Our summer fieldwork season has begun! It’s going to be a very productive and exciting summer filled with new connections, exciting new data, and much more! I’m really excited to have a great and diverse team of undergraduates joining us in the field this summer! First, I am excited to have an incoming freshman undergraduate student from the Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program Freshman Bridge program, Kelsi Julian-Araki. Kelsi expressed an interest in marine science and will be conducting a project of her own, while assisting with other projects and gaining field and lab experience. Also joining our team is Kelsey Cushway, all the way from Michigan she is a geology major who is (or will be) interested in our submarine groundwater discharge work. Kelsey is joining us through a Research Experience for Undergraduates grant. I also have three recent graduates of our senior level Hawaiian phycology course joining us, Katherine Cockerille, Dominique Elento, and Kevin Ravago. As graduates of botany 480 my senior level phycology students are trained to identify all the algae we might find on the reef. As a geology REU Kelsey will be a great help for the hydrogeology field methods. And, as a local student Kelsi’s familiarity with the island will be a great help in the field, while her enthusiasm for marine science early on in her education will be very welcome on our team!

Beautiful days and extreme low tides at Wailupe.

Gracilaria salicornia collections.

A huge thank you to all of my volunteers thus far, from the Limu Lab Scott Van De Verg and alumni Megan Onuma! From my family, thank you to my mom and James Morgan! I have really enjoyed getting out in the field with all of you.