MOREHEAD CITY — A group of Marine Education, Research and Recovery for Oceans Worldwide (MERROW) AQUAneers met fierce competition and climbed to the top while participating in the 2024 Blue
Sophia Riesen
No matter what you believe is causing it, climate change is dramatically affecting our oceans and our planet.
How do I know this? Well, I have seen firsthand the changes that are taking place in our oceans. I am a certified American Academy of Underwater Science diver, a master SCUBA diver and a lead diver with my scientific teen diving group, SCUBAnauts International. With more than 130 dives under my belt, I have spent hours in the ocean recording scientific data and observing the local coral, fish and ecosystem.
I first observed the impact of climate change in 2018 while in the Florida Keys with the SCUBAnauts. During that trip we conducted a coral health assessment on a dive site called Alice in Wonderland. Our leaders explained that we would see an abundance of corals unlike anything we had viewed before. Sliding into my hot pink dive gear and tightening all the straps, I had a rush of excitement because I was about to see a pristine coral reef.