Guam to DC: Stateside Once Again

After living on Guam for two and a half years, I find myself no longer in flip flops and shorts, but in business suits working in Washington, D.C. My friends may be wondering what I am doing in Washington. . . I am proud and honored to announce that I am a 2024 Sea Grant Knauss Fellow. This fellowship has been a dream of mine for the past six years. Many of my former and current mentors have been fellows and talked about the invaluable experience and all highly recommended I apply.

The Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program is a yearlong fellowship that affords graduate students the opportunity to work at the nexus of marine science and policy. Fellows move to Washington, D.C., and are placed with a host (following a grueling week of interviews) in the legislative or executive branch of government. Executive Fellows are spread across the government including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and Oceanographer of the Navy. Legislative Fellows work in a senators or representatives office or work for a committee. There are a total of 85 fellows this year. 

As an Executive Fellow, I serve in NOAA’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLIA) working as a Congressional Affairs Specialist. Not only did I trade my mask and snorkel for a business suit and glasses, I traded my comfort and expertise for a brand-new experience that pushes me outside my comfort zone.  

To understand my role, you need to understand the organization of NOAA. NOAA has six different Line Offices (National Marine Fisheries Service; National Ocean Service; National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service; Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; National Weather Service; and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and NOAA Corps) each with their own congressional affairs division. Requests from the Hill cannot go to these individual offices. OLIA sits above all these offices with teams dedicated to each Line Office. Requests come through our office, and we engage with the respective congressional teams to fulfill requests. This works both ways with announcements and outreach going through us to the Hill.

My portfolio is large as I cover the National Marine Fisheries Service in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes; Regional Collaboration Network, NOAA in the Caribbean, Arctic Action Team, and Office of Education. 

I am officially just over two months into my fellowship learning as much as I can and taking every opportunity to interact and learn from those who have gone before me.  The weeks are flying by. I cannot describe just how quickly this year is going; it feels as if my fellowship just began yesterday. Though the days are long, I am excited to learn how Washington operates.

I was fortunate to attend the Regional Collaboration Network (RCN) Annual Workshop that took place in Arizona, March 25 - 29. The RCN is a network of NOAA employees and partners representing the agency’s diverse capabilities across the country. Each of the eight total regions have their own coordinator, team lead, and team members. We began in Phoenix with a NOAA in Service activity with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community at the Cottonwood Wetland helping with trail maintenance and rebuilding a dam. Later, we packed over 1,000 heat relief kits for the community that saw tragedy last year with temperatures over 110 degrees for 30+ days! The result was heartbreaking with over 300 heat-related deaths.

The next two days were filled with presentations and panels about climate, the Arizona Heat Plan, water supply in the Southwest, extreme heat and resilience, and NOAA's heat initiatives. The next day we were in Tucson on the University of Arizona's campus meeting with the Tucson NWS Forecast Office. We were fortunate to tour the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree Ring Research. I do not have enough amazing things to say about this lab - I was truly awe-inspired by the work they are doing and the technology applied to tree rings. The final two days, we traveled to Globe, Arizona, located east of Phoenix in the mountains where we met with leaders of the Apache tribe who shared their story, how climate change is impacting them, and how NOAA can help the community. We also spent a day at the Griffin Family Ranch learning about cattle ranching, the impact of climate change, work they are doing on the farm to mitigate damages, and their work with local partners.

The trip was eye opening and fascinating – especially when juxtaposed with the humid climes of Guam.  I met so many dedicated people from all over the country and different parts of NOAA. I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off my fellowship year. 

Over the next few months, I plan to share my experience as a Knauss Fellow and write some stories that have backlogged from my time on Guam (a nice way for me to reminisce about the beautiful island while living in the city). I hope you will follow along!

Mantas in Pohnpei

 

While living in Guam, I have been fortunate to work with the Micronesian Conservation Coalition (MCC) as a member of the Marine Team. MCC’s mission is to respect and sustain the cultures and resources of the Micronesian islands and see the sustainable capacity of the islands through “a nexus of Indigenous cultures, empirical research, and community connections.” Working with MCC has been an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel with the MCC team to Pohnpei, a small island part of the Federated States of Micronesia, to study and document the manta ray population. Flying into Pohnpei was surreal. Atolls erupted from the ocean, seemingly appearing from nothing surrounded by the most beautiful gradient of blues.

