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To support her dissertation research on the effects of microplastics on coral reef health and resilience, a doctoral student at the University Hawaii In Manoa Marine Biology Graduate Program High competition was awarded NOAA Nancy Foster Scholarship.
Keiko WilkinsWork in all three helps establish the baseline for current conditions of microplastics in corals. NOAA National Marine Protected Areas in the Pacific Island Region: Papahāumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and American Samoa National Marine Sanctuary. Her work will also help determine how different species of corals handle plastics, as well as potential ecological threats from microplastic-associated chemical pollutants.
“I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to be an adoption scholar NOAA ambassador for the National Marine Sanctuary,” said Wilkins, who joined the Richmond lab. Eighth Marine Laboratory in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOESTIn the year Fall 2020 “Microplastic pollution is not a new term for many people, but they are often surprised to learn that corals eat microplastics. As plastic pollution in our oceans increases, we need a better understanding of how corals are affected. I am excited to share my findings about coral reefs and the people who depend on them, and to focus more on microplastic pollution.
As part of the scholarship program, Wilkins will also complete a work project to support the local communities that border the protected areas. Through a grant to Richmond Lab from the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technology Education Program Partnership for Advanced Marine and Environmental Science Training in the Pacific Islands, she will share research and analytical methods with faculty and students at five regional community colleges in the Pacific Islands. .
“Keiko is not only an outstanding graduate student, but also an outstanding graduate student. Hawaii, Pacific islands, and coral reefs around the world, but as a member of a very underrepresented minority group in marine and environmental science, it is a good example for others to follow. STEM A career,” said her doctoral advisor Bob RichmondResearch Professor and Director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory. “She’s really been active in advocating for diversity and inclusion at the national level. STEM Fields and proved to be a great mentor and inspiration to other students.
See for more information SOESTwebsite.
– by Marce Grabowski
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