FROM THE TOS PRESIDENT
Deborah Bronk

Know before you go!

The number of times I attend a meeting where the topic of harassment comes up is discouraging. Are we really a community that needs to be continually reminded to treat each other with courtesy and respect? This happened most recently at a UNOLS Council meeting, a great group of people who give their time to help the science community use the US fleet of ships, aircraft and deep submersibles. At our most recent meeting we grappled with what to do when scientists and crew behave badly.

Going to sea or into the field can be stressful and it can bring out the worst in people. It can also be a transformative, life-changing inspiration when things go well and everyone works together. We need a cultural shift where planning for everyone’s mental and emotional safety is taken as seriously as their physical safety. I encourage everyone to read and think deeply about how to implement the suggestions in Know Before You Go: A Community-Derived Approach to Planning for and Preventing Sexual Harassment at Oceanographic Field Sites, which appeared in Oceanography Magazine earlier this year. It has a wealth of practical advice and resources to help us all work to eradicate this behavior so we can focus on advancing the science the world so desperately needs.

I’m here to serve, so please reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any thoughts or ideas you care to share.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
Aliyah Griffith

I am currently a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. I also earned my master’s degree in 2022 at UNC Chapel Hill after graduating from Hampton University with a bachelor’s degree in marine and environmental science. My research focuses on climate change impacts on coral reef ecosystems. Although I started out addressing coral reef invertebrate diversity through internships, my master’s focused on analyzing coral skeletal growth and how acute disturbances such as hurricanes impact it.

Between having family in Barbados and growing up in coastal cities, I was always fascinated with the ocean. After a few aquarium trips as a child, I asked a dolphin trainer what her official title was. When she told me “Marine Biologist,” it stuck with me. When I was in middle school and high school, I investigated all animal-based careers, land and sea. This led me to learning about puppy checkups and Lyme disease in veterinary hospitals, to caring for hedgehogs and chinchillas at a local nature center. Ultimately, a shadowing opportunity at the Georgia Aquarium sealed the deal.

Because of my unique journey, I am passionate about encouraging young people to find their paths. Thus, I created Mahogany Mermaids, a nonprofit that provides scholarships, academic resources, and support to students of color who are interested in pursuing marine science. I also recently authored a children’s book, My Secret Mermaid, to highlight the different careers in aquariums and how you can discover ocean wonders just outside your home. As the first African American to receive a graduate degree in marine science from UNC Chapel Hill, I know that my path was necessary and purposeful for me and the next generation of marine scientists. Through my nonprofit, I hope to build safe spaces for kids to explore their love for the aquatic sciences. Nothing compares to exploring the wonders of our ocean and then watching new scientists see themselves and their endless possibilities through their work.

View the Brochure