4FRONT
EQUITY , DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
NEXT GEN
Scripps Institution of Oceanography program promotes diversity and inclusion in scientific diving .
BY KARISSA DURAN
O n a cold Wednesday morning in January , scuba trainees make their way down the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier in wetsuits , eager to take another step toward their certification as scientific divers . As the second cohort of the SCUBA DIVERsity Fellowship program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego , these divers are part of a concerted effort to diversify the field of scientific diving .
The SCUBA DIVERsity Fellowship program , launched in 2022 , increases access to scuba training for students who want to contribute to research and explore the ocean but face barriers to joining the dive community , including cultural , physical , emotional or financial ones .
“ As a leader in scientific diving , Scripps has an opportunity to help build a more inclusive future — not only for scientific divers but for the diving community as a whole ,” says Keiara Auzenne , director of diversity initiatives at Scripps Oceanography .
Since 1954 , Scripps Oceanography has set the standard for diver training at the University of California . The Scientific Diving Program has produced hundreds of scientific divers , including some of the world ’ s most prolific environmental researchers and advocates who are trained in the use of underwater techniques and technology to safely conduct underwater research . Today , the program oversees between 150 and 200 active scientific divers on the UC San Diego campus while certifying approximately 32 new scientific divers each year .
Yet scuba diving as a whole maintains a noticeable absence of diversity due to factors such as socioeconomic barriers , limited access to training opportunities and a general lack of representation that deters participation by people from nonwhite backgrounds . Additionally , the path to scientific diver status — defined by the American Academy of Underwater Sciences — is long ( a minimum of 100 hours of training ) and expensive . Some students arrive on campus with diving gear , experience and even some diving certifications that they ’ ve obtained through school extracurriculars or family life . But this is not the case for all students .
The SCUBA DIVERsity Fellowship program hopes to change that .
In 2018 , the program was initiated by two women of color , then-Scripps doctoral candidates Erica Ferrer , MS ’ 19 , PhD ’ 23 and Alyssa Griffin , PhD ’ 20 . Ferrer , now a Chancellor ’ s postdoctoral fellow at UC Santa Cruz , and Griffin , now an assistant professor at UC Davis , drafted the proposal for the SCUBA DIVERsity Fellowship program at Scripps Oceanography to make the diving community a more diverse and inclusive space .
“ I achieved scientific diver certification , but I took on a lot of debt to do that ,” Ferrer says , explaining that her motivation for developing the fellowship was to create a path for others that avoided debt , isolation and other hardships she and Griffin faced on their path to academic success in marine studies .
The ability to become a certified scientific diver can be game changing . Certification has a profound impact on research experience and career opportunities available to scientists interested in the underwater environment .
As part of their fellowship , students in the SCUBA DIVERsity program are provided financial assistance to achieve
scientific diver certification as well as support from faculty and peer mentors who are active scientific divers . Swimming and water safety classes are offered through UC San Diego Recreation for students who lack water experience . Mentors are available to help fellows sign up for the correct swim classes , offer advice on how to become a better diver and provide mental , emotional and professional support as fellows move through their certification process .
“ The program is also about creating connection and community ,” says Auzenne . “ We ’ re looking to build a tiered mentoring program and to have more meetups and opportunities for the
10 SPRING 2024