2016 AAUS Lee Somers Internship – Settling in at SkIO

Blog 2- Weeks 2 &3 (6/13-6/26)

I drove from Athens, GA to Savannah, GA which was about 4 hours in order to get to Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO). I will remain here at SkIO until August 7^th. I have mostly been working with the UGA Marine Extension (MarEx) Aquarium. The MarEX Aquarium is an educational aquarium with 16 tanks of marine organisms that can all be found along the Georgia Coast. I have been helping feed the sea turtles, sea horses, and sea jellies as well as cleaning acrylic tank windows and protein skimmers. I am also responsible for the reptiles which are not on display. They have a few different snake species, mud turtles, a diamondback terrapin and some lizards. The MarEx Aquarium also leads week long summer camps for kids of varying ages. I was able to go with the summer camp to Wassaw Island, which is only accessible by boat and is a National Wildlife Refuge. We spent the day beach combing, swimming and we also did some seine net fishing for the kids to see the sea creatures.

During the time I am not helping the MarEx Aquarium, I have been volunteering elsewhere around SkIO. The Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) has an office on SkIO and I attended their “Get Into Your Sanctuary” event. This was a nation-wide event on Saturday June 25^th where National Marine Sanctuary Offices held outreach events to publicize the sanctuaries. The GRNMS office unveiled new informational signs which were put up at boat ramps along the Georgia Coast. Additionally, I am helping the MarEx shellfish lab with a few projects. I helped with a small scale oyster spawn for the oyster hatchery and I have been helping with a black gill shrimp experiment. My roommate at SkIO is doing research involving intertidal crabs, so I also helped her collect oyster clusters from the salt marsh, and go through the clusters to find mud crabs and other small crab species.

I have been quite busy with various groups around SkIO and I am looking forward to upcoming field work opportunities. Diving on the Georgia Coast has turned out to be quite difficult. GRNMS is about 40 miles away by boat and the seas have been too rough for us to get out there to dive, but hopefully I will get to go diving soon!

Corn hole game board painted for GRNMS

Preparing food for the aquarium fish

New sign at the Rodney J Hall boat ramp for GRNMS

This is a small barrier island at which we released juvenile horseshoe crabs

Collecting oysters for my roommate’s research

Cleaning the protein skimmers at the MarEx Aquarium

Week 3: Floating Along

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I didn’t have any internship-related photos from this week, so here’s one of me paddle boarding on downtown Orlando’s Lake Ivanhoe on the Fourth of July. Love this city!

They say if you can get a job doing what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. This is how I feel working at Scuba Diving and Sport Diver.

I can’t believe my internship is halfway over! I’ve learned so much already, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time here at Bonnier will bring.

This week was shorter, because we had off for Fourth of July, but it was incredibly busy. The managing editor of Scuba Diving, Ashley Annin, was out for the week at a friend’s wedding, and because we ship the magazine to the printer next week, I had to take over some of her managing editor duties. I was in charge of printing pages as they were ready to edit, putting them in folders to circulate the office, editing them and keeping our production tracker updated on the progression of pages. I had to print most of the magazine on the same day, and it was very fast-paced and commanding. I’m glad I got to take over these responsibilities and see just how the magazine operates when it’s crunch time. Everyone put in so much work that day to get things done on time, and it made me appreciate the Bonnier team even more.

This week I also wrote my first print story for Sport Diver. It was a dive brief about an archaeological site in Florida. I had great interviews with my sources — the kind after which you hang up the phone and know exactly what you need to write. I turned it in Tuesday, and Patricia, the editor-in-chief of the dive group, called me into her office Friday to talk about it. She had a few good changes, but she said she loved the piece overall. She said it was a blessing to have me in the office. What a compliment!

Denver – Submerged Resources Center

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Hi there! My name is Garrett Fundakowski and I am the 2016 Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society National Park Service Research Intern!

