Shell Shocking Secrets: 10 Turtle Facts You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before!

by admin | Dec 1, 2025 | Coral Diaries, Marine Conservation

Unveiling Turtle Mysteries

Shell Shocking Secrets: 10 Turtle Facts You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before!

Discover the hidden wonders of turtles, nature’s ancient mariners, and their incredible survival stories that span over 200 million years.

Guest Post by Intern Amy Lake

The Timeless Turtles

Nature's Resilient Navigators

Turtles are more than just slow-moving reptiles; they are vital to our ecosystems and have been perfecting survival for millions of years. These fascinating creatures have witnessed the rise and fall of dinosaurs and continue to thrive in diverse environments, from the depths of the ocean to lush rainforests. Their unique adaptations and roles in maintaining ecological balance make them indispensable to our planet’s health.

Breathing Through Their Cloaca

One of the most astonishing abilities of certain freshwater turtles, like the Fitzroy River turtle, is their capacity to absorb oxygen through blood vessels in their cloaca. This remarkable adaptation allows them to remain submerged for extended periods, especially during hibernation. It’s a testament to their incredible evolutionary journey and survival tactics.

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Navigating the Seas: The Magnetic Marvel of Sea Turtles

Sea turtles possess an extraordinary ability to navigate vast oceans using Earth’s magnetic field. This natural GPS allows them to return to their birthplace decades later to lay eggs. Each beach has a unique magnetic signature, which turtles imprint on as hatchlings. This geomagnetic imprinting is a testament to their incredible evolutionary adaptations.

Tears of the Ocean: The Truth Behind Turtle 'Crying'

Salt Glands: Nature's Ingenious Solution

When sea turtles appear to be crying on the beach, they’re actually excreting excess salt from their bodies. These tears are produced by specialized salt glands located near their eyes, which help maintain their internal salt balance after ingesting seawater. This adaptation is crucial for their survival in saline environments.

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The Shell: A Marvel of Natural Engineering

A turtle’s shell is more than just a protective armor; it’s an integral part of their skeleton. The carapace (upper shell) and plastron (lower shell) are fused with their spine and ribs, forming a sturdy structure. Each scute on the shell can reveal the turtle’s age and growth, much like rings on a tree. This unique anatomy highlights the evolutionary success of these ancient creatures.

Join Our Conservation Efforts

Help us protect these incredible creatures by joining Marine Conservation Costa Rica. Your involvement can make a significant impact in preserving turtle habitats and ensuring their survival for generations to come. Dive into the world of turtles and be part of the solution today!

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Celebrating 1,000 Coral Colonies Planted in 2025

by admin | Sep 3, 2025 | Coral Diaries, Coral restoration, Marine Conservation

At Marine Conservation Costa Rica, we are thrilled to share an incredible milestone—since January 2025, our team of dedicated staff, interns, and volunteers has successfully planted 1,000 coral colonies on local reefs. What makes this achievement even more special is that we reached our annual goal months ahead of schedule.

These new colonies, representing six different coral species, are now thriving in our nurseries and on restored reef sites. Each one plays a crucial role in strengthening marine biodiversity, providing habitat for countless fish and invertebrates, and ensuring that Costa Rica’s coral reefs continue to support the health of our oceans for generations to come.

Why this Milestone matters

Coral reefs are among the most vital ecosystems on Earth. They act as nurseries for marine life, natural barriers against coastal erosion, and providers of food and income for millions of people worldwide.

Planting 1,000 coral colonies may sound like a number, but in reality, it represents a living, breathing future for our oceans. Each coral fragment we grow and transplant has the potential to expand into a healthy reef structure, supporting schools of fish, protecting coastlines, and restoring balance to the underwater world of Manuel Antonio and Quepos.

A Community Effort

This achievement would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our interns and volunteers. Each coral fragment planted is a testament to your hard work, dedication, and passion for conservation.

Whether you joined us for a few weeks or several months, your contribution has left a permanent mark on Costa Rica’s reefs.

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who joined our programs this year. Your energy and enthusiasm fuel our mission and inspire us to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible in coral restoration.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’re inspired by this achievement and would like to join us, there are several ways to get involved:

🌊 Directly: Become part of our coral restoration team and gain hands-on experience in marine conservation. You can contact us directly through our contact page or right here.

