Graduate student expands research on microplastics in Hawaiian waters
Hope Kanoa at Haleakalā.
After graduating from Kalaheo High School, Hope Kanoa, explored a career in film and media through an internship as a video editor with a local video production company. But when she started attending the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, Kanoa knew she wanted to focus on Hawai’i’s water resources. She found a fitting option in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), which offers a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Earth Science.
“This degree felt like a perfect fit,” said Kanoa. “It provided the opportunity to pursue hydrology and hydrogeology in greater depth, with great potential to investigate water resources in Hawai‘i.”
As an undergraduate student, Kanoa conducted a research project with Xiaolong (Leo) Geng, assistant professor in the SOEST Department of Earth Sciences, to measure the concentration of microplastic in coastal environments around O‘ahu. After working on this project together, Geng extended an invitation for Kanoa to join his research group as a master’s student.
“Hope has demonstrated an exceptional ability to work across disciplines, connecting fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and environmental science outreach,” Geng shared. “She is never afraid to try new approaches, and her willingness to step outside her comfort zone has been a defining strength in her growth as a researcher.”
“I am so thankful Leo saw potential in me,” she shared. “Never having been certain about attending graduate school, I decided to take the opportunity, realizing it seemed too great to pass up.”
Kanoa funded her entire undergraduate college education through a combination of 11 different scholarships, grants, and tuition waivers, some of which came from SOEST and the Department of Earth Sciences. Substantial financial support came from the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Scholarship. Dedicated to helping Hawai‘i’s youth, the foundation provides scholarships for educational goals.
“It means so much to me that I was able to graduate undergrad completely debt free!” Kanoa shared. “For that, I am super grateful. It means so much to me in this day and age that I don’t need to worry about student loan debt.”
Expanding research on microplastics in Hawaiian waters
Now a graduate student in the Earth and Planetary Sciences program, Kanoa is expanding her research to understand microplastic concentrations in coastal environments and is also assessing riverine and oceanic environments, so as to get a more complete picture of how this contaminant is moving through Hawai‘i’s water cycle.
“Its incredible to see how connected different reservoirs of water are in Hawai‘i,” Kanoa said. “I’m very interested in addressing the challenge of modeling how this contaminant is transported on and in our islands.”
Looking ahead to a career after graduate school, Kanoa intends to apply her expertise locally. She hopes to work as a hydrologist with a state or federal agency. Additionally, her expertise in microplastics will be valuable, as she also sees the intricate links between environmental and human health.
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