Hey everyone! My name is Nathan and I am one of the interns here at I.CARE. I am originally from Summerville, SC and recently graduated from Clemson University with my bachelor’s in Biology.
My parents sparked my love for marine science; my dad always pushed me to adventure out into the water and my mom inspired me to explore the mysteries it held.
Growing up on the beaches of South Carolina, I volunteered with the Edisto Sea Turtle Nesting program where I searched for loggerhead tracks, marked nests, and monitored hatchlings. At Clemson, I dove further into marine research and learned a lot about the complexity and importance of reef ecosystems-so I wanted to take part in their restoration! I am specifically interested in studying coral resilience to stressors like disease and warming waters and utilizing their reproduction towards restoration efforts.
This past week, we trained the staff at Conch Republic on coral science and restoration and took them outplanting! On our second dive at Betty’s Reef, I saw the biggest loggerhead I have ever seen (5-6 feet) hangin’ out under a ledge. It seriously looked like a dinosaur.
While I just moved to the Keys in January, there are already so many things that I love about living here. The people that I work with are all super great. Each of them really cares about what they do and they are all a bunch of hooligans. Visiting the parks is always a nice way to escape US Hwy 1-check out Dagne Johnson Botanical Gardens to see the flora the Keys have to offer.
If you are ever in need for coffee (who isn’t), swing by Cafe Moka in Islamorada and you might see me working there!
-Nathan
