The Boston Sea Rover Seminar

The morning of March 2nd, I arrived at the Copley Fairmont in Boston not knowing what to expect. The first item on the agenda was COMS or Career Opportunities in the Marine Sciences. This program caters to local High School students, exposing them to a variety of marine careers with the hope of sparking interest in the ocean. It is here that the previous year’s intern also gives their presentation officially for the first time. Unfortunately, do to flight issues, last years intern, Katy Marston couldn’t be at COMS, so the interns from the previous years stood up and talked about their adventures. That night I attended the pre-clinic cocktail reception at the Gamble Mansion where I was again inundated by many introductions. From then on I was constantly on the go. Pat Morton took me by the arm and hauled me around, introducing me to what seemed like every member of the diving community. I visited with Faith Ortins who fitted me for a new drysuit generously donated by DUI each year to the internship. I also attended a wonderful seminar by Annie Crawly on underwater video. This year, John Ellerbrock of Gates underwater housings donated a new HD underwater video camera and housing to the Scalli internship. During the Saturday night film festival, I officially became the intern as Patrick Scalli introduced me to the crowd that had gathered in the Hancock auditorium. Perhaps the most exciting announcement though came as Steve Drogin announced that he would be hosting me in Costa Rica aboard the Sea Hunter out on Cocos Island. Ernie Brooks was generous enough to pay for my airfare. My weekend spent at the Sea Rovers Seminar was simply an amazing experience. I wish to extend my thanks to Dan Orr of Divers Alert Network for donating a year of preffered dive insurance and to Bob Boyle of Undersea Divers for donating a brand new set of dive equipment.

http://www.thesilverseas.com
http://www.uwphoto.com
http://www.underseadivers.com
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org

My First Night at Harvard

It was a cold night in January as I rode the escalator from the Redline Station to Harvard Square. This would be my very first activity as the Boston Sea Rover’s Frank Scalli intern. Shortly after receiving an email from Pat announcing that I had been selected for the internship, I received a second email from George Buckley, a Sea Rover and professor at Harvard University inviting me to attend his extension school class on Ocean Environments. I was excited; in part because I could now say I went to Harvard, and also to take an opportunity to learn more of what lay beneath the surface of the ocean. However, this excitement was quickly snuffed as I emerged upon the surface and realized I had absolutely no idea where I was going. Worse yet, class began in only five minutes. After rushing across the campus every which way stopping random people for directions, I finally made it to Emerson Hall with perhaps 10 seconds to spare. As I burst into the room, I nearly ran into George, who was standing on an elevated platform upon which lay a desk crammed with random media equipment for presentation. Thankfully, he recognized me immediately, saving any awkward introductions, and quickly introduced me to his staff. The class itself was an amazing experience. Over the next few weeks, we would cover a variety of topics from salt marshes extending all the way to the deepest depths of the oceans.

http://www.extension.harvard.edu