Ever
since my first deep sea fishing experience with my father and a couple
of his salty dog friends at the age of 7, have I been fascinated with
everything ocean. I have never forgotten the experiences of that day.
Being the late 1960s well before loran (long range navigation) or gps,
these guys where able to, using only a watch, tachometer, and compass
find a reef marked by only a black buoy the size of a 5 gallon bucket 18
miles off shore. Well outside the visual range of the coast, not a easy
feat considering wind, current and wave conditions, dynamics that could
only be factored in by what is called
dead reckoning. I'm still
astonished by how in tune with their environment these men where and how
well they were at it, we where within visual range of that buoy within 5
minutes of when they said start looking for it, even after a two and a
half hour voyage.
My recollection of the Atlantic ocean around this part of Florida back
then was a far cry from the one we see today because of mans negative
impact on it. Not only was there considerably more visible life in the
sea back then on the surface like flying fish, sea turtles, manta rays,
porpoises, and whales. (as well as no plastic.) But one very rarely
returned without anything in the cooler, as far as catch, like one so
often will now.
This is one of the many reasons why I have a sense of duty for the Earth
and its oceans which was the #1 reason for me selecting the EST program
so that through this degree I might be given a chance to make a
positive impact on the environment. I feel man has become out of sync
with his environment and it is my goal to personally get back in tune
with it.
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