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While there may be a dark cloud around some of Christopher Columbus’ most notable discoveries, one thing for sure is that he recognized the natural beauty of Cuba’s southern coast when he named one of the country’s most sacred parks in honor of the Queen of Spain.

There are many drivers of change in our natural environments. Some happen over long periods of time and some can happen very quickly. Changes that occur naturally happen over long periods of time - millions of years - and have led to what we see today.

The South East Pacific is home to the largest documented population of Giant Manta Rays in the world. Protected in Ecuador, these rays are believed to migrate seasonally into Peru, where their presence was poorly studied, and they received no protection at all.

Last week I was lucky to represent Ocean First Education at the largest gathering of coral reef scientists in the world. Every four years scientists, fisheries, conservation, management, and policy experts from around the world gather to talk coral reefs.

“Dinnertime!” My mother’s voice rings in my ears as she relentlessly tries to get me out of the water. I was ten years old on a family vacation, my first encounter with the Caribbean Sea.

Inquiring minds want to know, “Why marine science out of Boulder, CO?” Such was the question asked by students at the Watershed School in Boulder. To assuage their curiosity, two students spent A Day in the Life at Ocean First.

It’s a crucial time for the world’s coral reefs and there’s no better time for scientists to share what they know.

I’ll be there in Hawaii at the International Coral Reef Symposium (June 19 - 24) as scientists discuss a wide range of topics.

Scuba diving, there’s nothing like it.

You are weightless under the waves, breathing underwater, and eye to eye with gazillions of brightly colored fish. Some stare back in equal wonder.

The oceans have played a key role as the epicenter of evolution many times. First, as an incubator allowing animal groups to evolve. Second, as a refuge as the habitability of land masses became compromised during mass extinctions.

Several weeks ago, I was invited to talk at the annual WeRobot conference about underwater robots. From cable laying ROVs to oil rig-inspecting camera systems, the ocean is lousy with robots. The interest isn’t in big robots for industrial work, but rather the small, flexible, agile platforms that we can use to conduct marine science and conservation research.

In the early days of the internet, unless you knew the address of a website or found a list of similar websites, there was no good way of searching for new sources of content. In the mid to late 1990s that changed with the widespread adoption of search engines.

Whenever the news media or a member of the public report a shark sighting they are invariably asked to describe the length and overall size of the fish. How big was it? It’s the first, most obvious question. The implication being, of course, how scared should we be? Are we going to need a bigger boat?

Just as the industrial revolution heralded advancements in production and mechanical efficiency, computers and the internet marked the beginning of the information age. Originally, a computer referred to someone who performs mathematical calculations.

The whole purpose of technology is to make our lives easier. It’s in the definition! According to Merriam-Webster, technology is defined as “the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or solve problems”¹.

So, what is the most important living thing in the ocean? Perhaps it is the magnificent blue whale? Blue whales are the largest living animals on Earth. The average blue whale reaches lengths of almost 100 feet, or 30 meters, and can weight up to 170 tons.