🌊 Internships: You can also gain college credit with one of our partners when you complete an internship with us: Find out more through Intern International.
🤿 Eco Divemaster Program: Take your scuba training to the next level while contributing directly to reef restoration with Oceans Unlimited and our partners at Gapforce

Your journey with us doesn’t just enhance your diving skills—it helps protect and rebuild our ocean ecosystems.

Want to help us? - Adopt a Coral

If you are not a scuba diver or aren’t able to come visit then you can still help us with our coral restoration by taking part in our adopt a coral program.

You can choose to adopt either a colony or a whole reef if you would like and help us continue or work or restoring the reefs of Costa Rica.

Beyond Coral Planting

While coral restoration is at the heart of our work, Marine Conservation Costa Rica is committed to a holistic approach to ocean conservation. Our other projects include:

📚 Marine education programs with local schools and communities.
🐠 Reef monitoring and surveys in partnership with global organizations such as REEF.org.
🌐 3D reef imaging projects, creating digital models to track coral growth and resilience.
🏝️ Community outreach initiatives that build awareness about marine protection and sustainable ocean practices.

By combining research, education, and restoration, we aim to create lasting change for both marine life and local communities.

Looking Ahead

Reaching our 1,000-colony goal early is not the end—it’s just the beginning. With your continued support, we are excited to push further, expand our nurseries, and strengthen our reefs.

Together, we can ensure that Costa Rica remains a global leader in marine conservation and that our oceans remain vibrant, diverse, and resilient.

To everyone who helped us reach this milestone: thank you. And to those who want to join our mission—there has never been a better time to dive in.

🌊 Join the Mission – Protect Our Oceans

Be part of reef restoration in Costa Rica. Find out more about our progams and projects here.

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Coral Reefs: Their Importance and Their State in 2024

by admin | Jul 3, 2024 | Coral Diaries, Coral restoration, Marine Conservation

The health and restoration of coral reefs has been a large topic in the field of marine conservation. Through human activity and climate change, coral reefs have taken detrimental damage, posing a massive risk to the health of our oceans and the living beings that inhabit and benefit from it, including humans.

Why are coral reefs so important?

Why are coral reefs important? According to Pew Trusts, coral reefs support 25% of all marine species, and are biodiversity hotspots, allowing for species to seek shelter, reproduce, feed, and nurse their young. They make up less than 1% of the ocean floor, but, as previously stated, support 25% of all marine species (Razek, 3). On top of this, the corals themselves are living organisms and play a large role in their ecosystems, and damages done to these reefs harm them as well. According to NOAA, coral reefs benefit more species per unit than any other marine environment, housing around 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals, and hundreds of other aquatic species (NOAA, 1). This is not even including the millions of undiscovered species that may be living within these biodiversity epicenters. These reefs also bring about many benefits for humans as well. According to NOAA, they play an imperative role in keeping up both commercial and subsistence fisheries, as well as countless jobs in the recreation and tourism sector. These reefs are invaluable to the function of fisheries, which bring in large amounts of income and food. Many countries also depend on these reefs for tourism, as they bring about many visitors, recreational opportunities, and hotels, which in turn helps maintain their economy. They not only are imperative for both resources and income, but they also protect us from natural disasters. NOAA goes on to state that they buffer 97% of energy from waves, storms, and floods, making them invaluable in the protection of life, communities, as well as the prevention of erosion (NOAA, 3). Without these reefs, coastal communities would find themselves far more exposed to the devastating effects of these disasters. Reefs face many dangers such as pollution, disease and habitat destruction, all of which will be covered further later in this article. Essentially without these reefs, we would see massive losses in biodiversity and natural habitats, blows to natural food chains and ecosystems, as well as detrimental blows to fisheries, a key source of food and income, tourism, which is essential for the economy in many countries, as well as an increase in threats to coastal communities.

How are they threatened?

What threats do coral reefs face? How have they been damaged? NOAA provides further information on how coral reefs have become under danger from human activity. Pollution, overfishing, harmful fishing habits, the collection of corals, the mining of coral, as well as climate change, are all vectors of damage for these reefs. Land-based runoff, pollutant discharges, leaking fuels, paints, and chemicals, are all human-based sources that can harm the ocean’s reefs. Additionally, if there is an oil spill during a coral’s spawning process, the eggs and sperm will also be harmed. The collection of corals for sales purposes can also prove detrimental to these reefs. NOAA also states that many fishing practices can also prove detrimental, such as blast fishing and cyanide fishing. The practice of deep water trawling, which involves the dragging of large nets along the sea bottom. These nets can be left as debris in the reefs, and can result in the corals being tangled. The reefs are also impacted by weighted bags, startling and scaring life out of their habitats within these said reefs. Finally, the effects of climate change can result in coral bleaching, which can severely harm the corals. Greenhouse gasses that are emitted from human activity can lead to this effect, as an increase in their presence causes global warming, which in turns also warms the oceans, bleaching the corals.

