a sophomore at Vanderbilt University studying Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Catie grew up spending summers at the beach and developed a passion for ocean exploration. She started a piggy bank for her Open Water certification when she was 11 and
Region: Australasia Scholar Date: 2015 I grew up on the Central Coast, New South Wales Australia, and have lived within 10 minutes of the ocean since I was 11 years old. For as long as I can remember, the ocean has been a major part of my life. Even when
Region: North America Scholar Date: 2015 Michele Felberg, from Houston, Texas, always had an affinity for water but didn’t quite grasp her love for the underwater world until her years earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a minor in Economics at the University of Southern California. It
Internship: National Park Service Research Internship Yasmeen Smalley is an underwater photographer, science communicator and conservationist whose passion is documenting the endangered wonders of our underwater world. Yasmeen graduated in 2013 from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Photojournalism, a BS in Biomedical Photographic Communications, and two minors
Schyler Cox hails from Nashville, Tennessee, but currently attends the University of Alabama, where she is majoring in journalism and minoring in political science. She was introduced to the world of diving at age fifteen in a cloudy lake in Austin, Texas. Schyler instantly fell in love with the sport
Nicole grew up in Los Angeles county but spent many weekends at beaches in Santa Barbara. It was here where she grew to love the ocean. Nicole pursued her dreams of diving by attending University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) where she gained her AAUS scientific diving certification. In 2013,
Internship: REEF Marine Conservation Internship Jessica hails from sunny Los Angeles, California. She grew up by the ocean with a deep passion for everything water related. Growing up in a family that is heavily involved in boating, cruising, and diving she spent much of her free time at sea with
