Growing up on the East Coast of Australia, i have always been interested in the the ecological processes of the marine environment: What resources does the ocean provide? What are the impacts of our daily habits? and why do the majority of us know so little about something that covers 71% of the earth? My interest was sparked at a young age, after a school trip consisting of a project studying the Great Barrier Reef. I was amazed, both in the beauty and the complexity of the ecosystem, and yet puzzled as to how it was being tarnished at such a incomprehensible rate. Throughout my daily life and my chosen studies i have found a passion for the marine environment and wish to continue to learn about the processes that affect something intrinsic with my life. …show more content…
I was fortunate in that my studies were in line with my lifestyle; having always enjoyed a wide range of water related activities including surfing, spearfishing, swimming and achieving my Advanced Open Water Diver Certificate. This allowed me to compliment my learning with practical experience. At a biological level, i was able to observe changes in local organism numbers and start to understand the reasons for this and what it meant for the health of those particular ecosystems. Which overlapped, during Geography, with a broader understanding of weather patterns, oceanographic processes and insights into human impacts upon these marine environments. The skills i attained both in and out of the classroom paired the knowledge i gained, whilst improving my confidence in my surroundings, highlighted the vastness of information i was still yet to learn. I was proud to achieve the highest band in Biology and i am determined to excel at my further chosen studies whilst giving a greater depth of knowledge to the things i observe yet not necessarily