Coral research inspires environmental science grad to pursue master’s degree
Tyra Arends
This past weekend, graduates of the Global Environmental Science (GES) undergraduate program at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa took with them a bachelor’s degree and real-world, hands-on experiences with research that benefits communities and ecosystems in Hawai‘i and beyond. Through the GES program in the Department of Oceanography at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), students like Tyra Arends, a class of 2025 graduate, engage in original research, write a senior thesis, and present their findings at a research symposium.
“I congratulate Tyra for accomplishing so much as an undergraduate student,” said Michael Guidry, chair of the GES Program. “She exemplifies the proactive approach students can take at UH Mānoa in shaping their futures and having an immediate, positive impact on Hawaiʻi’s environment through their degree-required thesis experience. Additionally, she always found the time to assist and mentor other GES students in whatever way she could. Her graduating class was another in a long line of many strong cohorts that over time has helped shepherd and propagate the GES Program’s strong, supportive student-driven culture.”
Arends moved to Hawaiʻi in 2018 and attended Kalaheo High School in Kailua, O‘ahu. She has always felt a deep connection to the ocean and spent much of her time freediving, scuba diving, open water swimming, tidepooling, surfing, and studying marine life. When looking at undergraduate programs, Arends was drawn to the GES program because of its broad and interdisciplinary scope, with courses in oceanography, atmospheric science, and geology.
“I also admired the program’s rigor, especially the requirement to complete an undergraduate senior thesis, which I saw as an opportunity to grow as an independent scientist and gain meaningful experience in environmental research,” Arends said.
For her GES senior thesis research, Arends worked with Rob Toonen at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology in SOEST, who she had connected with through a “Learning through internships” course at Kalaheo High School years prior. Her GES thesis research aimed to better understand the evolutionary history of a thermally-resilient coral, Leptastrea purpurea and improve the use of this coral in place-based restoration efforts in Hawai‘i.
“One of the most enjoyable parts of this research project was the fieldwork freediving in Kāneʻohe Bay to collect Leptastrea colonies,” Arends said. “It was also very rewarding to see the project through from hands-on collection of these corals to DNA extraction and bioinformatics analysis.”
Arends presented findings from this work at Reef Futures 2024, an international conference for reef restoration, in Cancun, Mexico.
“Being part of cutting-edge research and a supportive scientific community has been the most meaningful aspect of my time at SOEST,” Arends said. “Through my senior thesis, I’ve had the opportunity to present at conferences and gain valuable fieldwork and independent research experience, all of which helped me grow as a young scientist. Participating in research cruises with the Hawai‘i Ocean Time-Series Program and Hadal Water Column Profiler group aboard the R/V Kilo Moana has been especially memorable.”
While living at sea for weeks with classmates, professors, and professionals, Arends built lasting relationships and was inspired to pursue a graduate degree. She will continue her journey in academia next year with SOEST, pursuing a Master’s degree in the Department of Oceanography with the Deep Sea Ecology Lab.
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