We spent the week diving with the amazing crew at Pohnpei Surf and Dive Club. Averaging three dives a day, we dove at the main manta sites to document the population and behavior adding to the long-term data set MCC has been cultivating. One of the amazing things about Pohnpei is the presence of black morph mantas, something we do not have in Guam! The more common reef manta is gray on top with a white belly and gray/black markings. The black morph manta is all black with white markings. It is these markings that allow us to identify the mantas. The markings are like fingerprints in their uniqueness. As a part of our surveys, we photograph and video the manta’s bellies and later use the database to identify them. One of the unique features of the Manta Road dive site is the valley feature. In the middle of the site there is a large rock that serves as a cleaning station for the mantas. On one of our final days, we were able to witness the most remarkable feeding behavior. In the open blue water, the mantas were barrel rolling and forming feeding chains. It was an experience I will never forget. Truly magical. The mantas fall into a sort of trance while feeding and you almost have to actively move out of their way while they feed. The gentle giants fill my heart and soul and make me feel small in the expanse of the ocean.

However, the trip was not all work! Manta diving honestly doesn’t feel like work, but we had the good fortune to have some fun dives and experience the sheer natural beauty of Pohnpei. We spent a day diving and exploring Ant Atoll a UNESCO World Biosphere Preserve located 18.5 km southwest of Pohnpei. We first dove the entrance to the Atoll. Back rolling into the water watching the shallow reef close to the atoll drop off steeply forming a shear wall with an incredible reef and beautiful structure. Looking up at the corals and abundant fish silhouetted at the corner of the shallow was mesmerizing. Our second dive was on the outside of the atoll with the most pristine reef I have ever seen. It reminded me of a coral reef screensaver you would see at the dentist’s office – something so perfect I never thought possible. There are simply no words to describe the beauty, so I will let the videos and photos speak for themselves. Following our dives, we took in the beauty of the water and islands from hammocks on the dive boat. Soon we went ashore to have lunch and explore the atoll. Standing on the sandy beach, we watched black tip sharks cruise the shallows as we drank from fresh coconuts. On this side of the Atoll, the beach was lined with huts for families, however, during the middle of the week, we had it to ourselves. Paradise.  

On our final dry day on Pohnpei, we drove south to explore Nan Madol, an ancient city made up of over 100 islets – the only city ever built atop a coral reef. It was a major political and spiritual hub from 1200 to 1700. The structure is truly incredible and leaves you staring in awe. To get to the site, you park in a village and walk through someone’s backyard to get to the trail where you walk for 10 minutes and rounding a corner, the amazing structure appears. Massive blocks of stones stacked to form an outer and inner wall with a small structure in the middle. We only explore a a small portion of Nan Madol, and it is astonishing to think how these blocks were moved to make such an impressive city. From inside the structure, you could hear the waves breaking just over the wall and beyond the mangroves. If we had more time, I would have liked to have spent the entire day exploring other parts of the city tucked away in the jungle and mangroves. A trip to Pohnpei would be incomplete without a visit to Nan Madol!

It is difficult to describe the breathtaking beauty of Pohnpei and just how grateful I am to have the opportunity to travel and experience the brilliant natural beauty and vibrant cultures of the islands in Micronesia. My life will forevermore be enriched by the experience. 

Silent Island

If you have not visited Guam, it is likely you are unaware of Guam’s lack of birds. You may wonder what would lead to the decline of a once very healthy bird population. The answer is relatively simple – the invasive brown tree snake. The brown tree snake (BTS) is native to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Australia. The BTS was first sighted on Guam in the 1950s, likely brought over via a cargo ship from New Guinea. This arboreal snake feeds on lizards, birds, small mammals, and eggs. Encountering no native predators on Guam, the BTS multiplied uncontrollably in the jungle… leading to the near extirpation of Guam’s native birds.

