Aaron Meister

Hey class my name is Aaron Meister.  I have one more semester left before I graduate and when I heard about this course I thought it would be a great way to spend my summer while satisfying some upper level elective credits.  I just got finished with a semester by the sea program offered by FAU in Fort Pierce.  My Marine Biodiversity professor at Harbor Branch informed our class that there was still space left in this course and I jumped at the opportunity to spend five weeks traveling around the state and learning about Florida's marine environments.  I have experienced a trip, two semesters ago, to the Keys Marine Lab in Long Key and it was an incredible experience so I am looking forward to spending time there again.  I have also participated in an Ocean Discovery course that traveled around Tampa Bay sampling the marine biodiversity of organisms in the Bay as well as offshore.  For this course we used the research vessel R/V Bellows right here on the USFSP campus.  I hope to gain valuable knowledge about the state of Florida's marine environments throughout the duration of this course.  I also hope to learn about opportunities for working and traveling in a marine biology related profession after graduation.  I have always had a passion for all aspects of the marine environment.  I love to surf, dive, fish, paddleboard, kayak, snorkel and pretty much anything related to the ocean.  I want to protect our coastal environments from destruction and educate others to do the same.  I am looking forward to a great semester!