Skip to Navigation Skip to UConn Search Skip to Content
UConn University of Connecticut school of University of Connecticut
Search University of Connecticut Search UConn
Site A-Z

UConn A-Z

School of Business

  • About
    • About the School

      • About the School
      • Fast Facts
      • Rankings
      • Accreditation
      • View From The Dean’s Chair
      • Dean’s Advisory Cabinet
    • Campuses

      • Storrs Campus
      • Hartford Campus
      • Hartford Campus – Graduate
      • Waterbury Campus
      • Stamford Campus
    • News & Events

      • Pressroom
      • Events
      • Featured Stories
      • Research
    • Contact

      • Office of the Dean
      • General Directory
      • Faculty Directory
      • Staff Directory
  • Programs
    • Undergraduate Degree

      • Advising
      • Majors
      • Minors
      • Scholarships
    • Graduate Programs

      • All Graduate Business Programs
      • Ph.D. in Business
      • Graduate Certificates
    • MBA Programs

      • Full-time MBA
      • Part-time MBA
      • Executive MBA (EMBA)
      • Non-degree
    • Specialized Masters

      • MS in Accounting
      • MS in Business Analytics & Project Management
      • MS in Financial Risk Management
      • MS in Human Resource Management
    • Professional Development

      • Overview
      • Executive Education
      • Connecticut Information Technology Institute
      • Workforce Capacity Development
  • Faculty & Research
    • Overview

      • Faculty
      • Research
      • Research Stories
      • Job Openings
    • Academic Areas

      • Academic Departments
      • Accounting
      • Finance
        • Health Care
        • Real Estate
      • Management
      • Marketing
        • Business Law
      • Operations & Information Management
    • Faculty & Ph.D.s

      • Faculty Directory
      • Ph.D. Students Directory
      • Accounting Directory
      • Business Law Directory
      • Finance Directory
      • Healthcare Directory
      • Management Directory
      • Marketing Directory
      • Real Estate Directory
      • Operations and Information Management Directory
    • Research Centers

      • Center for the Advancement of Business Analytics
      • Center for Real Estate & Urban Economic Studies
      • Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis
      • Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
      • Connecticut Information Technology Institute
      • GE Global Learning Center
  • Engagement & Outreach
    • Recruit

      • Undergraduates
      • Graduates
      • Alumni
    • Education & Development

      • Executive Education
      • Graduate Certificates
      • Graduate Programs
      • Professional Development
    • Resources

      • Career Development Office
      • Center for the Advancement of Business Analytics
      • Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis
      • Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      • Connecticut Information Technology Institute
      • Connecticut Small Business Development Center
      • Diversity Initiatives
      • Family Business Program
      • Global Business Programs
      • Research Centers
    • Experiential Learning

      • Center for the Advancement of Business Analytics
      • Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities
      • International Trips
      • Student Managed Fund
    • Contact

      • Office of Engagement & Outreach
  • Search
      • A-Z Index
      • Faculty Directory
      • General Directory
    • Search this Site

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef

Posted on February 21, 2019March 29, 2019 by Victoria Myers
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef
Victoria sends underwater greetings from the Great Barrier Reef!

After returning home from adventuring in New Zealand, I quickly did a load of laundry and was back on a plane the following day, headed towards Brisbane, Australia. Next on my itinerary was touring the state of Queensland with a small group of 12 other UNSW exchange students. Along this nine-day tour we traveled from the bottom to the top of Queensland, visiting many breathtaking locations. These destinations included sand boarding down the multi-colored sands of Rainbow Beach, swimming in Lake McKenzie on Frazer Island, standing on the pure silica sand on Whitehaven Beach, and holding a koala on Magnetic Island. However, the most memorable location was saved for the last day of the trip. On the last day of the trip we sailed 2 hours on a large catamaran boat to the infamous Great Barrier Reef. At the reef I was fortunate to have the opportunity to scuba dive at two different reef locations. Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef was a bucket item I only dreamed of completing. Even though I had not completed my scuba certification, the scuba company lead me on a fully guided scuba dive to view the rainbow marine life and spectacular coral. Scuba diving was intimidating at first, relying solely on an oxygen tank to pump air into your lungs, however once the nerves settled and I established a breathing pattern, I was hardly focused on being 30 feet under the surface of the water and instead focused on the immense beauty surrounding me.

The Bluespotted Stingray
The Bluespotted Stingray

While diving I saw a whole range of aquatic animals. My favorite being the Bluespotted Stingray. The stingray had vibrant blue polka dots all over its body, making the stingray both stunning to look at, but also reminding us that the vibrant blue signals to stay away from the stingray or risk getting stung with a barbed venomous tail. A mixture of fear and amazement ran through me as we watched the stingray swim past us.

Other beautiful marine life I encountered while swimming in the reef was the Blackspotted Puffer, the Parrot fish, and Clown Anemonefish (Nemo!). The vibrancy in the fish was utterly shocking and it was hard to take in the full beauty of the reef and all its inhabitants. However, while scuba diving and snorkeling it was hard not to wonder why the coral reef seem muted in color compared to the vibrant colors seen in images taken of the Great Barrier Reef. Thoughts ran through my head including “is the reef dying?” or “is the coral bleached?” However, in a presentation from a marine biologist on the catamaran, she reminded the viewers that the water absorbs light and therefore makes it harder for colors with low energy wavelengths to be viewed in deeper depths. Another interesting point she voiced was a coral’s natural tendency to bleach. It is very common during the life span of a coral reef to bleach. Bleaching is when the reef enters a state of hibernation due to a spike in water temperature and the reef can maintain being bleached for a short period of time until the temperature of the water stabilizes back to a temperature it can live in again. She noted that the media often dramatizes coral bleaching as “the Great Barrier Reef dying”. Small amounts of bleaching is normal, however concern does arise if the water temperature rises and fails to return back to the stabilized temperature needed for coral reefs to live.

