¡Hola! My name is Manuel Nieves, and I was born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. My interest in marine sciences started in my first year of college after I attended a talk about in-water censuses and nesting surveys of marine sea turtles. After attending the talk, I started getting involved in marine sciences, which brought me an opportunity to work in the natural reserve of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, for three weeks. During my time in Isla de Mona, we conducted beach and in-water censuses, where I had the opportunity of handling sea turtles and being familiarized with marine ecosystems. Being in sole contact with the ocean and conducting fieldwork along sea turtles strengthened my decision of becoming a marine biologist to help spread knowledge about the importance and beauty of marine ecosystems. After coming back from Isla de Mona, I transferred to the Universidad de Puerto Rico at Humacao (UPRH) where I began my career as a Coastal Marine Biology undergrad.