This summer I have been given the opportunity to travel the country to live, work, and dive alongside leading underwater archaeologists, photographers, and research scientists in our nation’s National Parks. Thank you to both the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and the Submerged Resources Center for their overwhelming generosity in putting together and funding this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Last Saturday, following a late night filled with packing and repacking and triple-checking my lists, my parents dropped me off at the Philadelphia airport to send me on my way. I was both excited and nervous to start my journey! To kick off the non-stop summer of adventures, I spent my first week at the SRC office in Denver, Colorado.

I landed in Denver Saturday evening and stayed the night with my friend Abby and her family. To make sure I really hit the ground running (pun intended), I joined Abby and her father for the Stadium Stampede 5K run along the Platte River in downtown Denver bright and early on Sunday morning before heading over to meet up with Jessica Keller, an Archaeologist for the SRC and my gracious host for the week.

After settling in, Jessica and I quickly got acquainted and bonded as we watched the epic season finale of Game of Thrones. The next day we carpooled to the office, where I was given my visitor’s badge and a tour of the facility. As the remaining SRC crew entered the office, I was greeted with warm smiles and friendly faces; it wasn’t long before I was joking around with everyone else. Since everyone had just gotten back from various projects and this was one of the only times everyone would be in the same place all summer, Dave Conlin, Chief of the SRC, gathered the staff for a meeting to debrief the most recent projects and discuss the travel schedule for the group for the next few months. It was fascinating to see how the whole operation works from the inside.

After the meeting, I sat down with Brett Seymour, Photographer and Deputy Chief of the SRC, and laid out my own schedule for the summer. This summer, my travels will take me from St. Croix to Hawaii, Florida to California, and even as far out as American Samoa! Having only ever dove in the Caribbean, I am extremely excited to head out to the Pacific later this summer and be exposed to an entirely new ocean and its fauna.

The following day, Jessica and I spent all morning at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital. In order to dive with the NPS, I need to acquire a Blue Card. The Blue Card is the NPS’s diving certification and it not only requires passing a written test and demonstrating physical fitness and diving skills in the water (which were scheduled for later in the week with Brett), but also visiting a hyperbaric doctor for a dive physical to ensure their divers are in tip-top shape before getting in the water. After squeezing me in for a last-minute appointment, Dr. Clem cleared me to dive barring my results from the required medical assessments were normal. I managed to get a chest x-ray, blood work, and an ECG done at P/SL in one day, with my audiology appointment scheduled for the following afternoon, earning myself the “record” for the fastest intern dive physical.

The remaining hours of the day were spent in the dive locker with Brett, pulling gear for my summer travels. In the past, some interns have visited places where colder waters necessitated packing a dry suit, but as I won’t be venturing too far north, I will only need a standard wetsuit. We fit me out with a wetsuit, a shortie, rashguards, booties, gloves, swim trunks, and a BCD, as well as a variety of SRC apparel that will serve as my uniform for the next few months.

That night the SRC had their annual summer barbeque. Steve Sellers, the National Dive Safety Officer, and his family graciously had the entire office over for a delicious potluck dinner. Not even a little light shower could stop the SRC crew from firing up the grill and laughing around the table.

Aside from that, the rest of the week went smoothly. I was a bit nervous for the Blue Card test, but being a former swimmer of 13 years has given me a calm disposition in the water and helped me complete even the daunting “ditch-and-don” skill. In fact, my previous swimming experience really came out when Jessica took me to Underwater Hockey practice. After a quick orientation to the rules and a couple rounds of observation, I joined in on the chaotic mess at the bottom of the pool. Admittedly I committed a couple fouls, but I managed to shimmy my way to the puck and score a few points by the end. And I was playing alongside some of the men and women who have competed for the National Team, so I consider it an accomplishment to have scored a goal or two. Overall, it was a ton of fun and I would definitely do it again!

When Saturday finally rolled around, I had some time to explore the rolling hills of Colorado and go on a hike before my flight left the following morning. I hiked up Green Mountain just down the road from the SRC office and it provided a breathtaking view of the city in the distance. A spectacular way to end my stay in Denver!