Since returning to Saipan a few days ago to begin my field work for the summer, I have noticed a stark difference in ambient sound. Saipan is loud. Not with cars or air traffic, but with bird song. I step outside and am immediately greeted by an avian chorus. Even now, as I sit at my desk, I can hear them through closed doors… different songs from a variety of birds diving through the sky, chasing one another, and perched on a nearby telephone pole.

Guam is silent. No bird sounds when I step outside, except for the occasional chicken cluck or chirp of a small chickadee. Mostly I hear a cacophony of car and air traffic. Sometimes this noise even drowns out the distant sound of waves crashing on the beautiful reefs. When it comes to birdsong, Guam is a silent island.  

I am reminded of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, the renowned environmentalist. In her book, Carson documents the environmental damage caused by various pesticides in the 1940’s and 1950’s, illuminating that pesticides often impact more than the targeted pests – causing problems across the food chain through bioaccumulation. Insects, birds, and fish — to cite a few examples — have been silenced due to imprudent use of pesticides. Carson writes, “Over increasingly large areas of the United States, spring now comes unheralded by the return of the birds, and the early mornings are strangely silent where once they were filled with the beauty of bird song.” While the cause of the silence to which she refers is pesticides, the parallels to the invasive brown tree snake of Guam are uncanny.

The contrast of Silent Island Guam to loud, song filled Saipan is stark. I am filled with joy every evening I sit outside on the latter smaller island and just listen. Listen to the birds, the hum of the bugs, and the sound of the tall grasses and palm trees rustling in the light breeze. Nature can — and should — be enjoyed with all the senses, not just sight. Given the opportunity to hone in on nature’s smallest details and sounds has enhanced my appreciation for nature in a way I have not experienced in some time. Rachel Carson summarized this experience in just five simple words, “In nature, nothing exists alone.”

2 Month Mark

It is crazy to believe, but I have been in Guam for almost two months now! WOW! I thought I would provide a life update now that I have started my life on island. 

Since moving to Guam, I have joined an outrigger paddling team - Poksai. Outrigger paddling has always been something I wanted to try given my past experience with sailing and rowing. Watching my mom fall in love with the sport solidified my desire to give it a try! I reached out to the team and they were kind enough to invite me to practice. The rest is history! I love the community the team has given me. It is wonderful to have something to look forward to on weekends outside the University. During my second practice, we went out past the reef and saw not one, but FOUR manta rays and a pod of spinner dolphins. Not a bad way to have your first manta ray experience! 

We have started a bit of a weekly tradition among students. We call it Tuesday Nudesday. Allow me to elaborate before your imagination runs wild. You must remember, we are a bunch of nerdy graduate students that love to dive… On Tuesday Nudesday, we go on a night dive specifically dedicated to looking for nudibranchs! You might be asking yourself, “What are nudibranchs? How do I even pronounce nudibranch?” Nudibranchs are practically the aliens of the sea. They are soft-bodied mollusks, part of the sea slug family. Imagine any shape and the wildest color combination on a sea slug. Have the image in your head? Great - there is probably a nudibranch that looks very similar to what you are imagining. However, to throw an additional challenge into Tuesday Nudesday - nudibranchs are actually quite small! They range in size from 0.25 inches to 12 inches. Just the other week, I saw the largest nudibranch I have ever seen. It was nearly a foot long! Most of the ones I see are less than an inch in length. I fell in love with nudibranchs when I was living in Saipan, and am so happy I found a group of people that get just as excited as I do about these colorful sea slugs.

Classes at the University of Guam are still online. I have one class that has small groups that rotate through to allow for some in person interactions. Despite being online, I am loving all of my classes. I leave every class with a smile on my face thinking of the possible applications of what I just learned. It is an amazing feeling. Gosh, I missed school! 

With every passing week, I find another reason to love this beautiful island. I cannot wait to continue exploring all the hidden wonders and share my experience. Stay tuned for more updates! 

Hafa Adai From Guam!

Hafa adai! I have finally made the move to Guam to begin my Masters in Biology at the University of Guam working with Dr. Laurie Raymundo and Dr. Lyza Johnston in Saipan. For the next few years, I will be working on a coral restoration project looking at the resilience of sexually propagated corals on novel larval seed beads. 

