My journey in oceanography

Growing up listening to the sounds of the sea in a shell. The entire seascape captured within the delicate structure of the conch. The inspiration of nature drove me to continuously spend my head in the books when away from the ocean. We didn’t say studying- we said wonder. Wonder about the abyss, the deep blue ocean and its rich inhabitants. How they breathe, how they respire. Eating their way across the food web. A pioneering life history strategy they said- that was our vision. As a student of marine science, there was so much to learn- so much to inspire, digest and reflect upon. The continuous inspiration of the oceans drove me forward into the deep blue wilderness of the abyss. Where had I come from to do oceanography? From a place in my imagination so intrinsically connected with nature. A place unexplored where explorers seek to find wonder. Confronted with scientific understanding I looked to nature to find my muse. Paper after paper, searching for the vision of the natural world within my data. I learned to be a scientist, an ecologist mapping the shallows as well as the deep. Listening to the sea and all its glory I sat there wondering what could be done to save our oceans.

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GeoHab Habitat Mapping conference happening in Venice

Apologies for the pause in our Seabed Habitats Seminar Series, we hope to find more speakers, increase collaboration and scientific engagement in the coming year. (Plus I have also been working on the Challenger Society for Marine Science’s Early Career Researcher Seminar Series.) Meanwhile, the GeoHab Habitat Mapping conference will take place in Venice, Italy in 16-20 May 2022 and is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the latest scientific developments from leading scientists in marine habitat mapping including a workshop on “Ocean mapping in the Anthropocene: new technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.” It’s quite a challenge as an independent marine scientist, but I hope to present at this conference this year and have submitted an abstract before the deadline! It is possible for Masters and PhD students to apply for support to attend the conference (see Student Awards page on the GeoHab website).

Venice (Collage by DanieleDF1995 (talk), Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge and thank the Challenger Society for Marine Science, for the Stepping Stones Bursary Award, to make participation possible. Their support is much appreciated.

Coral Woman and Q&A with special guest Uma Mani

Join us for a film screening of “Coral Woman” with Q&A with special guest Uma Mani. This is a filmmaker’s journey with Uma, an artist who paints coral reefs, a certified scuba diver, exploring the underwater world & the threat to coral reefs of Gulf of Mannar, India. Born in a traditional family in Tamil Nadu, 53 year old Uma, a homemaker, has been trying to bring attention to this alarming environmental issue through her paintings. It is, in fact, these corals that inspired Uma to learn how to swim, dive & paint in her 50s. Coral Woman is about Uma’s efforts to address the threat to coral reefs from bleaching, industrial pollution and climate change. The screening will take place on Tuesday 28th December at 1300 GMT, followed by a Q&A with Uma Mani! Please register below for the link and occasional updates and join us for this very special event.


Seabed Habitats Seminar Series 2021

Introducing the Seabed Habitats Seminar Series 2021!!

This is a series of 12 online talks on various seabed habitats held on zoom on the last Tuesday of each month. For 2021, I have decided to organise this series of 12 online talks on various seabed habitats held on zoom on the last Tuesday of each month.

This January, Prof. Jason Hall-Spencer of Plymouth University will be starting us off on this journey through the marine realm, speaking about the “Effects of carbon dioxide on seabed habitats.” Jason is a Professor of Marine Biology at Plymouth University in the UK and specialises in the impacts of a high CO2 world on our seas and oceans.

Join us on 26th January 1300 GMT at this Zoom Link (please sign up or email me for the password) and keep in touch with future webinar announcements by filling the form below. Your email will only be used for webinar announcements/ occasional reminders and to inform of any changes to the schedule.

If you are a scientist or conservationist who would like to become a speaker in this future months of 2021, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing seabedhabitats@gmail.com .