Endemic trees to Southern Ocean diatoms: Grads learn first-hand about environmental science
Clouds over mountains of Oahu. Credit: Steven Businger.
Spring 2026 graduates of the Global Environmental Science (GES) undergraduate program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa took with them a bachelor’s degree and real-world, hands-on experiences with research that benefits communities and ecosystems in Hawaiʻi and far beyond. Through the GES program in the Department of Oceanography at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), students including Makana Andrade and Micah Soriano, engage in original research, write a senior thesis, and present their findings at a research symposium.
“I congratulate all our spring graduates on successfully completing their required faculty-mentored thesis experience,” said Michael Guidry, chair of the GES Program. “As with all our GES graduates and their thesis work, Makana’s and Micah’s findings demonstrate how the research efforts of UH Mānoa undergraduates provide new insights and solutions to important issues and train the next generation of problem solvers.”
Conserving Hawaiian endemic acacia trees
Makana Andrade was born and raised on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. In his childhood, he was drawn to learning the names and the physiology of various plants and animals, and would jump at the chance to help loko iʻa (fishpond) cleanups. His interest in pursuing environmental science began in high school in a class of the same name. The class was often held during hikes, with his teacher listing the uses and importance of each type of native Hawaiian flora they encountered.
During his second year of transfer to UH Mānoa, he started working on his thesis with his mentor, Travis Idol, associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management in the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience. His thesis focused on the response of Acacia koaia, a tree endemic to Hawai‘i, to nursery practices done on similar species, specifically Acacia koa. Andrade’s study examined koaiʻa’s growth patterns from seed to seedling to determine its preferred soil type, nutrient uptake, and watering requirements, in an effort to ensure they are readily available for population revitalization.
After graduation, Andrade hopes to continue pursuing his passion for the conservation of Hawaiian endemic species and working in the wilderness.
Vitamins, metals and diatoms in the Southern Ocean
Micah Soriano was not always sure of what he wanted to major in. After taking chemistry in high school, he was interested in becoming a pharmacist. However, born and raised in Hawai’i, Soriano’s childhood memories of his grandma’s oasis of a garden, where he would raise caterpillars and release butterflies, made him realize that the environment was his calling.
As a GES student with a passion for chemistry, Soriano reached out to SOEST oceanography professor Nick Hawco and joined the Hawco Lab the summer after his sophomore year. Since then, Soriano has helped with various projects, gaining valuable experience. For his senior research thesis, Soriano explored how vitamin B12 availability in the Southern Ocean limits how effectively diatoms, a type of phytoplankton, can process and use essential metals for growth.
After graduation, he plans to work for a year or two before continuing his academic studies. Still deeply passionate about the environment, Soriano hopes to use his strong academic background from the GES program and combine it with a master’s degree in public health. He strongly believes in protecting our planet because its health is inseparable from the health of our communities.
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