The state of coral reefs in Costa Rica and Latin America

One may also ask: how are coral reefs faring in Costa Rica and Latin America? The Latin American region as a whole is a haven for biodiversity and habitats. According to the Costa Rica International Academy, Costa Rica is home to an impressive number of almost 7,000 different marine species (CRIA, 2). The LAC region, or Latin America and the Caribbean, host 10% of the world’s coral reefs (Climate Champions, 1). These reefs are home to countless species, as stated earlier, 25% of all marine species live in coral reefs around the globe. The coral reefs in Latin America are epicenters of life. Matter of fact, according to the NRDC, Latin America is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. That being said, it is imperative that these centers of life are protected. EarthJustice.org states that 93% of the reefs in Costa Rica are in danger, and that tourism is a large factor (Cossio, 3). Unsustainable tourism is a whole issue in of itself, as large amounts of human intrusion can have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems. Sedimentation from human activity threatens the pacific coral reefs of Costa Rica. Looking at Latin America as a whole, 50% of all coral reefs in Latin America are at risk of degradation in the next five to ten years (Cossio, 7). Coral bleaching also threatens the reefs of this region. According to the Tico Times, rising ocean temperatures from climate change exacerbate the effects of El Nino events, which is a natural warm period in the waters of the Pacific. As ocean temperatures rise, El Nino only gets warmer, therefore leading to coral bleaching.

Government Action

There has been action from the world’s governments to protect our oceans. These actions have both pros and cons. According to Royal Museums Greenwich, Marine Protected Areas have been developed to counter the damage and overuse of our oceans. Just like within national parks, these areas are limited to human activity and industry. Marine Protected Areas require the limitation of drilling, fishing, and diving. They have been established with the central idea that aquatic animals, plants, and habitats are protected from detrimental human activities. These areas are protected by laws, regulations, voluntary agreements, and codes of conduct . However, these areas do have their pitfalls. According to Mind the Gap: Addressing the Shortcomings of Marine Protected Areas Through Large Scale Marine Spatial Planning, a journal within ScienceDirect, there are multiple fields where marine protected areas fall short. They may be too small to be ecologically sufficient, inappropriately managed or planned, fail due to degradation of unprotected surrounding ecosystems, and may do more harm than good due to displacement and unintended consequences of management.

Summary

The takeaway? Coral reefs are essential for not only a countless number of marine species and the overall health of our world’s ocean ecosystems, but they also bring a fruitful amount of benefits for humans. These priceless areas are at danger from the harmful consequences of human activity, and it is imperative that they are protected and taken care of.

Written by Michael Basharis

References:

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/12/06/6-reasons-coral-reefs-deserve-protection

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral07_importance.html

https://criacademy.com/costa-rica-marine-life-4-types-of-underwater-wonders/#:~:text=In%20point%20of%20fact%2C%20nearly,country%20smaller%20than%20West%20Virginia.

https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/ocean-breakthroughs-latin-america-caribbean-ocean-based-climate-action/#:~:text=The%20region%20is%20home%20to,its%20largest%20expanse%20of%20wetlands.

https://www.nrdc.org/bio/jessica-carey-webb/latin-americas-biodiversity-critical-global-goals

https://earthjustice.org/article/coral-reefs-and-the-unintended-impact-of-tourism

https://ticotimes.net/2023/08/20/costa-ricas-coral-reefs-in-peril-as-temperatures-rise

https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/our-ocean-our-planet/what-is-30×30-marine-protected-areas-ocean-2030

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X10001740#:~:text=MPA%20shortcomings%20are%20categorized%20as,more%20harm%20than%20good%20due

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Unsustainable Tourism and its Negative Effects

by admin | Jul 1, 2024 | Coral Diaries, Marine Conservation

Our oceans are a massive attraction for tourists around the globe every year. Although visiting these beautiful natural areas can be a fulfilling experience, one must be aware of the effects it may bring upon the environment. If tourism is done in an unsustainable manner, it can bring about numerous negative effects on our oceans.

How can marine tourism harm corals?

