User:AyumiKuramae

== Biography == Born and raised in Brazil, up in the mountains in a city yet at least 300km away from the sea, I became fascinated by the sea. Since I was a kid I have always been attracted to water, I just could not resist entering the water or just putting my hand in the water. Now living in The Netherlands for 15 years, a country below sea level and surrounded by the sea and freshwater in many ways, I became highly passionate about marine life and could not stay away from it anymore. My name is Ayumi Kuramae Izioka, a passionate marine biologist ready to explore the world and bring awareness to the public.

I am a graduate BSc student in Coastal and Marine Management in The Netherlands, with expertise in marine biology and ecology. My passion was triggered during my first dive experience at the Great Barrier Reef. That is when I realized the importance of a sustainable cooperation between men and the ocean. It was a turning point for me, and a motivation to become a specialist in this field for the rest of my life. The famous question of "What I wanted to be when I 'grow up' (I am 1.60m)" was answered with various answers: marine biologist, orthodontist, graphic designer and architect. But, believe it or not, most often your first answer is the best one. Time has brought me to many places, mainly the Caribbean on which I specialized and got the chance to work on great projects. I worked together with many great governmental and non-governmental organisations, multi-cultural students and I explored a wide range of countries (25% of the world!) by the age of 23. I volunteered in many project and have a worldwide network of great scientists. Currently I am working on new publications from the Caribbean and I am the public relations officer of Oceaware that I manage together with my partner.

In the upcoming year of 2017 I expect to be exploring even more of the marine life and who knows I might specialize in a certain field that I would never have thought about it before. So keep yourself updated with my blog and follow how I explore the rest of the (75%) world!