Did you know that oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface? Or that 94% of all life on our planet lives in the ocean? Hi, explorers! We have so much to discover together. My name is Jane, and I am currently a graduate student at the Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional in La Paz, Mexico. I grew up in Ohio and went to college at Oregon State University, where I majored in marine ecology and developed a deep interest in the underwater world. I was drawn to marine science after I tried scuba diving for the first time and realized that it was another world beneath the waves. It's a world where you can hear whales sing, float through gardens of coral, and even see fish using tools!
I applied for and received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to live, research, and study in Mexico for the next two years. I wanted to come here to investigate what could be a new species of oceanic manta ray in the Mexican Caribbean. Do you know what a manta ray is? They are some of the most beautiful and intriguing creatures in the underwater world, and by tagging and tracking the tentative new species I'm studying (Manta c.f. birostris), I can help the Mexican government create tourism and boat traffic regulations that will allow humans and these amazing creatures to live in harmony.
Are you ready to journey to the Caribbean Sea in search of oceanic manta rays with me? Let's go!
