Written by Millie Mannering
Hello, I’m Millie! For a country girl from the Southern Alps of New Zealand, it was surreal to arrive in New York City for the OWUSS Symposium and to be officially introduced as the 2022 Australasian Scholar.
Due to extensive wide-ranging lockdowns in New Zealand the society’s board made the decision to defer the Australasian scholarship from 2020 until 2022. At one point throughout the symposium, President Steve Barnett comically referred to me as “the most persistent scholar in OWUSS history!” The wait has just made me more excited and I am incredibly grateful to the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society for the opportunity to begin my scholarship year.
Huge grin after receiving my Scholar medal (what is not captured in this photo are my shaking legs and intense stage fright) Photo: Supplied
I would like to acknowledge Kate Malcolm from Dive Tutukaka in New Zealand for hosting me for dive training and throughout the lockdown as Covid-19 first breached our borders. I am incredibly grateful for the kindness and generosity of Kate, Jeroen and Esther throughout the challenging lockdown and as the decision to defer the 2021 Australasian Scholarship was being made. Thank you.
Left: The Australasian dream team consisting of my two incredible co-ordinators, Joanna Smart and Stefan Andrews, and myself. Right: Receiving the official OWUSS Scholar Certificate from Vin Malkoski Photo: Supplied
After numerous Zoom calls over the past couple of years, finally meeting the Society family in person was amazing! As a volunteer run organisation, OWUSS has many dedicated individuals who give their time and energy to create such incredible scholarship/internship opportunities – awesome to meet you all!
Discussing our journey as early career professionals at the Blue Generation, Career Development Event. Here I am sharing my previous experience in scientific expeditions, research, scientific dive work and volunteer projects. Photo: Hannah Douglas
Following the OWUSS Symposium, I stayed in New York City for World Ocean’s Week at the Explorer’s Club. It is such a privilege to be a member of the Explorer’s Club and join a global society of individuals driven by scientific exploration and conservation efforts. The programme included an Ocean Innovation Paths and Big Ideas session during which panels discussed creative ocean solutions and blue economy innovation. I also enjoyed meeting and learning from the panel of individuals working to establish national and international legislation to recognise the inherent rights of the Ocean – how incredible and important!
A highlight of my week was spending time at the Club Headquarters in between lecture sessions, as I happened to bump into some very interesting people. One of whom was Dr. Sylvia Earle. This was a very serendipitous encounter so I took the opportunity to sit down and discuss her impressive involvement in ocean exploration and research as well as being a dive pioneer. I told her about the many dramatic changes I have witnessed in marine ecosystems in New Zealand and she shared her vision for the future. Having just returned from diving on Catalina Island, Sylvia was in New York to continue developing a global network of marine protected areas. An endeavour which I thoroughly admire! I strive to match Sylvia’s work ethic and share her determined optimism for the future of our oceans.
Discussing the state of our ocean and how to protect it with Sylvia Earle. Photo: Eugen Babau
United Nations Senior Legal Officer, Francois Bailet, offered an interactive workshop exploring ocean governance to provide the incoming OWUSS Scholars with a global perspective on big ocean issues which was fascinating.
Following this, we were invited to the United Nations Headquarters for World Oceans Day. It was incredible to be a part of this event examining the theme Revitalisation: Collective Action for the Ocean.
At the UN Headquarters alongside OWUSS friends. Photo: Robin Parish
With an increasing magnitude of anthropogenic impacts on our ecosystems, I hope to use the scholarship year to discover how to best contribute towards the conservation and preservation of our incredible underwater world. Photo: Stephen Bradley
Thank you to the incredible OWUSS family for such a welcoming start to my scholarship year. I’m looking forward to starting this year alongside the talented and driven scholars from North America and Europe, Rosie Poirier and Hannah Douglas!
Thank you to the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society and Rolex for making the scholarship dream a reality. I would also like to thank the numerous sponsors involved, particularly Reef Photo and Video, Nauticam and Light and Motion for my underwater camera setup as well as TUSA, Waterproof, Tabata Australia and Suunto for my diving equipment.
Lastly, a huge thank you to the numerous people who have supported me and continue to do so. To my friends and family, I am so grateful for each and every one of you and wouldn’t be where I am without you!
Photo: Maureen Sweeney (The Amazing OWUSS Life Coach)
Join me, above and beneath the surface, on my adventures throughout the upcoming year. Subscribe to my blogs, follow along on Instagram, Facebook or flick me an email! Next, I’m off to…
