Danielle is a Ph.D. student studying coral reef ecology at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. 2012 was a busy year for Danielle. She completed her NAUI Instructor Course, graduated with honors from the University of Hawai`i at Hilo with a B.S. in Marine Science, got a job working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection at the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, and while there taught open water diving! Moving forward to 2014, Danielle is attending graduate school at the University, pursuing her Ph.D. She is studying corals and their symbionts, and how these ecological communities are influenced by human impacts. Using her scholarship funds, she participated in three weeks of diving-intensive research in July and August at Kiribati (Christmas atoll) participating in a variety of surveys, including fish counts, coral/benthic composition, urchin counts, and collecting coral samples for genetic analysis. She says, “I continually seek to broaden my research diving experience by diving in a variety of environments throughout the world and working on a variety of underwater projects. I firmly believe that scuba diving is a vital tool in understanding our underwater environment, from the biology to the history that has yet to be discovered. It was an honor to meet all of the WDHOF women that attended the 2012 BTS, where I was inspired by all of the knowledge, experience, and innovation represented by all of your many accomplishments. I hope to remain in contact with the WDHOF members, and continue to learn from you in the future.”