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Melissa Smith

Melissa Smith

Melissa Smith is a senior editor for Scuba Diving. An avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker and all-around outdoor enthusiast, she holds degrees in journalism and sustainability studies from the University of Florida. Before joining Scuba Diving, Melissa worked as the executive editor of EcoWatch and as the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a nonprofit featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral. Her work and expertise have been featured in outlets such as USA Today, The Guardian, National Geographic, Climbing magazine and MarketWatch.

Melissa Smith Articles

An Inside Look at Cuba's Diverse Marine Ecosystem

Scuba divers and snorkelers can study the marine ecosystem in Cuba's Gardens of the Queen aboard the floating classroom M/V Oceans for Youth.

Reef Relief

The International Coral Reef Initiative has declared 2018 the International Year of the Reef.

Top 9 Things Scuba Divers Are Thankful For

As Thanksgiving comes, it’s time we reflect on what we’re most thankful for as divers.

Two Female Divemasters To Attempt Grueling 24-Hour Scuba Diving Challenge

A pair of female divemasters tackle the UK’s grueling, 24-hour Three Lakes Challenge as a fundraising endeavor.

Underwater Pumpkin Carving in the Devil's Den

Carving a pumpkin while scuba diving is definitely harder than it looks. But it's also much more exciting than traditional topside carving. 

8 Ways to Reuse Old Scuba Diving Tanks

When it’s time to retire a tank, it’s always good to recycle it with a dive shop. But, for the sentimental divers among us, there are plenty of ways to upcycle old cylinders so you can keep them around past their expiration dates.

Florida Keys’ REEF Fest Rescheduled After Hurricanes

The annual Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) Fest will take place Dec. 7-10 in Key Largo.

Cue Celine Dion: Underwater Tourists Head for Titanic

Before it disappears again — and this time, for good — nine tourists will visit the *Titanic* for the price of a first-class ticket on the 1912 voyage of the famously “unsinkable” ship.

Documentary Shows Alabama’s 50,000-Year-Old Underwater Forest

A short film by This Is Alabama shows an underwater forest that’s been preserved for 50,000 years.