To start off, marine tourism can disrupt and damage our coral reefs, which are epicenters of life and biodiversity. According to EarthJustice.org, when diving excursions touch, pollute, or break off parts of the reef, the corals will experience stress, which actually leads to coral bleaching, a harmful process for not only the coral, but the entire ecosystem as a whole. During the process, the corals attempt to expel the brightly colored algae that reside on them, resulting in a sort of white appearance. This will lead to their death, which brings detrimental consequences to the life that depend on them. Another negative effect that can be brought on by unsustainable tourism practices is that of sedimentation. EarthJustice.org states that this process involves the deposition of dirt and debris into the ocean, polluting the marine ecosystems and blocking the much needed sunlight that algae rely on to survive. Once this sunlight is blocked, the algae die, once again bringing about coral bleaching. In Costa Rica, sedimentation occurs through the processes of dredging, loging, agriculture, and coastal development that is brought about by marine tourism. Earthjustice.org goes on to state that 50% of all coral reefs in Latin America are at risk of degradation in the next five to ten years. Additionally, 30% of coral reefs around the globe are already severely damaged, and 70% of all reefs are expected to disappear by 2030 (Cossio, 7). This would bring about detrimental consequences to the entire planet, as thousands of species that are necessary to the ocean and the planet as a whole rely on these reefs. They also bring about many benefits to humans as well, housing large fisheries, which bring in large amounts of income and food, the mitigation of the effects of natural disasters, and being epicenters for tourism.

From We the Recyclates

Unsustainable tourism can also lead to innumerable amounts of garbage being dumped into the oceans. According to NOAA, marine debris can kill or harm wildlife, as they may consume it or become entangled within it. The World Economic Forum states that 8 million metric tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean each year (Lacle, Dragozet, Novotny, 11). In addition to this, they also state that 14,000 tonnes of toxic sunscreen end up in the ocean each year, and on top of this, 82,000 different kinds of chemicals can find their way into the oceans (Lacle, Dragozet, Novotny, 9). Planet Wild states that boat traffic can also affect marine life as well. It may lead to accidental oil spills, collisions with marine mammals, disturbance of the sea floor, the introduction of invasive species, and it may chase away key species from their habitats. Unsustainable tourism can also bring about the issue of noise pollution, as areas may have hundreds of boats all touring a coastline, bringing about a disruptive level of noise. As a result, this disrupts wildlife in the area, and additionally may also interrupt dolphin and whale communication, who rely on sound for communication and navigation.

Summary

Although tourism in marine areas acts as an escape for millions each year, as well as a massive source of income for many countries, it must be done in a sustainable manner. Unsustainable tourism brings a plethora of harmful consequences for our oceans, and it is imperative that it is addressed and acted on. One should still be able to enjoy the fruitful benefits of the ocean, but it must be only done in a careful manner.

Written by Michael Basharis

References

https://earthjustice.org/article/coral-reefs-and-the-unintended-impact-of-tourism

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-pollution

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/tourism-is-killing-our-oceans-heres-what-we-can-do-to-protect-them/

https://planetwild.com/blog/why-is-mass-tourism-bad-for-the-ocean

https://wir-fuer-recyclat.de/en/muellmeer-mehr-muelle

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Investigation of Rusty Guard Crabs on Pocillopora in Costa Rica

by admin | Sep 20, 2023 | Coral Diaries, Marine Conservation

Rusty Guard Crabs sheltered in a Pocillopora Coral

One of our recent interns, Andre Wax, completed and presented a research study on a topic of his choosing! Read about Andre’s work below.

Trapezia Bidentata, also known as the Rusty Guard Crab, are the local species of guard crabs found on Pocillopora corals near Quepos – Manuel Antonio region of the Eastern Tropical Pacific in Costa Rica. They are a species of smaller guard crab, maxing out at around 2.5 cm in length, and provide protection against smaller corallivores. The Pocillopora corals that they inhabit are species of branching corals, which provide shelter for the guard crabs. T. Bidentata will also stimulate the coral to release mucus by massaging the coral with their legs and collect the mucus the coral excretes and will consume this as their food source.

This study aims to discover if there is a relationship between the health of Pocillopora corals in the Quepos – Manuel Antonio area and the number of Trapezia Bidentata crabs found living in the coral. A null and alternative hypothesis were generated, where the null stated that there would be no relationship found while the alternative hypothesis stated that the number of T. Bidentata crabs found on the corals would depend on the health of the coral. If the alternative was true, it could be found that on healthier corals there are more guard crabs. Furthermore, larger corals likely have more crabs due to there being more space available.

