I even got to dive in the Alvin submersible to a depth of more than a mile and a half below the sea surface to visit an incredible oasis of deep-sea life. I remember one morning while I was watching the sunrise at sea, I proudly thought to myself, “I am so lucky that this is my office.”
I want to teach you about how we map and explore the seafloor and what it’s like to go to sea on a research expedition. We don’t think about it much, but most of our planet is covered by the ocean (70 percent!) and the majority of it has never been mapped or explored. There is so much to discover! As we work to map and explore the ocean, we also discover how important it is to work together. By sharing data, ideas and knowledge, we can improve our understanding of the ocean and the planet much more quickly.
My advice to you if you want to pursue this work is to explore the options, challenge yourself and navigate your way to finding a career that you love! This kind of work is a true team effort that relies on the skills, perspectives and expertise of a lot of different people, so there are many ways to be involved.
