Scotia MacKay
When I was 9 years old, my father enrolled me in the children's summer program
at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. We went on field trips to collect
specimens, and studied them under powerful microscopes. The love I had of the
beach and water was deepened as I learned more about the contents of the ocean.
In 2005 I learned how to scuba dive. I have that same feeling in the underwater
wilderness that I have above the surface, of experiencing the richness of the
world around me and the joy of being free of superficial concerns. This has been
one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and is tied closely to the
fascination I felt as a nine-year-old, looking through a magnifying lens at the
arm of a starfish.