Prior to moving to Guam, I spent a week and a half in Saipan working with Dr. Johnston with the JAMS (Johnston Applied Marine Sciences) Lab collecting coral spawn. For the species we were targeting, their peak spawning is three to seven days after the full moon. We dove every night right at sundown to look for “seeding” corals. You can identify corals that are about to spawn when the bundles are right at the mouth of the coral polyps. When we see this happening, we set up a net that floats overtop of the colony like a tent to capture the bundles that float into the collection tube. Spawning brings out all the night creepy crawlies to play in the spotlight of our flashlights—worms, jellies, and every night critter you can think of! I wore a long sleeve rash guard and leggings and still have some stings on my legs. My lips were swollen from the jelly stings. 

Following a successful spawn capture, the spawn were brought to shore where we labeled the collection tubes by species. Collections of bundles, comprised of both egg and sperm, from the same species are mixed together. The bundles break down and eventually release the eggs and sperm, at which point they begin to fertilize. What I cannot describe is the smell of the coral spawn; it smells like dead fish.  

After about an hour or two, the newly fertilized coral babies are cleaned. We have to clean and filter the water to remove excess sperm before transferring them to the tanks. The babies grow in large shallow tanks for several days. Under a microscope you can see the corals begin to divide and grow very soon after. Eventually you can see them start to spin in circles,  explore, and swim. After a few days, when the babies are ready to settle, they sink to the bottom of the tank and begin to look for substrate on which to settle. At this point, we place the larval seed beads in the tank that have been conditioned in the water for several weeks in the coral nursery in Saipan. A few days later, we are able to see the coral begin to settle and establish their basal plate. 

I must say, it is truly an amazing process, and I am one proud coral mama! Watching the stages unfold before my eyes is incredible. I am even more excited to experience another spawning event and get started on my research! 

Look for posts about my project and experiences in both Guam and Saipan. Thank you to everyone who helped me get here – my professors at Duke, amazing mentors, and supportive friends and family! My adventure has begun! 

The Ocean Race Summits

Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in The Ocean Race Summits. If you aren’t a sailor, you may not have heard of The Ocean Race. The Ocean Race is an around-the-world race – essentially an ocean ultra-marathon – first held in 1973. The event is often described as the longest and toughest fully-crewed professional sailing race in the world. One of The Ocean Race’s key initiatives is “Racing with Purpose,” promoting and incorporating sustainable practices to protect the health of the ocean... and leading by example.  As a part of this initiative, The Ocean Race Summits bring together representatives of government, global business, industry, the scientific community, academia, and passionate ocean advocates “to explore innovative solutions to the crisis affecting our ocean.” Due to the coronavirus, The Ocean Race Summit in Newport, RI, was virtual this year.  I was invited to participate as an ecologist, sailor, and an EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council alumna. Having grown up sailing and following this race for as long as I can remember, I was eager to say YES, even before I knew exactly what I was going to be doing. I was just excited to work with such an elite race and concerned group of ecologically savvy sailors.

I was specifically asked to participate in a Virtual Action Lab titled “Youth for 30 x 30.” 30 x 30 is a movement to safeguard at least 30% of the world’s ocean from exploitation by the year 2030. I shared the panel with two other young women who are current members of the Youth Leadership Council. We talked about the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the 30 x 30 movement, and why it is so important for youth to be involved. The Action Lab sessions are designed to be interactive and facilitate discussion. I had thought the discussion would focus principally on MPAs and the 30 x 30 movement, but to my surprise, most of the questions posed to the panel were about youth involvement and what professionals can do to help youth. As a recent college graduate, this was just about the most gratifying thing I could have heard. There are so many young people who have the desire and drive to make a difference. The difficulty is, people too often will not listen to some random “kid” with no backing from a university, organization, or company. In this time of COVID-19 when it is incredibly difficult to find internships – let alone jobs – this reaction can be exceedingly demoralizing for young people. Yet hearing people ask “what can we do to help you,” renewed my hope. My answer to this question: “Be a mentor and help build a strong platform. We have the drive to make things happen, we just need the platform to stand on to do so.”

