Hi there! My name is Sophie Kalkowski-Pope and I am incredibly excited to introduce myself as the 2023 Australasian Scholar of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. After looking up to these scholars for such a long time I cannot believe it is finally me standing here in these shoes (or fins). These epic young scientists […]

Written by Millie Mannering Curious gentoo penguins are abundant in the Falkland Island. Photo: Millie Mannering Hummock Island has limited tussac coverage and is fringed by spectacular kelp forests. Photos: Millie Mannering I joined the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute in the Falkland Islands for an expedition to Hummock Island on the remote Western Coast. […]

Written by Millie Mannering Millie Mannering with Jacques Cousteau in Guadeloupe! Photo: Myrina Boulais Under The Pole combines scientific research and innovation with technical diving expeditions in extreme environments. I joined the team onboard the yacht, WHY, for their mission in Guadeloupe to investigate the unexplored ecosystems in the mesophotic zone. Described by scientific director, […]

Written by Millie Mannering The wonderful Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation team! Photo: Millie Mannering I was amazed to see such a colourful array of marine life during our dive transects! Photo: Millie Mannering I joined the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation in the Philippines. Through an integrated coastal management approach, CCEF strives to conserve […]

Written by Millie Mannering Millie Mannering preparing for a trimix decompression dive on sidemount configuration. Photo: Warren Bates Founder of Scuba Diving Tasmania, Brad Turner, explaining our gas mix calculations when planning our trimix decompression dives. Photo: Millie Mannering Brad Turner, founder of Scuba Diving Tasmania, introduced me to the world of technical diving. After […]