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Photo Credit: Erin Ranney This month is Hispanic Heritage month, and it provides an interesting moment to reflect on what it means to me to be a sea-going Latina in ocean exploration. When I started working at sea seven years ago, I was the only female, let alone the only Latina, on an entire ROV engineering team. This sensation was not necessarily new to me, as this was a similar reality that I experienced throughout university up through my doctorate. However, this familiar sensation did not imply that there were no moments in which I felt isolated (which is only compounded when you factor in that I was in the middle of the ocean). Luckily, I have been fortunate during my time at sea to be a part of ROV and engineering teams that have been very accepting, supportive, and open to change. Being a part of a supportive team makes a world of difference in shaping one’s sea-going experience. It is not uncommon to hear stories of “old boys clubs,” as ocean engineering groups that are dominated by white male figures are sometimes referred to. But now, it feels like we are at a precipice. A new wave of ocean engineers and explorers has brought with it fresh new perspectives, backgrounds, and identities. I now have the distinct privilege of working with many incredible engineers, navigators, visionaries, and explorers of diverse backgrounds and identities, rejuvenating my spirits by seeing a more balanced representation in ocean exploration. I feel encouraged to see how far we have come in the sea-going community in the past few years. There is much work left to do, and we must push for more balanced representation; however, the strides forward feel significant. It is my hope that by broadening participation coupled with increasing advocacy, more Latinas will see themselves reflected in the field of ocean exploration and join the new wave of sea-going engineers, scientists, seafarers, and explorers. Photo Credit: Ed McNichol Dr. Jessica Sandoval is the Systems R&D Lead Engineer for Ocean Discovery League and an accomplished ocean explorer, engineer, and scientist. She specializes in the fields of bioinspired robotics and deep-sea exploration technologies and is a contracted pilot of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). In 2022, she was named by the Explorers Club as one of "50 Explorers to Know."

In celebration of Women's Futures Month, the Smithsonian Institution hosted #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit, the largest number of women statues ever assembled in one location, at one time. This exhibit is part of the AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador initiative because "a 2016 study led by former US Treasurer Rosie Rios found that the ten largest US cities publicly displayed fewer than six statues of real women." I was honored to be included as one of the 122 3-D printed statues of contemporary female STEM professionals and role models from various industries, including exploration, entertainment, sports, business, and academia. In March, my family road-tripped to Washington, DC, to see my statue at the National Museum of Natural History. I expected it to be a cool experience, but it isn't easy to articulate how powerful it was to see so many women honored in a place that generally has few (if any) statues of women. My first trip to DC was with my Dad when I was 11 years old. If someone had told me 30 years ago when I went to the Smithsonian for the first time that a statue of *me* would be standing in those hallowed halls, I probably wouldn't have believed it. Many of the other statues are holding symbols of their work–microscope, globe, shovel, and brain to name a few. I couldn’t bring a ship or big ROV with me so I went small–on one wrist is a felt bracelet that my then-4yr old daughter made for me and my MIT Brass Rat…and on the other is my Vostok Amphibia, the same watch that Steve Zissou wears in The Life Aquatic, which was a gift from my husband (with advice from my brother). The most incredible part of the trip, however, was the impact of the exhibition on others, particularly my daughter, who hugged big orange me as soon as we arrived. She could have spent a week finding and learning about women in STEM, many of whom I have the pleasure of knowing and working with throughout my career (Allison Fundis, Jess Cramp, and many more!). We met a lovely family from Austin with three young children who were in awe that they met one of the orange statues in real life!! I also overheard many, many people reading about the statues throughout the city and commenting on how amazing the exhibit was. I can’t wait for my baby son to not even know what a huge deal this exhibit is–because, hopefully, he will just think that gender representation like this is normal.

Featuring stories of ocean exploration and innovation from around the globe. For the past two years, Ocean Discovery League has been partnering with individuals around the world focused on one key goal: the acceleration of ocean exploration. Want to Share Your Ocean Story? The Ocean Discovery Blog will feature stories from around the world, including first-hand perspectives from our teams in the field. We're interested in guest bloggers with an ocean story to tell! If you would like to contribute, please reach out to ahoy@oceandiscoveryleague.org.

We have explored less than 0.002% of the deep ocean Projects Access to data collection is one of the primary barriers to deep-sea exploration. We are creating low-cost, easy-to-use deep-sea systems that gather the most critical data to inform environmental decision-making. ​ ​ Learn More Low-Cost Ocean Sensors & Systems The 2022 Global Deep-Sea Capacity Assessment, conducted by the Ocean Discovery League, is a baseline assessment of the technical and human capacity for deep-sea exploration and research in every coastal area with deep ocean worldwide. Learn More Global Deep-Sea Capacity Assessment Enormous amounts of ocean video have been collected in the last few decades, but little has been viewed or analyzed. We are developing AI-driven tools to dramatically accelerate analysis of existing and newly acquired ocean video and imagery. Learn More Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Ocean Video All Projects Our Misson Our mission is to accelerate deep ocean exploration by developing accessible systems to broaden the community of those who explore and understand the deep sea. News and Updates Mongabay: Q&A wit h Katy Croff Bell The current expense of studying the deep seas stymies many research initiatives, so scientists have developed a low-cost imaging and sensor device to make access to the deep sea more equal. Katy explains the how the idea was developed and what the future of Maka Niu looks like. Read the Full Paper 2022 Global Deep-Sea Capacity Assessment Finds Global Inequity The 2022 Global Deep-Sea Capacity Assessment includes online survey and manual research data for 186 geographical areas divided into six global regions: Europe, Asia, Northern America, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America & the Caribbean. Read the Full Report ODL Co-Hosts Cook Islands Workshop Funded by US Embassy in New Zealand In partnership with Sharks Pacific, ODL is currently co-hosting a workshop for Cook Islanders ages 16-24 in ocean exploration, technology, and research using our Maka Niu camera and other technology. Read the Full Article Hakai Magazine : A New Eye on the Deep Sea Hakai Magazine profiles Ocean Discovery League's work on Maka Niu and other low-cost, deep ocean sensors to broaden access to deep-sea exploration by removing the barrier of affordability. Read the Full Article ODL Part of $5 Million NSF Grant to Develop Ocean Vision AI ODL is part of a multi-disciplinary team recently awarded a $5M NSF Convergence Accelerator Grant to develop Ocean Vision AI (OVAI). OVAI uses the power of artificial intelligence to process ocean imagery. Read the Full Article Nature Article Released on AI Image Database, FathomNet The new paper in Nature Scientific Reports, "FathomNet: A global image database for enabling artificial intelligence in the ocean," documents our work on FathomNet, the open image database for training machine learning algorithms to help analyze ocean images and video. Read the Full Article Maka Niu Technical Paper Published In this paper, we detail and provide open source access to the mechanical, electrical, and digital control design for the Maka Niu system, including the internal 3D-printed dry chassis; the battery management and sealed inductive charging system; and the Raspberry Pi camera and control subsystems. Read the Full Paper More News and Updates Opportunities Ocean Discovery League highlights opportunities throughout the ocean exploration community. If you have an opportunity or event you'd like us to feature, please submit it here ! Learn More Apply for Ocean Solutions Funding We are partnering with Experiment Foundation on the Ocean Solutions grant fund. Apply now to fundraise for your own innovative ocean grants, and get the seed money you need to get started! Deadline: Ongoing Learn More Ocean Discovery League is Hiring! Ocean Discovery League is currently hiring a Fellowship Strategist and Manager consultant to assist in the design of our pilot Ocean Discovery Fellowship program. More Opportunities

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