Laurie Requa
Center for Marine and Environmental Studies
University of the Virgin Islands

What type of education do you have? BA Biology, Minor Dance

What are your areas of specialty? Coral and reef fish identification using AGRRA methodology, juvenile coral and fish identification, collecting, drying, weighing sediments, video monitoring of coral reefs, basic coral reef ecology

What is your daily job like? Two different scenarios: 1) diving to conduct grouper transects in Red Hind Marine Conservation District, to conduct video monitoring, or conducting AGRRA. 2) Entering and analyzing data collected on dives (and other computer/office work).

What is the most exciting thing about your job? Diving in the Red Hind Marine Conservation District

What is the most boring thing about your job? Some of the computer/office work.

Did you always know you wanted to be a marine biologist (or work around the ocean)? In fifth grade I did a report on Manta Rays. Since then I have always wanted to get in the water and see them. I am still working on actually seeing a Manta ray, but that is the first time I became interested in the oceans.

Did you start out wanting to do something else? I can't remember what I wanted to do before that. Ballerina, teacher, and Princess Lea were probably all in there somewhere.

Where did you grow up as a child? Northern California in suburbia

How did you become interested in the oceans? Did you have a hero growing up that got you interested in the ocean? Who were your role models, then and now? I have been interested in the oceans for some time (see above), but I think my curiosity was really spurred when my family and I would visit my grandparents ranch in northern California. We would always go to the beach with my grandparents, and northern CA has some of the most beautiful rocky shores I've seen (not biased of course). Almost every beach we went to had tide pools or beach wrack to explore. Some even had hot mud pools, which were me and my brothers favorite by far at the time (about 5 or 6 yrs old). I didn't really have any "heroes". I grew up understanding that no human is perfect, so I never really put that much weight on any one person. I had plenty of role models however, and they are probably the same for the most part. My grandparents all died when I was relatively young, but because of it I remember small lessons or goals they taught me, and each form the whole of a larger dream that I have been trying to aspire to. Being from small town ranchers, to big city photographers, they were all very unique people. Ironically, none of them were biologists in the true sense of the word, but each couple had the best garden, and knew about birds, reptiles, weather, etc, etc. My parents probably wish that my friends were my role models because they were all straight "A" students with all but one getting into grad school and most are well on their way to being a medical doctor of some sort. Of course their parents haven't traveled to the Caribbean for a family vacation.

What is the coolest thing you have seen underwater? A grouper eating a juvenile snapper, an octopus hanging out in a conch shell in a mangrove lagoon, a reef with over 80% living coral cover, four different reef sharks swimming on a deep pinnacle off Saba island, and Acropora cervicornis at 130 feet.

Scariest? There have basically been moments that have seemed scary. Although I remember being very afraid my first couple of pool sessions and thinking there was no way I was going to be able to learn to dive. Recently, I had a green moray eel swim at me on a deep reef (130 ft), and for a moment I thought I was going to have to saw a leg off with my knife to save myself.

Funniest? I cannot think of a down right, laugh out loud funny episode although I am positive there have been several. Some of which are totally inappropriate for this survey. I probably would have laughed at my self during the moray ordeal (above). I actually thought a PVC T-bar was going to protect me.

What is your role in the mission? I will be part of the surface team. I will be retrieving and collecting what ever the aquanauts need.

What types of special training enable you to participate in this mission? I am Nitrox certified, I have a lot of patience, and I am used to long bumpy boat rides. I have been in a support role for two years, so I have gotten good at anticipating what may be needed.

What are you most looking forward to about this mission? Doing something different. I will be diversifying my experience with this mission. I am looking foreword to seeing coral spawn. I have never been to the keys before, so I am excited about the new environment. Most of the professionals going along will be new to me, so it will be good to get fresh ideas.

What do you like to do that's not work-related, like hobbies (coin collecting, sky diving, gourmet chef, boating, raising a family, tennis - that sort of thing)? I am convinced that if the marine biology degree doesn't work out I will become a professional modern dancer. I try to dance regularly which is an amazing feat on St. Thomas. I like hiking, snorkeling, swimming, reading, exploring and boating. I have traveled around the Caribbean, up to Alaska, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Europe. I am trying with my fiancé to raise an island mutt and instill some sort of obedience in her.

What advice would you offer to a middle/high school student or undergraduate who wants to be a marine biologist? Being a marine biologist is only a great occupation if you make it so. It can become a "job" if you let it. If something seems impossible to attempt or comprehend, it is being looked at from the wrong direction. Change is good and so it being wrong. The fish/coral/algae are not going to do specifically what you want, but if you watch them close and long enough you will see something more awesome than we could ever come up with. The path well traveled is not always the best path for every individual. Find something you really like or makes you curious and study that. Don't study what someone else tells you is best to study. Remember Darwin's theories were (and in some cases) still are totally disbelieved. Don't worry if you don't get into the "right" school or the "best" program. Sometimes the best experience and greatest knowledge is learned from being in a place different than where you wanted to end up. You can gain perspective that way.