Alison L. LaBonte

Last June, I completed my education as a math/applied science major at UCLA, freeing me to travel as the Our World-Underwater Scholar for the year. From Alamo, California, I have a lot of the world left to explore. This scholarship opens the opportunity for me to visit many regions of the exotic underwater world. By diving in and learning the ropes at many underwater related institutions and organizations, I hope to discover careers that spark my interest, and might benefit from my background experience and education. I am bouncing off the walls with excitement at having the chance to saturate for this Aquarius mission.

My interest in marine life began at an early age, leaving town after the swim team championship meet to go tidepooling along the coast of northern California with my family. By also exploring nearby mountains and cross country skiing in the Sierras, my early curiosities about insects, rocks, flowers, and especially, intertidal invertebrates developed my interest in nature and the sciences.

During my university years I worked on summer research projects in an attempt to integrate my mathematical and biological interests. I assisted in larval recruitment and density dependence experiments on Lee Stocking Island in the Bahamas, and conducted theoretical, and numerical analysis of invasive species population dynamics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. While not in class, I spent many hours instructing the Open Water I course with the UCLA diving program. Also, I wouldn't have missed the sports at UCLA, participating as a member of UCLA's women's water polo team, women's ultimate frisbee team, ski team, and sailing team.