Diver Mae’s prestige prize – a year at sea
ASCUBA diver has won a scholarship to spend a year diving in oceans around the world in a bid to help rid them of plastic waste.
Mae Dorricott, a British SubAqua Club (BSAC) Dive Leader and a member of Southport Sub-Aqua Club, is looking forward to her adventure after winning a major international scholarship.
Her year of scientific exploration is a dream come true for the 22-year-old marine biologist
Mae, from Southport, will be jetting off to Manhattan for a glitzy award evening next month at the New York Yacht Club, where she will be formally presented with the Rolex sponsored Our World Underwater Scholarship Society award.
There are three Rolex scholarship awards awarded annually – one in the USA, one in Australasia and one in Europe, which Mae won. The aim is to give young people looking for a career in an u n d e r wat e r - related discipline a chance to work hands-on with leading scientists and researchers.
Mae, who began diving with Southport Sub-Aqua Club aged 14 and is currently an BSAC Assistant Instructor as well as Dive Leader, says winning the Rolex scholarship hasn’t really sunk in yet.
The young scientist, who gained a first class degree in marine biology from the University of Plymouth, will now put her Scientific Communication Masters degree at the University of West England, Bristol on hold for a year to complete the scholarship.
She said: “It’s an amazing opportunity. It means I spend a year working with scientific leaders in their field. “I can choose to work on field studies, research, join scientific expeditions or any other assignment. I will work with a coordinator and choose where I want to go and what I want to study. It’s really up to me where I go, although it will be predominately in Europe, and what I decide to focus on.
“I have a real interest in plastics and how we can remove them from the oceans. It’s not the actual waste items that interests me but the chemicals that leech from plastics that can seriously affect a marine animal’s embryonic development.
“Of course we also need to stop animals getting caught up in or ingesting discarded plastic items such as carrier bags. We need to deal with that too.
“I believe we can make such a difference with better education.”
Mae added: “I just love everything about diving and being underwater. It’s something we, as humans, are not adapted to but it’s just so beautiful and, as a diver, I’m humbled to see.
“The fact is 70% of our planet is covered in water yet few people are privileged to see what’s underneath the surface. It’s just wonderful.
“The OWUSS Rolex scholarship is an opportunity to create my own itinerary and experience something special. I also want to experience new diving techniques such as rebreathers and ice diving.
“I want to dive under Arctic ice, which would be amazing.
“I start in June and I need to sit down with the Our WorldUnderwater Scholarship Society and decide what I am going to do and where I’m going to go and the logistics of it all. Norway and Iceland will most likely be my first choice.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet what an amazing opportunity I have been given. It means I can follow my dream and make a big difference to marine biology and conservation.”
BSAC is the national governing body for scuba diving, made up of 120 dive centres and 900-plus family friendly and sociable clubs run by volunteers up and down the country and abroad. The Duke of Cambridge is its President.
It represents more than 30,000 scuba divers and snorkellers and welcomes new members from complete beginners upwards including those who have trained with other agencies.
BSAC chief executive officer Mary Tetley said: “There is no doubt Mae has a passion for our underwater world and the animals that inhabit it. I’m sure she will enjoy the experience and will gain so much from a year which will involve a great deal of travel and hard work.”
To find out more about Our World Underwater Scholarship Society visit www. owuscholarship.org
To find out more about BSAC visit www.bsac.com