From the very first time I entered the ocean with scuba gear strapped to my back, I knew that my life was forever changed. The magic of being weightless, surrounded by such incredible colors, unique forms, meditative silence, and ecological beauty was an adventure second to none. I immediately wanted to share the experience of this newly discovered universe with everyone with whom I crossed paths.
Over the years, as I learned more, my love for recreational scuba diving grew into a passion for the ocean generally. I learned about the environmental stressors which are challenging the health of this natural other-world, and increasingly witnessed the destruction of this precious environment with my own eyes. The special place I had discovered was being pushed to, and in some cases past, the brink of collapse.
In the Spring of 2019, I spent two weeks diving in Majahual, Mexico. This was a place once designated as the healthiest portion of the second-largest coral reef system in the world. It was a place I had visited a few years before, so I was excited to return.
What greeted me was a reef in drastic decline.
Seaweed bobbed in the ocean as far as you could see and was piled literally waist-high on the beaches. This seaweed shaded the coral and sucked oxygen out of the water column as it decomposed, creating two major challenges for coral, which need both light and oxygen to survive. As coral health degraded, disease and competing organisms began to take over, and in the span of just a couple of years there was a drastic difference in the amount of life on the reef.
When I talked to locals, I heard stories of the days when so much marine life thrived in the shallow waters that parents would send their kids out to grab dinner with their bare hands. Now the shallows were lined with dirty nets, an ineffective attempt to block the seaweed onslaught, and with low-wage workers faced with the insurmountable task of wheelbarrowing the rotting seaweed out of smelling range. My scuba instructor told me that more than once, she had literally been brought to tears underwater, seeing the once-healthy coral reef now so degraded.
It made my heart heavy.
On one of my last dives, we saw a giant sea turtle in the distance. These turtles enjoy a lifespan similar to humans, I recalled. This beautiful creature had experienced the once-healthy coral reef where she was born, slowly at first, and now rapidly, begin to die. As I pondered, the turtle swam closer and closer. Before I knew it, she was only a foot away, looking me in the eye. Time stood still as I silently promised her that I would do everything in my power to help make her home the beautiful thriving place she once knew.
That silent promise became the catalyst for everything that followed. I realized that while divers like myself were witnessing ecosystem collapse firsthand, we were often disconnected from the scientists measuring it and the policymakers regulating it. To keep my promise, I had to bridge that gap. I left my job in health policy and returned to school, eventually receiving a master's in marine science. I took part in and led reef restoration and research projects around the world. I co-founded the nonprofit REEF Scuba (Restoration, Ecology, and Environment Focused Scuba) to ensure that the people closest to the reefs, dive professionals and local communities, are equipped with scientific training and given a voice in global decision-making spaces.
Today, REEF Scuba holds UN consultative status, bringing the reality of the reef into the halls of power. From hosting ocean champions on our REEF Roundup podcast to implementing restoration projects internationally, I am dedicated to ensuring that conservation is not just well-intentioned, but effective, durable, locally led, and interconnected.
I am on a mission to help save coral reefs. If you're interested in learning more, donating, or taking part, please check out REEF Scuba, and subscribe to our newsletter to follow along.
