The Pearl Islands of Panamá, an archipelago of over 240 islands and islets, host an incredible biodiversity of marine life. In August of 2024, nonprofits The Leatherback Project and Reserva Youth Land Trust embarked on an expedition to this unique region to deploy satellite tags on nesting and foraging endangered sea turtles. Reserva’s mission is […]
Category: 2024 Scholar Journey
Sharks and Caverns: the Underwater World of Grand Bahama
The Bahamas are home to underwater wonders, from coral reefs to caves. I explored the underwater world of Grand Bahama with Cristina Zenato and Kewin Lorenzen, getting a glimpse into their work. I started with a photography course with Kewin, where I learned skills to make an idea a reality by adapting to different environments. […]
Coral Restoration with Reef Revival
Located in the small town of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island, Galápagos, Reef Revival is a grassroots initiative that aims to restore the coral reefs of the Galápagos islands. Two years ago, biologist Nicolás Dávalos started this project in collaboration with Dr. Margarita Brandt, a researcher and professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito […]
Journey with Galápagos Sky
I joined a week-long liveaboard on Galápagos Sky to dive around the Galápagos Islands. We started at Bartolomé Island with a beautiful hike, during which we saw the Galápagos penguin, the only species of penguin found in the Northern Hemisphere. After that, it was time to dive off the island. The biodiversity of these islands […]
Training in New England
I spent a week in New England learning lots of new skills! My visit started with a stop in Marion, Massachusetts, where I stayed with Vin, Dee, and Kim Malkoski. I joined Vin for a few days of fieldwork with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). On the first day, I helped collect samples […]