ROSS: 2011 PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
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My job at the Steinhart Aquarium is pretty dreamy, and hardly a day goes by that I don’t sit 
back with a big grin after diving in the 212,000 gallon tank, mating cephalopods, or hearing some¬ 
one on the public floor of the aquarium say something like ‘That’s a Nautilus, they’re my favorite 
but I’ve never seen one before’ and think ‘Wow, this is my job’. Being part of the 2011 Philippine 
Biodiversity Expedition was something special and hardly a moment went by — the late nights, the 
grueling days, or floating over rarely visited reefs - that I didn’t think ‘Wow, this is my job”. I look 
forward to the continued collaboration between the research and aquarium departments of the Cal¬ 
ifornia Academy of Sciences, the chance to work with amazing animals from the Philippines, and 
hopefully more opportunities for me and my fellow aquarium biologists to experience the majestic 
Phillippine reefs in person. 
