Briana "Breezy" Grenier

Briana Grenier, winner of the 2014 Scubapro Ambassador Scholarship contest

Kate Murphy Booth

Scubapro, PADI, Beneath the Sea and this year’s honoree, Sylvia Earle, are pleased to congratulate the winner of the 2014 Scubapro Ambassador competition, Briana Grenier. The competition was offered in honor of Earle’s inspirational work as a National Geographic Explorer in residence and founder of Deep Ocean Exploration & Research (DOER Marine) and Mission Blue, among many other groundbreaking accomplishments. Earle also recently joined the ranks of Scubapro’s Deep Elite, an ambassador program that aims to promote ocean conservation.

The goal of the 2014 contest, which was sponsored by Scubapro, PADI and Beneath the Sea, was to engage and embolden the next generation of divers and conservationists. Entries were submitted in the form of a photo/essay via Facebook and Instagram, using #scubaprocontest2014. The competition was steep, with the final selection from the ten finalists being chosen by popular vote. As the winner, Briana will receive $5,000 worth of Scubapro gear and $400 of advanced dive training from PADI to fuel her personal, educational and professional underwater goals.

Briana, who goes by the nickname “Breezy,” is a student at the University of Rhode Island, where she is studying geology & geological oceanography, marine biology and underwater archaeology. She has admired the work of Earle from a young age: “She was the author of my favorite book Dive: 'My Adventure in the Deep Frontier.' She grasped my attention with her explorations in the Deep Rover." Breezy began diving four years ago, and has since added divemaster, wreck, nitrox, technical diving and AAUS Scientific Diver certifications to her diving resume. In her free time, she volunteers for multiple nonprofits, serves as the student rep of the MTS Council and as a scientific diver at an aquarium, and researches underwater paleolandscapes. She is also an avid traveler, having visited five continents, including Antarctica, and is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. We will be sharing news and photos from Breezy on the Scubapro Facebook page (www.facebook.com/scubapro), and you can also follow her adventures on her own site (www.brianagrenier.yolasite.com).

Breezy is thrilled and grateful to be the recipient of the 2014 Scubapro Ambassador Scholarship, and she left these remarks: “Thank you Scubapro, PADI and Beneath the Sea for providing this scholarship that will not only lead myself but also to many others such amazing experiences. Thank you, Dr. Sylvia Earle, for being an ocean pioneer and such an inspiration to the world’s people. It is such an honor that this scholarship is in your name. You have been my role model since I was a young child, and you are a true ocean ambassador.”

Sincere thanks to all of our entrants, whose contagious enthusiasm for diving and reverence for the work of Earle was evident in their submissions.

To learn more about the Scubapro Deep Elite Ambassador program, visit www.scubapro.com/deepelite