The next morning, Dave dropped me off at the airport and I was on my way to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands to work at Buck Island National Monument!

Thank you to the entire SRC staff for being so warm and welcoming! You invited me into your homes, let me stay on your couch, took time out of your day to teach me new software, had me over to join in on board game night, talked to me about my future career plans, introduced me to your family, assisted me in the process of arranging travel, and tailored my journey to fit my personal career goals. Without you, this internship would not be possible. Once again, I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity and am amazed at how willing each of you are to help me on my journey to discover my passion. I hope I make you all proud!

Blue Grotto: Week 2

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Week 2 at Bonnier was a blast because I got to go diving! Holding an internship during which you’re surrounded by scuba 24/7 but at a desk 40 hours a week is tough; you want to dive more than ever, but it’s hard to find the time.

The crew sets up gear while our videographer does test shots.

Luckily, this week I got to get my fins wet at Blue Grotto Dive Resort in Williston, Florida, with Scuba Diving’s gear department, ScubaLab. We were filming ScubaLab TV spots in which an underwater videographer films staff members diving with different pieces of gear. The divers test gear like computers, regulators, wetsuits and BCs and give them scores in a number of categories such as ease of use and effectiveness.

2015 OWUSS Intern Robby Myers hovers underwater at Blue Grotto. How does he do this? Well, he’s just that awesome.

Blue Grotto is fantastic. I got to use a SeaLife camera for the first time to take my own photos (half of which did not turn out — hey, I’m used to just a GoPro, not a whole mini rig), and it was fun to capture some of my co-workers underwater.

My favorite part of Blue Grotto is its friendly resident softshell turtle Virgil. He’s very curious and nice, and he’ll come right up to you to check you out — and see if you have any food for him.

Here I am with Virgil, the resident softshell turtle. Usually softshells can be very aggressive, but Virgil is the nicest turtle I’ve ever met. Photo by Robby Myers.

Mary Frances Emmons, the deputy editor of Scuba Diving, tells what she loves about the Suunto Zoop Novo dive computer.

Another part of the ScubaLab TV shoots is stand-ups, in which the divers are filmed talking about their favorite aspects of the gear.

In all, it was interesting to see what exactly went into shooting the videos, and of course, any day diving beats a day in the office.

(Special thanks to Dive Group editor-in-chief Patricia Wuest for letting me borrow her 5mm wetsuit!)

Jumping In: Week 1 at Bonnier

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Here I am at my desk at Bonnier.

My first week as an intern at Bonnier has just come to a close, and I couldn’t be happier.

Monday was a great introductory day. I met the whole team, including the editor-in-chief of the dive group, Patricia Wuest, and the managing editors of Sport Diver and Scuba Diving, Andy Zunz and Ashley Annin, respectively. I also saw Robby Myers, the 2015 OWUSS intern who currently works for the dive group. I had met him in New York during the OWUSS awards weekend in April, and it was great to see a familiar face in the office. One thing I was surprised to find out was that not everyone who works at these magazines is a diver. Impressively, even as non-divers they probably know more about the sport than half of the divers out there.

By Tuesday I already had assignments piling up: book reviews to write, articles to edit and web pages to create for Scuba Diving. I worked mainly on the reviews, skimming six books that ranged from an autobiography to several fish identification guides and writing short blurbs about their content. I also worked on one of Scuba Diving’s Ocean Action briefs. Ocean Action is the section in which they highlight a conservation effort and how readers can get involved. The brief I wrote was about International Coastal Cleanup, which is supported by the Ocean Conservancy and Project AWARE and aims to get people picking up trash on the shore and while diving.

Wednesday I got to help out on my first photo shoot. It was to shoot dive computers in Bonnier’s photo studio. I’d never been involved in something like this before, and it was really interesting to see what went into getting each shot perfect. Depending on the details of each computer, different props and stands had to be used. Also, the kind of lighting and positioning that worked for one computer was completely different from the next, so there were a lot of test shots to get the desired image for each piece of equipment.

