by David FreedmanCoral Reef Conservation and Biodiversity Awareness | Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP)
You hear news reports and people talking about it, but I never would have thought I would be able to experience firsthand the true loss of biodiversity that we’ve been feeling.
I first got scuba certified when I was sixteen in Key Largo, FL and since it’s such an expensive field, I didn’t really have the opportunity to go back underwater until I got a bit older. So it wasn’t until I was snorkeling in Mexico four years ago that I got my first taste of the hashtag#coralbleachingcrisis.
I was on a trip with a friend and a tour guide offered to take us to see some reefs near Playa Del Carmen. I was extremely excited since this was a real opportunity to see some marine life up close. When the tour guide took us out, something immediately felt off but I wasn’t sure until I got in the water.
Everything was bone white and dead. The tour guide had taken us to a coral graveyard. Algae was everywhere, making everything feel completely devoid of life. A single stingray swims by mournfully. As I picked my head up to yell furiously at the guide I heard other tourists in our group shouting in amazement nearby. “Look at this! I never knew coral could look like this! It’s so pretty”…
I couldn’t understand it. Could these people not see that this was a dead zone? Was I completely alone? I turned to my friend and tried explaining to him the situation. But he just stared back at me blankly, not understanding, thinking I was upset at something he did for some strange reason, unable to comprehend that we were swimming in something that would only continue to worsen. I had to get out.
This personal story has continued to represent a special place in my heart. Due to this event four years ago, climate change has constantly been on my mind. I most recently returned from a coral restoration trip, where I able to volunteer with Aquarium Divers For Coral (ADFC) and Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire . We put in a total of over 159 hours cleaning coral trees and monitoring outplanting sites.
I used to have the mindset of “live to work” and it gave me a certain mindset of which I am grateful for. Now however, I “work to live” and am on the hunt. I want to use my skills and knowledge to make a difference not only for the next generation but to preserve what we currently have by directly impacting those that need it most.
