# @uofnh on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DRQVpXVDNs4
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/37097714-uofnh-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d8995568e5.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-11-19T22:45:28.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** University of New Hampshire (@UofNH) — https://gondola.cc/UofNH

## Caption

What does it feel like 85 feet underwater in the Gulf of Maine? 🌊

For marine, estuarine and freshwater biology major Maddie Hatfield '27, it's a world where kelp sways in the current, comb jellies glow like stars and time bends with each observation.

The Mystic, CT, native grew up on the water and came to UNH brimming with questions about what lies beneath the ocean's surface. Last spring, she got her answer during Advanced Underwater Diving with instructor Liz Kintzing, descending off the coast of the Isles of Shoals into the 39-degree waters where Jonah crabs nestle between rocks and lumpfish suction to kelp.

But Maddie's deep dive doesn't end there. She's also an art minor, translating her underwater discoveries through paintings like "Gull Dinner" and detailed graphite studies of harbor seal skulls created during her Biological Illustration course at Shoals.

"In the world of science, art is often overlooked as a way of delivering meaningful information," Maddie explains. Scientific literature can be inaccessible due to paywalls and jargon, but art breaks down those barriers and reaches wider audiences.

At UNH, interdisciplinary study isn't just possible; it's encouraged. For Maddie, the proof is literal: Spaulding Hall, home to her major, sits right across from the Paul Creative Arts Center, where she develops film photos.

Maddie's ultimate mission is to convey the importance of the ocean through both a scientific and creative lens, understanding the world not just from above, but from beneath the surface. 💙 

Thanks for taking us under the sea with you, Maddie! #DaretoDo

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- **Likes:** 551
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- **Comments:** 9

## Tags

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