Harriet's story

"I'm going to Indonesia with the University later this year."

After I finished my degree, I wasn’t ready to stop learning so I researched which universities had degrees that I wanted to do. I’m especially interested in coral biology, especially coral diseases so I was looking for somewhere I could explore coral in more depth. I find it so interesting and it's a big environmental issue at the moment. 

I’ve always loved nature. I grew up watching David Attenborough like a lot of people, and that’s what inspired me to learn more about conservation. I also think because we as humans are the ones who have all the power and can make decisions which affect animals, it’s our responsibility to protect them. They have no voice and are completely defenceless, especially coral which are invertebrates. 

We are only on this planet for a second in the perspective of everything. You could chase a career and earn lots of money and have a great life, or you could do something a bit calmer and make a difference. I personally just want to have a nice life and do something I love.

I’ve been to the Mesoamerican reef and I’m going to Indonesia with the University later this year, where we will get to clear dive among the coral reef in the coral triangle. We're going with our lecturer, Dave. He works with operation Wallacea, which is part of a big global NGO that works on conservation projects around the world. It should be really interesting and it’s a good break from my thesis!

I'd also love to visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and tick that off my list. Maybe one day I will!