I got my tattoo with my sister 6 months into my PhD in marine ecology.
It is a Stauromedusae (type of jellyfish), specifically modeled after
/Haliclystus auricula/. I chose this because it is found in the Puget
Sound (where I'm from), and it represents one of the many cool marine
invertebrates that very few have ever seen or heard of.
-Alyssa
I decided to get this fish tattoo as a present to myself for reaching my
first life goal of earning my B.S. degree in Marine Biology. It is on my
left wrist, with the nose pointing towards me (my heart in particular)
to show my love of fish and marine biology. It reminds me of all the
hard work I've done to get to where I am today, and to keep on pushing
to become successful and reach my career/life goals.
I got this after driving across country from Woods Hole to Scripps to
start a postdoc. I think I was hanging out with truckers too much. Macrocystis pyrifera
Discovering scuba diving in 2001 completely changed how I see the
world. So when it was FINALLY time to cover my poor quality and quite
embarrassing tattoo, sea life was really the only option for me.
The design is loosely based on a photo I took several years ago.
Nate Banuelos at Guru Tattoo does outstanding work.
I had the work done since pelagic species (primarily tunas) are my
favorite species, as a marine biologist I studied the migration patterns
and physiological traits of these magnificent creatures. Having worked
for Stanford University, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and now the worlds
largest tuna aquaculture facility, my love for tunas shall never end.
