Author Archives: dylancook1

The type of news that generally resonates with me the most is environmental news. One story that has caught my eye in these past two weeks was the recent mass coral bleaching event in Florida that has resulted from record-breaking high-water temperatures. This hit me specifically hard because I grew up in the Upper FloridaContinue reading “Mass Coral Bleaching Florida Keys”

First off, I’d like to acknowledge the people that helped me get to where I am today. Without my family’s financial support, I wouldn’t have been able to afford this trip, and even when the price of the trip nearly doubled and my car was totaled a month before the trip, they stuck with meContinue reading “Farewell to the MCP”

Between dives, I spend the majority of my time on base at MCP. The central location on the base is called the Hex, it is a hexagonal-shaped building where volunteers and staff come to eat, do work, record survey data, and chill out. The Hex is also equipped with private lockers and charging plugs usefulContinue reading “Sphere Map”

In my experience in the Philippines, my cultural “environment” has been split into two. The first is the local community I interact with on a weekly basis when participating in volunteer projects and when we go diving in the locally governed marine protected areas. The second cultural environment consists of the staff and volunteers thatContinue reading “Describing my Cultural Community”

In this community, solidarity looks like different organizations coming together to solve a problem that will benefit all. In my case, the issue is food security. The current fishing practices are not sustainable with current environmental pressures. The local government, NGOs like Marine Conservation Philippines, and local fishermen have recognized this problem and are unifiedContinue reading “Food Security”

Generally, my day-to-day routine stays the same Monday through Saturday except for slight changes to dive sites throughout the week based on what skills need practicing or local community service events that come up: Breakfast – 7 AM Dive Prep – 8 AM Dives – 9 to 2 PM Lunch – 2:30 PM Presentations andContinue reading “Base Routine”

The Philippines is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that is located within the Coral Triangle. Of these countries, the Philippines host a relatively large number of marine protected areas. Marine protected areas mainly prohibit fishing and the use of natural resources as an effort to conserve biodiversity and promote a sustainable managementContinue reading “Observations of an MPA”

The transition from Florida to the Phillippines has been easier than I imagined. Linguistically, there are many different dialects that are present, however, the main two languages spoken where I am stationed are English and Visayan. Culturally, there are many differences between here and home, however, I am keeping myself open to new experiences andContinue reading “Greetings from Zamboanguita!”

Hey everyone! My name is Dylan Cook. I’m a sophomore from Weston, Florida studying Environmental Science at FSU. My hobbies include scuba diving, camping, hiking, photography, music, and puzzles. For my summer experience, I am planning on volunteering for the non-profit organization Marine Conservation Phillippines! I will be working with the local community to restoreContinue reading “Hey! I am Dylan!”