- Kaya Lindquist
I am seventeen years old and a senior at West Carteret High School in Morehead City, NC. During my two week stay at the NURC lab in Key Largo I will be assisting with several sponge research projects and experiments. I will also be involved in the live outreach portion of the Aquarius mission on the 25th and 26th, which I am looking forward to very much. This will be a fantastic experience for me because I'll be working with Philippe Cousteau on the educational outreach portion of this mission and have never worked in or around Aquarius before.
I grew up around the science of marine biology (my father is Aquanaut Dr. Niels Lindquist), so I got an early start learning about the dynamics of the sea. I was certified to SCUBA dive at age 12 through a local dive shop and after that, I was able to experience all the neat things my dad always talked about. When I was fifteen, I was certified to dive through the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, which allowed me to take my first trip down to the Florida Keys with the UNC team. That was in June 2004, and I liked it so much that now I am back for the second time.
Since I live at the beach, my life reflects the culture of such a place. I work as a lifeguard at a local pool, I dive on the famous Outer Banks wrecks, I hang out at the beach with friends, and I am currently trying, with much difficulty, to learn how to surf. I look forward to adding experiences such as this Aquarius mission and the outreach program to my repertoire of undersea experiences.