Scuba Diving’s photo editor, Kristen McClarty, holds a dive computer to be photographed.

Thursday morning I wrote my first piece that was published on Sport Diver’s website. It was a promotion for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel that included a few paragraphs of text and the schedule of what was airing when.

Thursday afternoon and nearly all of Friday I sat in on Sport Diver’s 2017 planning meeting. This is when they map out every issue of the year, come up with stories and flush out ideas for different features of each issue, such as best dive sites to see certain animals, good tips for divers and things of that sort. It was really cool to see how the team comes together to plan an entire year’s worth of content, and I’m glad I got to share that experience.

Can’t wait to see what the next week has in store!

PROGRAM BOOK: 42ND ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM

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2016_OWUSS_brochure

PRESENTATION BY DR. JOE MACINNIS AT THE 0WUSS 42ND ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM

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CLIMATE CHANGE: Anyone Can Change Everything
Dr. Joe MacInnis
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society®
42^nd Annual Awards Program
New York Yacht Club
April 16, 2016

IT’S AN HONOUR to be in your company. Each one of you from Rolex Scholar to intern, from
supporter to sponsor, confirm what can be done when good people do small things with great love.

A month ago, Jim Corry and Lionel Schürch of Rolex SA in Geneva asked me to talk to you for ten minutes about climate change. My heart sank. How do you describe the planet’s most pressing environmental problem—a biological crime scene—and our response to it—in 600 seconds? Faced with the possibility of certain defeat on this stage, I did what any ancient diver would do. I sat down and opened a bottle of black rum.

As the days passed and my anxiety increased, I kept thinking of the words from the Rolex Spirit of Enterprise mission statement: “Anyone can change everything.” An electric call to action. “Anyone can change everything.” But, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to use the words in my speech.

Two weeks ago, I’m in a service station filling my Toyota Prius. I put my credit card into the slot and look at all the cars and trucks. Black Cadillac. Ford Fusion. Big Hummer. An 18-wheeler sucking up diesel fuel. This is a front-line of climate change. This is where energy-intense carbon molecules really hit the road.

I ease the nozzle into my gas tank. During my lifetime, I’ve done this more than a thousand times. When you factor in all the ships, trains, and planes I’ve taken, I’m a poster boy for global warming. On the plus side, I’m a nation builder. My fossil fuel payments support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As the gas runs into the tank, my mind drifts to New York, this stage, and the speech I can’t write. I think of rising sea levels in Manhattan. There will be water taxis on Wall Street. Wind surfing on Park Avenue. At the New York City Yacht Club, you’ll go to the front door, walk out on a pier, and hail a yellow gondola.

I look at the cash window on the gas pump: $10 . . . $12 . . . $15. I’m more than a poster boy for climate change, I’m a carbon addict. Every day, in one form or another, I mainline diesel fuel, jet fuel, natural gas, and plastics. For years, I thought ExxonMobil and Volkswagen were ethical companies. I know I need help.

I pick up my receipt, slide behind the wheel, and drive off. The good news is that I’m in rehab. I have weekly sessions with my fellow addicts. We tell stories of binging on tail-pipe emissions at the Indy 500. People we know buying mega-stretch Hummers with a helicopter pad. But we exchange encouraging information. How 150 nations came together in Paris to sign a climate change agreement. How cities from New York to San Francisco to Toronto are shifting to green energy. How inspiring institutions and individuals including World Wild Life, Greenpeace, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and Justin Gillis are showing us what we can do.

