The ocean is one of the most powerful things on this Earth. Watching the waves ebb and flow, seemingly from nowhere, allows for thoughts to start wandering. I listened as my friends chattered about a pod of dolphins following closely behind our boat. I thought about those dolphins, and how they waited patiently for us to throw our bycatch overboard. I have been studying marine biology for two years now. Recently, we had a guest speaker that told us about a declining population of hammerhead sharks, but how we continue to sample them for scientific purposes. Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are some of the most fragile creatures in the ocean. Sometimes even accidentally hooking them can cause them to become over-stressed and expire. As I sat on the boat and watched the waves slowly pass us by, I started to wonder when enough was enough.

Curiosity is defined as a strong desire to know or learn something. We, as humans, are born curious. Whether it's pushing a button that will shock us or eating something from another country. Curiosity fuels our spirit. It also fuels scientific research. Every scientist just wants to learn more about something. They have a desire to learn the most they can but is it better to be curious or cautious when it comes to our home. As a biologist, we have to sample populations of fish to learn about feeding behavior, reproduction, and movement. However, if a fish population is in decline is it better to leave them be or to keep learning as much as we can.

This is a blurry line my mind has wandered to while watching the most powerful thing on this Earth. In life, is it better to be curious or cautious? Should you date that one hot guy, just because he winks at you every day in calculus? Should you go with your friends to the old frat houses, even though it's trespassing? Life is full of curiosities vs. cautions. We just have to decide which is which and either go for it or stand back and watch what unfolds.