News!

I read an article recently where a mother otter gave birth to a pup in a bay at Monterey near the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They are both calm and just found a quiet place to rest. It came as such a pleasant surprise with the bonus of the duo staying around for the next week or two. It reminds us of the little moments in life that make it sweet. Also, while reading the article, an interesting ad came up for an amazing program I've looked into and would recommend to those who can afford it. It is Broadreach, a program that sends middle schoolers to college students abroad to Australia, Caribbean, South America, and more to learn, experience, and grow from hands-on marine biology and animal studies trips. It does cost money, but the opportunities seem incredible and I hope to go one day myself. It would be a trip I could use to benefit me in the future as well as "dive" deeper into a subject I love ad want to focus on. Marine biology has such a wide meaning that leads into many sub-subjects so it can apply to a great many people.

How To Scuba Dive

Swimming amongst the sea life of our world's oceans is an exhilarating experience that every person should try. When scuba diving, you can really see the waters on a different level, getting face to face with the beautiful coral reefs, fish, sea turtles creating memories you can never replicate again and will cherish forever. First, there are some things you should know before you go scuba diving:

1) Buy or Rent Proper Diving Equipment/Gear

       - This includes a suit, mask, air tank, snorkel, fins, buoyancy compensators, and further gear depending on the diver's skill and difficulty of dive. Choose gear that you will be comfortable in and is from a reliable source.
   

2) Learn the Essential Basics to Diving Safely

     - Water pressure and just being underwater can affect people, so those diving should be knowledgable in all the steps and guidelines there are to it. Taking classes with an instructor is all that is necessary. You should know how to get into the suit and what to do in the water during multiple circumstances.
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3) Go on a Practice Dives With an Instructor
     - You'll need some practice time in the water before you go off on your own. Take a trip under the water with a supervisor just to make sure your all good for the real dive. While there ask any last questions you have before your adventure begins.



4) Scuba Dive Away!
       - Go and explore the vast ocean, but don't run out of air.



Have fun and enjoy this experience of a lifetime. Be prepared and safe when you dive for the considerationa and safety of others. Diving takes practice, but in the end it's worth it; to see all that life before it's gone forever.

One of the Greats

For one of my school assignments, I was asked to do research on a scientist that inspires us and make an infographic about them. Now, not knowing any marine biologists that are well known, I went to the internet to decide who to choose. I didn't just want someone who wrote a book about marine biology, but a person who was hands-on, exploring the field. That was when I found the illustrious Sylvia Earle. She has an incredible career, being the first female diver or male to descend over 1200 feet in a pressurized Jim Suit. She has also led countless historical expeditions both above and below the water. Learning about her, I imagined one day being even in her shadow. She advocates the protection and sanctuary of our oceans and their life.    

I got interested and listened to some of her talks around the world, amazing me even more. She has started up three companies creating new marine science technology and other important advances. She told, how in the past 50 years is where most of the damage has been done. She loves to dive and see/understand/know all she can about our planet's "heart". I'm have never experienced diving, but the thought of a shark swimming by me is both terrifying and liberating. Only 5% of our ocean has been explored, and even less understood by humans. If we don't start helping protect our main source of food, life, and water we'll lose our chance to save it at all. Her goal is to educate others and maybe not live to see the change, but know it's occurring in a positive manner. She should be an inspiration to everyone as she is to me.  

 The Monterey Bay Aquarium

Tank at Monterey Bay Aquarium 

So my big trip was last yesterday and I literally am posting this on the drive back. I had a really great time you know, nice hotel, great weather, etc. I personally like the foggy, cold, rainy kind of weather, but the sun was nice for going to the aquarium. Not only is it spectacularly amazing there, it proves to be one great information center on all things going on in the ocean. I got to talk with one of their marine biologists for a short time and told her I want to grow up to be a marine biologist. She thought that was cute so we started talking; I wanted to impress her with my knowledge...(lol). I asked her about an article I had read recently. It was about a humpback whale who got caught in netting and was luckily freed. She told me about how us humans are most likely not getting the entire scale of global warming on marine life. Food for most large marine mammals is becoming scarce due to warm waters and they are being forced to go in extensive search for food that just isn't there. She thought it was cute I wanted to be a marine biologist and then had to go to return to work. The rest of the time we just toured the place with me geeking out at everything. I think we were there for around 5 hours. Yeah that didn't please my companions who went with me.

