Thirty-Eighth Annual MOP Student Symposium

The 38th annual MOP student symposium was held virtually this year on April 17, 2021. Hosted over Zoom, the organizers this year were Emily Broderick, the Marine Science and Biology Instructor at Kauai Community College, and her colleague Steve Taylor, who work as the MOP Coordinators for the Kauai campus.

Each student presented their hard work and incredible accomplishments in PowerPoint form, following which the panel of judges convened and made their final decisions on who would win the various awards: Best Research Presentation, Best Internship Presentation, the PACON award for the paper which best integrates marine science and technology, the John P. Craven award, the Sherwood Maynard award, and the Anna Toy Ng Memorial award.

The event began with an oli led by the Hawaiian Studies chair professor of KCC, Pua Rossi-Fukino, in order to set the intention for the symposium.

Keynote Address: 
This year’s keynote was delivered by Dr. Heather Ylitalo-Ward from the Kauai Division of Aquatic Research, or DAR. Having worked on Kauai for around a year and a half, she has made quite a splash in DAR’s ongoing research and gave an enlightening talk about the current projects DAR is managing on the island. Dr. Ylitalo-Ward began by explaining the mission of DAR to work with the people of Hawai‘i to “manage, conserve, and restore the state’s unique aquatic resources and ecosystems for present and future generations.” Under this purview falls the managing of aquatic resources out to three miles, including streams, estuaries, anchialine pools, and coral reefs.
Dr. Ylitalo-Ward outlined much of the amazing work being done on Kauai, including management of estuary and stream habitats, marine mammal and turtle monitoring, watching over coral reef fishes and habitats for bleaching and disease, research into aquatic invasive species, surveys of shoreline use and marine recreational fisheries, and the Kokee trout fishery. The talk provided a fascinating and comprehensive look into the wide range of marine science work being pursued in order to protect and preserve Hawaiian marine habitats!

PRESERVING PAPAHĀNAMOKUĀKEA MARINE RESOURCES THROUGH HAWAIIAN CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE (WINNER- Sherwood Maynard Award)
Grant Goin, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Delving into Hawaiian cultural history and the central importance of marine life, particularly corals, viewed as the first marine organism and an ancestor which protects the oceans and coastlines as well as providing innumerable benefits to marine ecosystems and humans alike, Grant Goin’s powerful talk explored various avenues by which traditional Hawaiian values may be integrated into modern preservation methods, including ‘Creature Feature’ pages to highlight organisms found in the monument and their role in Hawaiian culture, a book which compiled Hawaiian proverbs for outreach, awareness, and daily use, a Hawaiian language guide, a Hawaiian word of the day initiative, and a marine debris collection project in Lalo, or French Frigate Shoals. Goin’s presentation underlined the importance of instilling conservation and outreach efforts with traditional Hawaiian values of stewardship and care.

STATISTICS WORKFLOWS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DNA OBSERVATIONAL DATA (WINNER- PACON Award)
Grant Sanderson, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Through an internship with NOAA, Grant Sanderson studied the role of environmental DNA, or eDNA, in marine science and aimed to simplify, as well as standardize, statistical analyses of the results of eDNA research. eDNA is unincorporated genetic material found in an environment which can be traced back to the organism from which it originated. This material is suspended in the water column for up to 21 days and is being increasingly recognized as an important tool in the field of ecology for its non-invasive and cost-effective collection practices. Sanderson’s presentation outlined two of the primary platforms for analysis of eDNA, Qiime2 and DADA2, covered current shortcomings in the process of studying results, and went through the goals of his internship: to become familiar with the tools for processing and analysis of eDNA, simplify NOAA’s eDNA research, and to create a block of R code which would provide a standard set of statistical tests for future studies. Sanderson’s work will greatly simplify and streamline the process of analyzing eDNA by making workflows more accessible to all.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT THE HAWAI‘I INSTITUTE OF MARINE BIOLOGY PELAGIC LAB (WINNER- John P. Craven Award)
Kelsey Maloney, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Kelsey Maloney’s talk covered the responsibilities of her internship at the HIMB Pelagic Lab, including animal husbandry and maintenance of the tanks at the lab. Additionally, Maloney discussed her fieldwork opportunities such as hammerhead pup fishing and sixgill shark tagging. Maloney also tagged tiger sharks and placed acoustic receivers on a cruise in French Frigate Shoals, as well as tagging scalloped hammerhead sharks upon her return to Coconut Island and subsequently retrieving those tags, then analyzing the data. Through the Hawai‘i Ocean Time-Series Project, Maloney proposed the design for and implemented the Woods Hole Hawai‘i Time-series site (WHOTS) Shark Receiver, and later joined the Hawai‘i Hammerhead Project, aiming to locate and tag scalloped hammerheads. Her concluding point, “Don’t let school stand in the way of your education”, makes a fantastic point about the incredible opportunities awaiting every student!