Initial findings

The depth, length, number of T. Bidentata present, and coral health were recorded. Coral health was recorded using a scale from zero to four, representing dead and healthy respectively. Initially, depth was compared with the number of crabs and the length of the coral, and no correlation was found (Figure 1.1 and 1.2).

Depth in feet against the Number of Crabs found at each depth

Depth against the Length of Coral found at each depth

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Number of crabs against the length of the coral in centimetres

When coral length and number of crabs were compared with each other a strong correlation was found. The trendline generated from this data allowed for the data to be analyzed for the corals that had more crabs than expected (data points above the trendline) and corals that had less crabs than expected (data points below the trendline). Samples that had more crabs than expected had health ratings of 3.5 or 4 most frequently, with a few data points with a health rating of 3 and only one data point that was below a health rating of 3 (see figure 1.3). Corals with less crabs than expected were generally corals that we unhealthy. When the frequency of finding different numbers of crabs on the corals was compared, it was revealed that as the corals get healthier, crabs would be found in higher numbers more often than compared to the corals that are unhealthy, and high numbers of crabs are only found on corals that are the healthiest (see figure 2.1).

Frequency of number of crabs with a health rating between 0 and 0.5

Finally, based analysis of the data, the corals were separated into two categories, healthy corals (3-4 health rating), and unhealthy corals (0-2.5). Box and whisker plots were utilized to remove outliers and ensure normal distribution before conducting a two-variable t-test assuming unequal variances (see figure 3.1 and 3.2). This test was selected due to the possibility of unequal standard deviation among data sets and due to the large sample size. Using α = 0.05, the two hypotheses were H0 (T. Bidentata number is different when comparing health of Pocillopora corals): p ≥ 0.05 and HA (T. Bidentata number is different when comparing health of Pocillopora corals): p<0.05. When conducted, a p-value of 4.175*10-8 was obtained. 4.175*10-8 < α = 0.05 so the null hypothesis is rejected.

Distribution of the number of T.Bidentata Crabs

Distribution of the number of T.Bidentata crabs excluding outliers

Analysis of the data reveals that T. Bidentata were found in larger quantities on the healthier corals. The coral length vs. crab number data reveals that very few unhealthy corals can have more crabs than expected, and this is supported by the t-test which resulted in an incredibly low p-value, suggesting a very strong significant difference between the number of T. Bidentata on healthy vs. unhealthy corals.

One possible reason for this could be that unhealthy corals are unable to sustain higher numbers of T. Bidentata. Since dead coral could not be able to produce mucus for the guard crabs to feed on, it would not be possible for guard crabs to survive on the coral.

The feeding strategy of crabs could also better prepare the immune system of the corals for future stressors. When corals release mucus, it is part of their immune response to stressors in their environment.

There are several reasons that this could be occurring. Since guard crabs feed on the mucus from the corals, unhealthy corals would supply guard crabs with less food so a lower number of guard crabs would be found. Another possibility is that a higher number of crabs would allow the coral to be more resistant to stressors in the environment. Corals with higher numbers of crabs would have more crabs to protect against corallivores. This would keep the corals healthier because predator attacks would be less successful in consuming the coral. The feeding strategy of Trapezia crabs could also keep corals healthier. When they feed, they stimulate the immune response of corals causing them to release mucus. Keeping the immune response stimulated could keep the coral more prepared for stressors that would cause this immune response.

Guard crabs such as T. Bidentata can be used in the future as an effective indicator species. Due to the strong relationship the number of guard crabs found on Pocillopora corals can be used to quantify the health of the corals. The benefits that this can provide is another way to determine coral health besides visual examination.

When fragmenting corals, it is important to ensure that guard crabs can remain on the corals. Guard crabs need to be on corals to survive, so if they are removed from corals during the fragmenting process, it is essential to reattach them to a fragment and attempt to keep the crabs on the fragments through the out-planting process. When fragmenting, cutting slowly allows the crabs time to move out of the way of the blade.

Guard Crabs found during the fragmenting process

Trapezia Bidentata crabs play an important role in the reefs in the Quepos – Manuel Antonio area. With invasive species such as the Crown of Thorns seastar entering Costa Rica, the protection guard crabs provide is going to be essential in ensuring the survival of the reefs. Further research on this subject could include examining the coral health and guard crabs in a controlled setting, examining the size and number of crabs found depending on the shape and structure of corals, and comparing the health of corals and the number of guard crabs in coral nurseries.

