Read: My name is
Tanasia (Asia)Swift
I am a Marine Educator, SCUBA diver, open water swimmer and aquatic enthusiast amongst other things. I currently work at Billion Oyster Project as the Field Stations Program Manager, where I develop outdoor programs at local oyster reefs throughout the city.
I’m an ambassador for Girls That Scuba, the largest community of women divers, a core member at Superhero Clubhouse, a New York-based environmental- theater organization, and a co-founder of Water Women NYC, a community group aimed at getting women to connect with water.
I grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. My fascination with the ocean started at a very young age. When I was about 7 years old, I would tag along with my father to go crabbing in Coney Island- Brooklyn, NY. We’d catch large blue crabs using a handmade trap and an uncooked chicken leg! And yes, it worked! I’d wait patiently until I felt a tug at the line and rushed to pull up the trap. Looking down from the pier, the water was a dark hue of green. If the sun were to shine in the right direction, on occasion, you’d be able to see just below the surface of the water- but I wanted to see more! Since then, I was interested in knowing more about what's happening underneath the surface of the New York Harbor.A seed was planted.
When I was 14 years old I attended the New York Harbor School, a maritime high school where students learn about careers in the maritime industry. The New York Harbor School currently offers 7 different Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses: Professional SCUBA diving, Marine Biology Research, Marine Policy, Aquaculture, Vessel Operations, Marine Systems Technology, and Ocean Engineering. Unlike your typical high school, we spent a lot of time on and around the water! During my time there, the waterfront was our classroom. Every week, an entire class of high school students would make our way from Bushwick, Brooklyn to a waterfront site by train. I joined the swim team, did overnights on a schooner (type of sailing vessel) that sailed up the Hudson, went rowing in the Gowanus Canal, explored “secret” beaches that lined the Brooklyn shoreline that I never knew existed, and grew to love the local waterways that we call the New York Harbor. That seed of curiosity began to grow!
My high school mentor encouraged me to apply for a semester program (3 months) in the Bahamas. So I did! During my time in the Bahamas, I became a certified SCUBA diver. By then I was 17 years old. On one particular dive, we visited a coral reef. It started out as a normal dive day. We’d prep gear, head to the boat, and descend. This day was special! As we hovered in the water demonstrating dive skills, 5 eagle rays swam directly above us! They were large, elegant, and absolutely beautiful! Within 1 month, I went from being at home watching these majestic animals on a TV screen to seeing them 20 feet away from me.
I ascended from my dive feeling excited about what I just experienced, but also wondering if the beauties of the ocean will still be here for future generations. Being underwater was like exploring a new world.
I couldn't wait to go back home to Brooklyn and share these stories with family and friends, but even more than that, I wanted them to see it firsthand. My thoughts went from curiosity and wanting to explore the oceans, to now knowing I needed to act! This inspired me to want to get into conservation/ restoration work.
I currently work at Billion Oyster Project as the Field Stations Program Manager. I work with communities in helping to design and facilitate waterfront programs around oyster reefs. The New York Harbor, which used to literally be a dumping ground for all types of pollution, is now getting the respect it deserves and people are able to understand how important this ecosystem is. Oysters filter water, create habitats, and have the potential to protect shorelines. Additionally, young people have the opportunity to contribute to the health of the harbor by planting oysters with us. Through my work at Billion Oyster Project, I am pursuing my scientific diver certification. I must say diving in the New York Harbor may not be for the faint of heart but I honestly fall in love with my city after every dive. The harbor has so much potential. We’re starting to see sharks, humpback whales, seals, and dolphins directly off our coasts, and it doesn’t require you to leave the big city to experience the beauties of the ocean.
My world has come full circle- from being that little 7-year-old girl from Bed-Stuy fishing with my father to now teaching other New York City youth about their estuary!
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