‘IKE HAWAI‘I, ‘ŌLELO HAWAI‘I, AND SCIENCE IN HAWAI‘I’S SCHOOLS THROUGH VIDEO MEDIA
Darienne Kealoha, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Kicking off her talk with a discussion of traditional Hawaiian environmental management practices and educational systems, Kealoha outlined the process of Western education introduction and its effects on Hawaiian cultural values and understanding. She discussed the reincorporation of these practices in modern curricula and the positive impacts that have been seen as a result. Her project took place through the Kumuola Marine Science Eduction Center, the mission of which is to conduct outreach through Hawaiian culture-based knowledge. The collaboration involved production of a video about pipipi , as well as distribution on YouTube for educators to incorporate into lessons. The video created a story following the journey of a pipipi as it meets different snails and learns about their biology and communities. The project went beyond creating a resource and involved collaboration with local educators and community members.

BIODEGRADATION OF MICROPLASTICS IN PROCAMBARUS CLARKII (WINNER- Best Research Presentation)
Jacob Clayton, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
The goal of Jacob Clayton’s experiment was to find evidence of biodegradation of plastics in an aquatic species. The organism he chose to study, Procambarus clarkii, or the red swamp crawfish, is found in both fresh and saltwater environments. Over the course of the experiment, Clayton prepared the materials for the care and keeping of the subjects, collected the crawfish, performed daily feedings, analyzed their intestinal contentsvia microscope imaging, analyzed the data and reported his findings, before repeating the process on a monthly basis. The results indicated that microplastics were ingested and fragmented in the intestines of the crawfish, no matter whether the concentration of plastic outweighed the concentration of food or vice versa. The experiment indicates the nature of microplastic consumption and its journey through the digestive systems of marine organisms.

FIELD RESPONSE TEAM INTERNSHIP WORKING WITH ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS ON O‘AHU
Kyra Kawamoto, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
This presentation outlined Kyra Kawamoto’s internship with Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response, or HMAR, through which she provided outreach to the public about Hawaiian monk seals and marine conservation, as well as surveying and providing shoreline responses to Hawaiian monk seals following sightings. Kawamoto also analyzed animal behavior through basic assessment and photo documentation. This information was collected and further studied by HMAR, then reported to NOAA. In her internship role, Kawamoto patrolled sectors of the island in response to sightings and attempted identification of individual seals via tags, scars, and other features, as well as working the hotline and collecting reports for HMAR. She also conducted public outreach at various events in order to disseminate information about Hawaiian monk seals and responsible environmental interactions to both children and adults.

GE-ARG-RAPHY OF PIRATES: AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY
Lucian Anderson, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
The inspiration for Lucian Anderson’s project came from a collection of books about pirates which detailed first-hand accounts of their journeys, and his aim was to better visualize their travels by way of an interactive map. To do so, he selected 8 pirates (Edward Teach, Henry Avery, Anne Bonney, Black Sam, Black Bart, Black Caesar, Thomas Tew, & Charles Vane), 3 areas of interest in the form of pirate bases, researched these and utilized Google Earth to compile his findings and create his map. His presentation detailed the history of piracy and the most important locations upon which they depended. He further discussed shortcomings in knowledge about pirates and led a tour of his map which covered points of particular activity or historical events, as well as known or theorized locations in which pirates congregated. His project highlights how modern mapping technology can help us visualize the past.