Jellyfish Tanks

I got to see hundreds of different species of all kinds of oceanic life. Since I probably wouldn't go back for a while I wanted to see as much as I could. I also learned several facts about most of the species I saw (told you, info center). I watched a video of the rehabilitation of an otter, and it shows what a difference a little food, medicine, and care can make. I think it would be so cool to work in a place like that and be able to educate future generations who can make a change. It inspires me more every time I go to one of these places. Hopefully, you can visit the aquarium one day, it's really amazing, I'll put in a link to the website below. 

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

Aquarium....Brother....?

What's up everyone, so for the last two years my oldest brother Remy has been working on designing a new aquarium to go up to replace the old one in Morro Bay. Crazy right? He's the first freshman in college to ever have their design chosen. I'm so proud and who knows, maybe I will be working in it someday. Or I'll at least go and see it. (P.S.- Remy made all these model scenes in the pictures himself!!)

A hall with walls that move with the
aquariums for a more realistic feel.

Ocean view with floor to ceiling 
windows with beams on ceiling.

                         

Entrance to aquarium, with a creative exterior.

  The aquarium will focus on more educational purposes and will begin being built by 2018. It will advocate preservation of the natural environment for marine life in Morro Bay. It will add to the many aquariums we can observe and learn from around our country and possibly near you. The link to the page where I got the images as well as an article going deeper into it will be write here in bold: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article39477597.html

My Time at the Marine Mammal Center!

                   

I've wanted to post about this for a while now and the time has come (yeah)! So a few months back during the summer I drove out to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito with my mom to experience what's it's like in a real mammal rehabilitation center. It was so much bigger than I first thought, but I mean the place has to be large to house so much marine life. They had several different species of seals and sea lions there from all ages. I got a tour, to see them feed and care for the pups, and even caught a glimpse of them loading and leaving for a release. It was all quite exhilarating and a relization at the same time. They have so much work to do in preserving the environment and saving the lives of seals and other marine life.

A seal sculpture made of trash found on beaches in Sausalito.

I know it sounds like I only favor seals but don't fret, I will soon tell of my upcoming trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where I'll interact with all sorts of sea life. See you soon.

My Blog!

Hello, everyone, my name is Joelle from Northern California and this is my official start-up of my new blog all about marine biology.  Here I'll talk about what's going on around the world that has to do with marine biology. If you saw my last post you know what I mean. I read up on all the related news and talk about my opinion and view on it. I also try to interest others and get important topics out there. There are so many other blogs about this topic too that I follow as well. The picture above depicts why I'm really doing this, but it goes deeper than what you see, like with all things in life. I want to be a marine biologist because it's a field I love to study. 

                            

I haven't always known I wanted to do or be this, but over time I saw jow much I truly love the field of marine biology. At first I was just fascinated with the diversity of marine life. Scientists still believe we have ten of thousands of more sea-life species yet to be discovered. I was just a little kid who'd go swimming in lakes and at the beach. I was swimming once in Lake Tahoe and I saw this fish; the first live one in water ever, and it just sat there while I looked at it until I eventually had to come up for air.When I came back down it was gone, but I gazed over the vast expansion of water and wondered what else what out there waiting for me to explore it. I made a promise to myself that I was going to find out.

                                 

I began to look into it, and I liked it more and more everyday. From then I started volunteering at marine centers and researching on everyday marine biology news. Every time I find out new info about anything related to marine biology, it makes me want to go out and see it myself. Hopefully, I get to see and work with marine life like this snail and other fascinating creatures one day. I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I do and I will try to post as often as I can!