Posted on July 17, 2010 by Dan Rowan, Undergraduate, HBOI/FAU
Dan Rowan loads SCUBA gear onto the small boat suspended next to the Seward Johnson. Dan is an undergraduate student being mentored by Dr. Joshua Voss.
Three years ago, after watching a documentary on the modern perils of the world’s coral reefs, I moved from my native Michigan to Florida to focus my undergraduate degree in marine ecology. The documentary, which featured video footage of the R/V Seward Johnson and Johnson Sea-Link II submersible operations, inspired me to attend Florida Atlantic University, solely because of its connection with Harbor Branch. At the time, I knew very little about the ocean, so I figured why not learn from some of the best researchers in the field?
The moment I enrolled at FAU I began hunting down research opportunities. In the fall of 2008, I was accepted as a member of the National Science Foundation’s Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Program at FAU. The program focuses on preparing undergraduate students for research in graduate school and has allowed me to work with Dr. Joshua Voss, a coral reef ecologist at Harbor Branch, over the last two summers.
Three years after first learning about Harbor Branch, I just finished a week-long excursion on the R/V Seward Johnson, part of the CIOERT’s Florida Shelf Edge Exploration Expedition to study the current state of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. My specific work entailed collecting mesophotic coral and coral disease samples for several molecular analyses back at the lab. I was also able to see and learn about what some of the other researchers were studying, and the breadth of research going on at one time was quite amazing.
The experience was a dream come true. Not only was I able to work alongside some brilliant people, but also I was given the opportunity to work on the R/V Seward Johnson, take a trip to the deep in the Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) II submersible, and SCUBA dive in some of Florida’s most pristine waters. During my dive in the JSL, I forgot how uncomfortable I was in the tiny aft chamber, as the views were breathtaking, to say the least. I wish everyone had the opportunity to experience the ocean from the JSL, as it gave me a much deeper appreciation of what the ocean is.
Dan Rowan photographs the fauna on a ledge near the Fort Pierce Inlet during the first SCUBA dive of the expedition.
Perhaps even more amazing than the view from the submersible, is how well everyone worked together in such close quarters. There were several different projects going on, and even though it was cramped at times, everyone worked with a smile, helping whoever needed it, and enjoying every moment. I am grateful for the opportunity to help with such an important research expedition, and I hope the efforts of everyone involved illuminates how amazing and important the ocean is.
