A year to discover the world’s oceans secrets; it couldn’t sound any better

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I still cannot believe that it just happened, that it is for real. I remember the day of the interview, flying from Oslo to Heathrow airport, with my head against the window, staring at the clouds and thinking: “Wake up Èric, it is not possible that you are one of the three finalists for the whole Europe!”. But it was not a dream. The next day, for my birthday, I received the email from Elvin, the Vice President of the OWUSS, confirming I was selected as the 2018 European Rolex Scholar of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. A whole year ahead to discover the world’s oceans secrets while diving around the globe could not have been a better birthday present!

The returning and incoming Rolex scholars posing with our scholar medals and Rolex watches with funny faces!

A little bit about me

My name is Èric and I am originally from Barcelona. The deep blue has always fascinated me since I was a child. I still remember the long hours I spent snorkelling in the small coves at Costa Brava during the summer vacations where I discovered the secrets of the Mediterranean Sea. There, I first experienced the thrilling feeling of approaching a dark overhanging rock full of encrusting life, the gentle stroke of the Posidonia seagrass on my belly and the fascination of watching octopuses hiding beneath stones. At that time, my parents bought me the collection of “The Undersea World” documentaries from Jacques Cousteau and after watching all the episodes I told myself that I wanted to become an oceanographer.

Diving in the Mediterranean Sea is were I first became captivated by the underwater world’s secrets.

After all that inspiration, I decided to study a bachelor in Marine Science at the University of Alicante, in the south of Spain. It was after taking the marine zoology classes that I became fascinated with marine invertebrates. All those small creatures that everyone else seemed to be disgusted with were the ones I find the most exciting and interesting!

During my bachelor degree, I was introduced to scuba diving and I took all the PADI certificates up to Rescue Diver. Breathing underwater and seeing first-hand what the teachers were covering in class helped me  to develop a strong feeling of obligation to protect and care about our coasts and seas.

Currently, I am finishing my master studies in Bodø, a small town in Northern Norway just above the Arctic Circle. I am glad to say that I just recently submitted my master thesis which investigates the soft-bottom benthic communities of the deepest fjord of Northern Norway, Tysfjord. It has been a very intense and exciting journey and the defence is the only part left. So soon I’ll be able to start this next exciting adventure!

 

Conducting the fieldwork for the master thesis in Tysfjord, Northern Norway. (Photo credit: Morten Korgstad)
Presenting a poster about my thesis work studying the benthic communities of Tysfjord, Northern Norway’s deepest fjord.

 

The adventure begun in New York, the city that never sleeps!

Times Square in New York city. Simply overwhelming! (Photo credit: Èric Jordà)

The first stop of my scholarship year was in New York, the city that never sleeps, to be presented as the 2018 European Rolex Scholar. Now that everything has sunken down a little bit, I think I can say that it was the most amazing and overwhelming experience I’ve ever had so far. I had the pleasure to meet the incredible scholarship family which was formed by truly inspiring and lovely people who took care of me in every moment. I also met my two other fellow scholars: Yann, from Mexico ( 2018 North American Rolex Scholar) and Olivia, from Tasmania (2018 Australasian Rolex Scholar). They are both extremely kind and I’m sure we will make the best triangle ever! I am so happy that I will share this experience with them.

Yann, Olivia and me driving a submarine to explore the deep ocean at the Natural History Museum. Something seems wrong with the submarine! (Photo credit: Olivia Johnson)
Olivia, Yann and me pointing at all the squirrels in Central Park. (Photo Credit: Karl Huggins)

 

I found a polar bear in New York city!! It made me feel like home, in Norway! (Photo credit: Karl Huggins)

The Saturday event at the New York Yacht Club was just mind-blowing. I was dumbstruck when I first entered the building. It was simply beautiful! There, the returning scholars Mae, Leah and Melinda showed the movies of their scholarship year which left everyone speechless! They did really awesome things during their years and they really inspired us for the upcoming year! After that, us, the incoming scholars, were presented in front of the audience and we got our incredible Rolex watches that will accompany us during our year. I want to send a huge thank you to Rolex for the huge support and for providing the main funding for our scholarship year.

Yann, Olivia and me with our new Rolex watches! Thank you Rolex. (Photo credit: Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society)
The New York Yatch Club (Photo credit: Our Wolrd-Underwater Scholarship Society)

 

What do I do first? Where do I go?

It is quite tricky to know the answer to the question “what do you do first?”, “where do you go?”. There are so many things, so many possibilities that suddenly open in front of you that it is a bit overwhelming. But, fortunately I have the invaluable guidance of Jim Standing, my coordinator and director of Fourth Element. He’s been helping me planning awesome opportunities to join really exciting projects and activities.

For these upcoming months I have some exciting things already planned. First, I want to become more skilled and competent in diving so I will do the PADI Divemaster course in the UK. I am also planning on doing some rebreather training, something I really want to try out and get trained for all the scientific advantages that diving without bubbles has to offer. And I’m very excited that I got accepted into the European Scientific Diver course in Helgoland (Germany) and Kristineberg (Sweden) that will take place during July and October/November. Becoming a scientific diver is one of my main goals during the scholarship since I would like to apply the skills obtained to future academic research in benthic ecology. Also, I am extremely happy that an opportunity of an expedition down to Antarctica with the Chilean Antarctic Institute to study symbiont microorganisms of sponges is planned for later in the year! Visiting Antarctica and conducting research there is truly a dream come true!

One of my passions is to dive in cold waters, like here in Northern Norway. (Photo credit: Chloé Marechal)

I really want to thank once more Rolex and the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society ® and their volunteers for all their support and for believing in me being the ambassador for Europe to carry out this unique and huge endeavour that is researching, conveying, exploring and protecting everything that the underwater world has to offer. I take it as a big responsibility and I hope to honour our oceans.

Thank you also to all the sponsors that will provide me with the diving and photography equipment during the scholarship year: Fourth Element, Apeks, AquaLung, DAN, Reef Photo & Video, Nauticam and Light and Motion.

The incoming scholars recieving our DAN kits and DAN insurance. Thank you DAN and Patty Seery for your support! (Photo credit: Karl Huggins)

I will continue posting in this blog to keep you updated on my adventures and experiences. So, check it out and I’ll try to convey to you the secrets that the oceans are hiding!

For now, I will be working on preparing my master thesis defence and enjoy my last days in Norway.

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