Fijian roots, stories inspired environmental sciences graduate 

Maya Singh working in the lab for her senior research thesis.

As a kid, Maya Singh heard from her family stories about the ocean and land in Fiji that inspired her passion for the outdoors and, ultimately, for environmental science. 

“I grew up in British Columbia, Canada, but my family is from Fiji,” said Singh, who will be graduating this month from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in Global Environmental Sciences. “My grandpa would tell me stories of him and his brothers catching shrimp outside and playing in the ocean and rivers. It really inspired me to want to live closer to the ocean.” 

With a passion for the environment and ocean, Singh moved to Hawai‘i after graduating high school to pursue a degree at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. For her senior research, Singh worked with mentor and oceanography assistant professor Andrea Kealoha to support coastal management and preservation on Lānaʻi. She developed a beach carrying capacity tool to determine the maximum number of visitors a beach can hold without surpassing the limits of acceptable environmental or social change at the beach. 

As the culmination of this research effort, Singh wrote a senior thesis and presented her findings at the Spring 2025 GES Symposium, a showcase of the research conducted by graduating  GES students. 

“This tool was developed as a means to understand the changes at the beach and how we can best preserve the beach for future generations,” said Singh. “The thing I enjoy most about conducting this research is being able to work with the community and make a difference. Talking to the local community in the field and connecting with high school students to share the research we are conducting and why it’s important is very fulfilling.” 

Supported by funding from the UH Mānoa Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, Singh also worked with Keiko Wilkins, a doctoral candidate in Bob Richmond’s research group at Kewalo Marine Laboratory, to investigate how plastic pollution threatens marine ecosystems. Specifically, she tested the effects of microplastics on sea urchin fertilization. Singh also assisted with collecting and preparing coral samples for Wilkins’s dissertation research on microplastic effects on corals in the Pacific Ocean.

The academic and research experiences Singh has had through the GES program have solidified her commitment to pursuing a career in Hawaiʻi in environmental science after graduation. Eventually, she hopes to continue with her education by working toward a graduate degree in oceanography.