Dream Science Trips | Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge

My incredible adventure began here at the Marriott Key Largo Bay Beach Resort. It was beautiful, with amazing sunsets.
Bright and early the next morning I met my scuba instructor, Lori. After spending some classroom time learning diving basics, we hit the pool so I could take the stamina and float test. I had to swim 16 laps and float for 10 minutes.
Lori taught me essential skills like assembling and disassembling gear, practicing safety checks, communicating with your diving partner underwater, and making controlled ascents and descents.
Because I needed to squeeze scuba lessons into three days, I had to study chapters in my scuba book until midnight. Here I am taking my final written exam. Luckily, I passed with flying colors!
Time to leave the pool behind and attempt my first saltwater dive. We went to a nearby lagoon and went about 25 feet below the surface.
On my next ocean dive, we went to Molasses Reef. I practiced buoyancy skills, using a compass and depth gauge, and towing another diver.
The visibility at Molasses Reef was absolutely amazing! I had a hard time at first equalizing the pressure in my ears, but once I was down, I was fine. This picture was taken on our disposable underwater camera!
We saw filefish, parrot fish, grouper, snook, and clown fish, plus all kinds of coral and sponges. The colors appear less brilliant because there is less light the deeper you dive.
When it's time to go back up to the boat, the water gets brighter and brighter as you rise. We stopped at 15 feet for a three-minute safety stop. This break gives our bodies time to release the nitrogen absorbed at deeper depths.
The big day has finally arrived. I'm on my way to Aquarius, located 4 miles offshore in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, to get an up-close look at the world’s only underwater lab where scientists eat, sleep, and live. We moored near the life-support buoy (LSB) shown in this picture. The LSB holds the wireless telemetry from shore to Aquarius, two generators, and an air compressor.
I looked over the side of our boat and clearly saw Aquarius lying 60 feet below us. I couldn't wait to gear up and get down there.
The waves crashing above me were easily forgotten as Aquarius came into view. I was struck by the huge amount of coral covering the structure and the thousands of fish that surrounded it.
We swam to the entrance of Aquarius, which is photographed with a web cam. Every minute web cams send images of what's happening inside and outside of the lab to the Aquarius Web site.
I waved to my mom, who was watching me onshore from mission control nine miles away, and to my dad who watched the whole thing from Cleveland, Ohio!
Sixty feet under water I even talked to my mom by phone and told her all about what it was like inside Aquarius.
We met the scientists living aboard Aquarius and toured their living quarters.
Sitting at their kitchen table (where they dine on freeze-dried food!) we could look out the porthole and observe sea life. I could have sat there all day watching the world go by.
The scientists explained their current project to me—how sponges' pumping affects the nutrient level of the reef. It was fascinating.
In a time that seemed all too short, we had to swim back up to the surface. I took in the breathless views once again and knew this was a trip I would never forget.