CORAL CURRENTS PODCAST

I’d started to feel boxed in by my own research, stuck in this cycle of chasing my own questions without a clear way out. I realized I needed a spark—something to reignite my curiosity—and that wasn’t going to come from me alone. I wanted to tap into other people’s questions, their passions, to re-inspire myself. And what better way to do that than by connecting with truly inspiring individuals? Ideally, I’d love to meet them face-to-face, sit down over coffee or by the water’s edge, and just talk—really dig into what’s happening in their world. But even a conversation, however it happens, feels like a chance to dive deeper, to move beyond skimming the surface online and actually immerse myself in the material. People out there are already carving paths through this incredible field—I just needed to broaden how I heard about them. It’s like studying for a test: one method alone won’t cut it. I knew I’d never grow or find my footing without taking a leap and starting something new.

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That ‘something’ nearly turned into a full-blown research experiment, but I hit a wall—I had no funding. I was just three months into my first science job after my bachelor’s, and while I had people willing to guide me toward grant writing, that felt like scaling a mountain I wasn’t ready for. I wasn’t fully plugged into the coral restoration research community yet. Don’t get me wrong—I can identify corals, work with them in labs, and I’ve spent enough time with them to feel a real connection. But the people out there in the ocean, surrounded by colleagues who live and breathe this work, studying reefs up close—they felt so far out of reach. Their world, with its vibrant culture and cutting-edge discoveries, seemed like this elevated space I couldn’t touch. How could I bridge that gap?

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The answer was simple: go talk to them. Build the connections. So, I started this podcast. It’s funny—originally, I dreamed of it being a full symposium, with live debates and big discussions, a real celebration of ideas. But I had to reel myself in and start smaller. A podcast felt right—it’s a way to reach out, to learn, and to share. I genuinely want to meet the people shaping this field, to keep up with the diverse research happening out there, and to soak in the culture surrounding reefs. More than that, I want to open doors—not just for myself, but for others too—creating opportunities to collaborate, to spark new ideas, and to build real relationships with experts who inspire me. This is my way of diving in, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.