2025 Global Environmental Science Symposium

The thesis results of 17 GES undergraduate students will be showcased at this symposium. Presentations will be conducted simultaneously in MSB 100 and MSB 114 due to the large number of speakers.

Session 1: Hawai‘i and the Environment (9:30-11:00 a.m.)

MSB 100

• Opening Remarks 
• Ian K. Chung—Comparison of Microplastic Fallout in Urban, Coastal, and Greenspaces (Mentor: Dr. Alison Nugent, UHM Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences)
• Kade K. Jacang—Evaluating Hatcheries as a Tool for Fish Recruitment in Loko I‘a (Mentor: Dr. Bradley (Kai) Fox, Sea Grant Aquaculture Extension Specialist)
• Sierra A. Lopez—Enterococci in Hawai‘i Beach Water: How Specific is the Popular Enterolert! Test When Used for Hawai‘i Beach Water Testing and is Microbial Contamination a Result of Sewage? (Mentor: Dr. Jeffery Drazen, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Maya R. Singh—Biophysical Carrying Capacity of Hulopo‘e Beach (Mentor: Dr. Andrea Kealoha, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Renee E. Stott—Investigating Environmental Fungi as Modulators of Mosquito Larval Growth and Development (Mentor: Dr. Nicole Hynson, UHM Pacific Biosciences Research Center)

MSB 114

• Opening Remarks
• Tyra J. Arends—Understanding the Population Structure of Leptastrea purpurea in Kane‘ohe Bay(Mentor: Dr. Rob Toonen, HIMB and Co-Director, UHM Marine Biology Graduate Program)
• Mattia Da Fieno—Evaluating Video and Bioacoustics Sensor Performance for a Novel Hadal Water Column Profiler (Mentor: Dr. Jeffery Drazen, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Devin H. Hogate—A Study of the Spatial Distribution of Phytoplankton off the Coast of O‘ahu (Mentor: Dr. Craig Nelson, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Sophia B. Shaeffer—Influence of Metabolic Plasticity and N Source on Mixoplanton-Giant Virus Dynamics(Mentors: Dr. Kyle Edwards and Dr. Grieg Steward, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Spencer S.K.L. Sakuma—Analyzing the Body of Condition of Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) Using Histology Methods (Mentor: Dr. Kristi West, Associate Researcher, HIMB and CTAHR HNFAS)

Break—11:00-11:30 a.m.

Session 2: Oceans and Chemistry (11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.)

MSB 100

• Daphne A. Bailey—Nutrient Analysis: Studying the Impacts of Freezing and Thawing Processes on Silicate Sample Concentrations Using Programmable Flow Injection (Mentors: Dr. Chris Measures, Emeritus, UHM Dept. of Oceanography and Dr. Mariko Harata, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)
• Jenny Joy Macatumbas—Assessing Spring Bloom Timing in the Ocean Using Float and Satellite Data(Mentor: Dr. Seth Bushinsky, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Tarja M. Luna Ogando—Atlas of Water Mass Properties in the Southern Ocean (Mentor: Dr. Seth Bushinsky, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)

MSB 114

• Trent F. Domingo —Analyzing Turbulent Flow in an Idealized Section of the Samoan Passage (Mentor: Dr. Glenn Carter, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Hongrui Shi—Comparative Analysis of Hawaii Rainfall Data Using the NINO Index Sea Surface Temperatures (Mentor: Dr. Brian Powell, UHM Dept. of Oceanography)
• Jackson C. Richards—The Evaluation of Spectral Wave Models Relative to Observations (Mentor: Dr. Justin Stopa, UHM Dept. of Ocean and Resources Engineering)
• Sonja F. Giardina—Influence of the Hawaiian Islands on Biogeochemistry in the Pacific (Mentor: Dr. Brian Powell, UHM Dept. of Oceanography

After the symposium, please join us for some refreshments on the MSB Lanai.