My rehab assignment this week is to produce a short guide about climate change, and how we can adapt to it. With Rolex’s assistance, we have printed copies for each of you. Please read it. Absorb it. Pass it along. Take action. And remember . . . When it comes to minimizing the effects of climate change…with leadership and passion, “anyone can change everything.” Thank you, Jim and Lionel. It’s been a pleasure speaking to you. Justin Gillis Article

PROGRAM BOOK: 42ND ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM

Leave a reply

2016_OWUSS_brochure

PRESENTATION BY DR. JOE MACINNIS AT THE 0WUSS 42ND ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM

Leave a reply

CLIMATE CHANGE: Anyone Can Change Everything

Dr. Joe MacInnis
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society®
42^nd Annual Awards Program
New York Yacht Club
April 16, 2016

IT’S AN HONOUR to be in your company. Each one of you from Rolex Scholar to intern, from supporter to sponsor, confirm what can be done when good people do small things with great love.

Justin Gillis Article

2016 North American summer internships Announcement

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Founded in 1975, OWUSS has sponsored 94 experience-based Rolex scholarships and 93 internships to young people who want to pursue careers in fields such as marine biology, underwater research, and conservation. The society offers summer internships in North America for 1-3 month periods to college undergraduates and recent graduates. Internship recipients receive an educational grant to help fund travel to/from internship site, room and board, and a stipend to cover living expenses. The sponsor organizations that host the internships are leaders in their fields.

George Wozencraft, Vice President Internships, says “This year’s selection process was competitive, with many qualified applicants. In addition to those selected for the 2016 internships, I want to commend the finalists for each internship. We thank the members of our internship selection committee for their contribution. Additionally, we appreciate our internship sponsors and coordinators for the tremendous support that they provide to our volunteer organization.”

Here are the 2016 internships and recipients:

Dr. Lee H. Somers American Academy of Underwater Science (AAUS) Scientific Research Diving Internship

Allie D. Sifrit, University of Hawaii at Manoa

This internship provides experience for a young person interested in a future in science, diving for research, or scientific diving-related fields. Intern applicants can be students from colleges and universities with an interest in science and diving. The program runs from mid-May through August and will include training at one of several AAUS organizational member sites. This training will give the intern the necessary dive qualifications to allow participation on research projects requiring scientific diving and introduce the intern to careers that utilize scientific diving as a tool. Once trained as an AAUS recognized diver-in-training, interns will participate in underwater fieldwork at one or more locations and research facilities associated with AAUS.

This internship is named in memory of Dr. Lee H. Somers, who was AAUS’ first President and served as a long time officer and board member of OWUSS.

Bonnier Dive Group Publishing Internship

Melissa J. Smith, University of Florida

Based in Winter Park, Florida, the recipient of this internship will gain valuable real world experience in magazine publishing. Bonnier Corporation is one of the largest consumer- publishing groups in America, with nearly 50 special-interest magazines and related multimedia projects and events. The Bonnier Dive Group includes “Sport Diver,” “Scuba Diving,” and “Undersea Journal.” The intern will have the opportunity to contribute to these and other Bonnier Corporation publications.

National Park Service Research Internship

Garrett J. Fundakowski, Shippensburg University

The National Park Service Research Internship provides a unique opportunity to work with leading archaeologists, underwater photographers, and scientists in the National Park Service and other agencies in the American state and federal government. Specific work projects will be determined based upon the interests of the intern as well as the needs of associated projects. The internship is based in Boulder, Colorado, but it is expected that the intern will travel to projects within the continental United States and potentially overseas as part of this internship. Experiences could involve a specific project in a single park or a larger project in multiple parks.

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) Marine Conservation Internship

Patrick M. Peck, University of Richmond

Offered in Key Largo, Florida, the Marine Conservation Internship provides an opportunity to experience working at a nonprofit environmental organization. REEF is a grassroots, non-profit organization of recreational divers dedicated to protecting and preserving the underwater environment. Outside duties include environmental presentations to local and visiting schools, university, dive, and public groups; working with other local marine conservation entities; and opportunities for conducting marine life surveys during local dives. Office duties include handling memberships, incoming marine life survey data, answering e-mail, and dealing with the public.

For more information about the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society, please visit our website: http://www.owuscholarship.org.

For the official press release: 2016_OWUSS_Internship_Press_Release_March_2016.