Education Bullet
Education and Outreach


RAMP 2012 Expediton Scientist Profile –
Carly Richer, Undergraduate Student at University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa

Carly Richer
Carly Richer. Credit: C. Wiener and M. Onuma

Role on the expedition:
Fish Survey Team Diver

How I became interested in marine science:
I grew up in San Diego and was always at the beach. When I was really little I always said that I wanted to live in a bubble underneath the water in the Great Barrier reef.

What methods I use for my research:
We drop down as a two person team and set out a transect (a 30 meter line underwater). We each envision an imaginary cylinder, 15 meters in diameter and for the first five minutes we write down a list of every fish we see that swims into that cylinder. After that, we go through this list of fish and we count how many there are and their sizes. This gives a pretty good description of what's at that reef.

Favorite food or meal on the ship:
Everything has been so good. There's steak! Steak on a boat and you don't have to grill it!

Why I love science:
I love figuring things out. I do not like being told that something is the way it is - I like to test it myself.

Advice for future marine scientists:
Work hard. You do not have to be the smartest person in your class to get to do cool things. Just go out and try for things. Work hard at what you are doing and do not worry about being the smartest person. Get out there, this is what you are going to school for, now use it.

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