Overall the Great Barrier Reef truly embodies its title as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Being over double the length of California and home to over 1,500 species of fish, the Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonder and I am very fortunate to have visited such a remarkable site.

 
vmyers-footer

Victoria Myers
Student, UConn School of Business
Hello UConn! My name is Victoria Myers and I am a junior accounting major with a minor in economics. In my free time, I play on UConn’s club field hockey team, volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I am also a member of the UConn Consulting Group. A fun fact about myself is that I was born on Halloween; however, ironically, I am terrified of horror movies and the scary aspects of Halloween. View Posts

Categories:
Education Abroad Blog, Global Engagement, News, Perspectives Blog, Undergraduate Student Life Blog
Share on:
facebookFacebook TwitterTwitter LinkedInLinkedIn emailEmail

You might be interested in:

Cropped shot of a young female college student studying.
UConn To Debut New Online MBA Program
a woman sits in her lounge and browses on her digital tablet whilst sorting her paperwork with her dog
Investors Keen on Alumnus’ Pet-Insurance Brokerage Business
back view of buyers raising hands to auctioneer during auction
OPIM Professor Bob Day’s Work Recognized by Nobel-Prize Winner

← Previous
Next →

View News by Category

Recent News

  • UConn To Debut New Online MBA Program
  • Investors Keen on Alumnus’ Pet-Insurance Brokerage Business
  • OPIM Professor Bob Day’s Work Recognized by Nobel-Prize Winner
  • First-Year UConn Student is on a Mission to Save the Bees
  • Alumna: Happiness Isn’t as Elusive as it May Seem

All News »

Upcoming Events

  1. 3/1 Business Career Week-Foundations-An Insider Perspective

    Business Career Week-Foundations-An Insider Perspective

    Monday, March 1st, 2021

    12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

    Other
    WEBEX

    Business Career Week-Foundations-An Insider Perspective
    Join us virtually to hear about all the career resources available to you directly from a Business Career office intern.
    Webex
    Meeting link:
    https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/j.php?MTID=m1dd87e606ef8f402b3a7339edd6b1370
    Meeting number:
    120 774 3248
    Password:
    ixMEEdgs253

    Contact Information: tricia.cannizzaro@uconn.edu

    More
  2. 3/1 Business Career Week-Foundations-Is A Resume Necessary?

    Business Career Week-Foundations-Is A Resume Necessary?

    Monday, March 1st, 2021

    01:00 PM - 01:30 PM

    Other
    WEBEX

    Business Career Week-Foundations-Is A Resume Necessary?
    Is a Resume really necessary if I don't even know what I want to do for my career?

    Webex
    Meeting link:
    https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/j.php?MTID=m75fd79e92c4d8d28bc114ee43aafcdf9
    Meeting number:
    120 520 2674
    Password:
    Y6RidJ4PTt7

    Contact Information: tricia.cannizzaro@uconn.edu

    More
  3. 3/1 Business Career Week-Foundations-Business Career Speak

    Business Career Week-Foundations-Business Career Speak

    Monday, March 1st, 2021

    02:00 PM - 02:30 PM

    Other
    WEBEX

    Business Career Week-Foundations-Business Career Speak
    Learn how to engage & connect with employers and connections throughout the recruiting process.

    Webex
    Meeting link:
    https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/j.php?MTID=m1418efecd2c5737ac7064cc2961d95a7
    Meeting number:
    120 504 4466
    Password:
    ZrVMtAZK383

    Contact Information: tricia.cannizzaro@uconn.edu

    More
  4. 3/1 Business Career Week-Foundations-The Handshake Myth

    Business Career Week-Foundations-The Handshake Myth

    Monday, March 1st, 2021

    03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Other
    WEBEX

    Business Career Week-Foundations-The Handshake Myth
    How employers use job platforms to find you with The Hartford.

    Webex
    Meeting link:
    https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/j.php?MTID=m4e14e97ae68d3eec25b5329c9e053db7
    Meeting number:
    120 944 4866
    Password:
    jvXDGHsc825

    Contact Information: tricia.cannizzaro@uconn.edu

    More
  5. 3/1 Virtual Infosession - Part-Time MBA Program

    Virtual Infosession - Part-Time MBA Program

    Monday, March 1st, 2021

    06:00 PM - 07:00 PM

    Other
    Online

    As you consider the Part-Time MBA at UConn, it is extremely important that you make an informed choice, and attending a virtual infosession is a valuable way to gather the missing pieces. The Part-Time MBA Virtual Infosessions are an ideal opportunity to learn first-hand about our highly regarded program and hear from admissions representatives.

    Register here: https://connect.grad.uconn.edu/register/?id=95e315d2-a738-4ac3-8b72-8d0395e3ba36

    Contact Information: Jamie Kirschner, jamie.kirschner@uconn.edu

    More
All Events »
engagement pixel ftmba_rt pixel ptmba_rt emba_rt mshrm_rt msbapm_rt msa_rt

Related Content

  • Recruiters
  • Alumni
  • Make a Gift
  • Pressroom
  • Faculty/Staff Resources
  • Student Resources
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • © University of Connecticut
  • Disclaimers, Privacy & Copyright
  • Accessibility
  • Webmaster Login
  • Student Consumer Information
  • A-Z Index
  • General Directory