REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.

This month we highlight Anne Benolkin. Anne was a REEF Marine Conservation Intern in the spring of 2013. She grew up in Alaska, and after going to college and interning in Florida, she returned to her frosty home state. Following her time as a REEF intern, Anne went on to become a Pro SCUBA Instructor and was awarded the prestigious Zale Perry scholarship, an award named after one of diving’s most celebrated women and the memorable lady-star of “Sea Hunt” (read more about Anne's award here). She is currently working on her Masters degree at Alaska Pacific University, studying the behavior of Day Octopus. Here’s what Anne had to say about her time at REEF and beyond:

What did you enjoy most about your experience as a REEF intern?

When I was a REEF intern my favorite thing was all of the connections I got to make with people all over the world. It was so inspiring to see this community of people brought together by a desire to make the world a better place. I loved leading seminars and teaching enthusiastic people all about reef fish and conservation. I especially loved watching people come together for a cause, like the work REEF does with the lionfish invasion. We took something negative and looked for positive solutions that bring people together.

What inspires you to do REEF surveys?

Diving is such a unique sport. There are a huge variety of people who come from all different backgrounds and they all got into diving for different reasons. Learning about fish and doing REEF surveys adds a whole other element to diving, making every dive uniquely exciting with new things to discover. I feel like I’m making a contribution when I do a REEF survey.

What are you doing these days, post-REEF internship?

My internship at REEF opened a lot of doors for me. I’ve since gone on to become a SCUBA instructor and enroll in a masters degree program. I moved back to Alaska and I was so thrilled when they expanded the REEF sites to include Alaska. I think sometimes people forget about the beauty and diversity that exists in cold water diving.