REEF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION (REEF) CITIZEN SCIENCE VOLUNTEER FISH SURVEY TRAINING FOR THE UH HILO MARINE OPTION PROGRAM
Alexandria Cain, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Inspired by her introduction to fish surveying and her QUEST ID classes, Alexandria Cain’s presentation detailed her partnership with REEF to bring a fish survey training program to the UH Hilo Marine Option Program. She discussed the importance of coral reefs and the devastationg effects of climate change and human behavior on reef fish populations and diversity, and explained why surveys of these habitats are so essential, as well as the role of citizen science in expanding knowledge and providing data for research organizations. Her talk also covered the history and online training methods that REEF uses in order to educate volunteer surveyors. Cain’s implementation of these enabled her to bring similar techniques to her training for MOP students, held over a 2-week period over Zoom before surveying field trips were held. Cain’s trainings resulted in 46 new trained surveyors who can use their skills to assist in citizen science endeavors, and she aims to expand this program to other campuses in the future!

ANALYZING INTERACTIONS AND RESULTING BEHAVIORS OF SPINNER DOLPHINS AND HUMANS IN RESTING BAYS ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND
Lindsey Rohlf, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
Lindsey Rohlf’s experiment centered on Hawaiian spinner dolphins, a native species to the Hawaiian islands approximately 3,200 in number. Specifically, she concentrated on their movement to ‘resting bays’, where dolphins rest during the day. The study was conducted in two bays which are popular tourist sites in order to study how much rest dolphins in these crowded places lost as a result of human interaction. Rohlf intended to study surface behaviors to quantify resting time, observing dolphins from the shore. She counted swimmers and boats every hour, and planned to count dolphins as they entered the bay, monitoring any close interactions (less than 10 meters apart) between humans and dolphins, and the resultant behaviors. She analyzed her data to investigate the density of swimmers and boats at both locations by time, but was unable to find dolphins at either locations over the period of study. As a result, she created a website called the Hawai‘i Island Whale & Dolphin Tracker to allow citizens to record observations of dolphins and other cetaceans.

HAWAI‘I MARINE ANIMAL RESPONSE INTERNSHIP
Danielle Caron, Honolulu Community College
Danielle’s internship with HMAR occurred over a period of 4 months, the first of which was dedicated to training. Her presentation outlined the goals of HMAR, as well as the main organisms on which HMAR concentrates its efforts, including Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and seabirds. She discussed the role of HMAR and its relationship to NOAA, as well as her various duties as an intern: sighting response, in which she would locate an animal which had been called in, evaluate its condition, attempt to identify it, and report on whether it had offspring or was under threat from hazardous materials or illness. In addition, Caron worked in outreach , educating the public on the importance of marine fauna and the threats they face. She also assisted with rescue, helping animals who had been stranded or were entangled in nets or wires, as well as sick animals. Her speech covered the wide range of responsibilities she held and the many facets of marine science.

OUR PROJECT IN HAWAI‘I’S INTERTIDAL: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF INVASIVE ANTS OF NATIVE GHOST CRAB SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS (WINNER- Best Internship Presentation)
Stephanie Siow, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Stephanie Siow’s research project occurred in collaboration with Our Project in Hawai‘i’s Intertidal, or OPIHI. This organization is a citizen science program that allows students to work with community partners on O‘ahu and learn ecological surveying techniques. Siow worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge to study invasive yellow crazy ants and their impact on the size distribution of ghost crabs at the research site. To do this, she and her team mapped the coastline of their study location, then collected data on both invasive ants and ghost crab burrow size. The results indicated no statistical significance between ants and crab size, but crab size did differ significantly from year to year. Siow concluded that while her initial hypothesis was not supported, there is still a possibility that ants do affect crabs and that crab sizes are being affected by another factor. Her team also conducted a beach cleanup at the refuge and are crafting an art piece for outreach purposes.

As always, the student symposium truly captured the talent and passion of MOP students for marine research and conservation! A fascinating range of topics were covered this year, highlighting the exceptional accomplishments of each presenter. Especially taking into account the setbacks and challenges that COVID-19 has wrought, it was amazing to see how dedicated and thorough each student was to their project and how they had dealt with those issues.
Huge thanks to the MOP coordinators at Kauai Community College, the judging panel, and each and every presenter for such an inspiring event!