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Behind the Scenes with our Marine Biology Interns

by admin | Sep 13, 2023 | Coral Diaries

Here at Marine Conservation Costa Rica, we have a number of opportunities available for those looking to make a difference to Marine wildlife. Hear about the experiences of two of our previous interns, Andre and Mary-Grace below.

What is the sea life like?

Andre

It’s a lot of fish. The visibility is not that good, so it is hard to see other animals. A lot of damsels farm and eat algae and surgeonfish. Occasionally you’ll see octopus, sharks and turtles but it is much rarer than the other common reef fish.

Mary-Grace

At Quepos it is very interesting. The diving is amazing and there are more surges, which makes it harder to dive. I feel like this makes you a more experienced diver because it is a challenge. In Caño the water is much more still and calm.

How would you describe the variety of sea life? Do they seem healthy and diverse?

Andre

The sea life is very diverse with a lot of different types of fish!

Mary-Grace

The animals here are quite diverse, we have seen a bunch of different fish like the butterfly fish and sergeant majors, sea slugs, and some crabs on the nursery corals.

How would you describe the Coral you see?

Andre

There is not a lot of reef building coral so generally, it’s pretty sparse. We see some of the branching coral and some of the bouldering coral which are big and look like boulders.

Mary-Grace

We have two types of corals: the branching and boulder corals. The branching coral grows like a tree, and the boulder coral grows on the ground.

Do you encounter Coral bleaching more than healthy reefs?

Andre

You definitely see a lot of both. At Caño Island there is definitely a lot of bleached coral but here in Quepos there is less bleached coral. A lot of the coral is fairly young, but you see a fair share of both.

Mary-Grace

Here in Quepos, we have some coral bleaching and coral disease, but we can’t tell which it is without doing research on it. We definitely do see coral bleaching, more at Caño Island than here in Quepos.

As a diver do you practice a marine conservation lifestyle? If so, what does this look like for you?

Andre

Yes, mostly using reusable plastics and bottles. I would also say making conscious choices of where you are throwing things away, so pollutants don’t end up in the ocean.

Mary-Grace

Personally, I try to be conservative about what I use such as avoiding single-use plastics. If I do I try to reuse them as much as possible. I will keep my trash collected until I am near a trash can to avoid it getting to the ocean.

Describe the process of new Coral colonies being planted.

Andre

I haven’t done much with the coral because I am with the marine conservation side but most of the coral are very small.

Mary-Grace

In the restoration program we find coral of opportunity which is coral floating around, and not breaking off coral from a healthy reef. From there we pull it out and fragment it (cut it a little) to help the growth accelerate. We let them grow in the nursery for a few months before planting them back onto the larger coral structure.

Describe the process of new Coral colonies being planted.

Andre

I haven’t done much with the coral because I am with the marine conservation side but most of the coral are very small.

Mary-Grace

What inspired you to be a diver?

Andre

I have always really liked the ocean since I was a kid so it is my plan to enter marine biology. Diving is very helpful for researching the ocean and its’ biology and is a big interest of mine.

Mary-Grace

For me, I have wanted to dive since I was young. I did a discovery course and realized I was too scared. With it being on my mind this past year, I finally decided to face my fears and did it. I quickly realized there was nothing to be scared of at all.

What inspired you to take action with Marine conservation?

Andre

I care about conservation in general, but diving is a part of it. Being out in nature and the environment is important because we as humans are a part of nature. It’s important because without it we would die too.

Mary-Grace

When I was little, my sister showed me the movie Blue Ocean and it showed me that our oceans need help with restoration. Corals are extremely important for the health of our oceans and that is why I want to take action and help build a healthy ocean.

Has anything surprised you?

Andre

The visibility was a little surprising at first. I’m always surprised when I see a lot of garbage at the dive sites. A lot of plastics are seen.

Mary-Grace

Yes, when diving in Quepos I was expecting a coral reef with lots of animals and abundant life. Instead, I saw a lot of emptiness which I wasn’t expecting. I was expecting more Great Barrier Reef style but that just isn’t the reality for most coral reefs.

During your time here, what was your most memorable experience?

Andre

Last week we saw a turtle that was swimming around us and as I swam back to my group it started chasing me out of its territory, so that was pretty cool.

Mary-Grace

My most memorable experience was last week when I found my first nudibranch. They’re barely an inch big and very hard to find. I was super excited to find my first one.

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