  Just when I thought it could not get any better, I was asked to moderate a Q&A session titled, “We’re all in this Together: Racing with a Purpose” with session panelists Richard Brisius (Race Chairman of The Ocean Race), Mark Towill (CEO of 11th Hour Racing Team), Enrique Carlin Larios (Team Sayula II, Whitbread Round the World Race 1973 winner), and Dr. Margaret Ottley (Sports Psychologist, University of West Chester, PA). It was difficult to contain my excitement sitting on a Zoom panel with these incredible people! Enrique was on the boat that won the first Ocean Race in 1973; his father was the skipper. Mark was one of my childhood heroes... from my favorite sailing movie, Ray Disney’s Morning Light. The main focus of this Q&A was to answer questions from an earlier session discussing what we can learn from The Ocean Race and how we can apply these lessons to ocean conservation. Dr. Ottley spoke from her background in sport psychology about teamwork, how ocean racing is grounded in it, and how the lessons of teamwork apply to better protect our planet. It takes openness, discipline, courage, mastery, diversity, and “meeting each other exactly where they are.” When we come together as a team, we can solve the problems plaguing our oceans.

Richard Brisius’ dream and vision are to see the ocean as healthy and abundant as it was when The Ocean Race began back in 1973. It wasn’t perfect then, but there were twice as many fish and only 1% of the amount of plastic we see in the ocean today – a sad reality.

  Mark Towill’s “ah-ha moment” occurred during his first Ocean Race off the Malacca Straits when he decided the environment was broken. This was a part of the world in which he had never raced, and it was so different from anything he had ever seen. It looked like he could have stepped off the boat and walked to shore on the big pieces of marine debris and fishing nets. He felt the responsibility to do something. Personally, I related to his story as during my Semester at Sea (SEA) sail aboard a tall ship, we found plastic in every net tow we conducted – from large to microscopic pieces. This discovery broke my heart and was one of many “ah-ha moments.”

  Participating in The Ocean Race Summits was inspiring – not only to be surrounded virtually by such amazing sailors and advocates, but the sense of unity and urgency we shared. As a young scientist just entering this field, this gives me tremendous hope for the future of our oceans.

Watch a recording of the Virtual Action Lab “Youth for 30 x 30.”

Losing The Spring Semester, A College Senior’s Perspective

My name is D’amy Steward and I am a member of the class of 2020 – the class that lost their final spring semester. What does this loss mean? For many of us, we heard news of the Coronavirus and its impact on our senior year while on spring break. The immediate impact: missed goodbyes to friends, professors, and advisors; missing our final walk to class across the quad; a final time studying in the library; running into friends randomly on campus abruptly terminated; a premature last sporting event; and most significantly, a graduation that will not be. These and many more “lasts” have passed before I even have a chance to process it. The feeling of closure on the past four years of my life swept away. In the grand scheme of things, I realize this is insignificant given the global crisis we are facing. However, in the moment when you have only a few hours to move out of your dorm and take your last walk around campus at 1 a,m. to reflect and relish memories one last time before driving back home to Coronado... it feels like your world is crashing down around you.

I attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, double majoring in Biology and Environmental Science with concentrations in Ecology and Marine Science and Conservation. As I was preparing to leave for spring break, I said “see you later” to friends as I drove them to the airport or as they left the dorms, fully anticipating I would see then in a week’s time. I would give anything to be able to go back and hug these friends and take a moment to express in person just how much of an impact they had on me during our time at Duke. I would give anything be able to personally thank the professors who helped me advance to where I am today, guiding me through my college career and beyond. To be able to walk across campus and appreciate every little detail, from the way the sun reflects off the windows of West Union (our dining hall) to witnessing the beauty of nature’s colors in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens to listening to the Chapel bells ring one last time, would be a gift. Words cannot describe the feeling of loss I have realizing all of this is gone and my career at Duke is over. Duke allowed me to travel the world for my studies and exposed me to opportunities and career paths I could never have imagined. I savored every minute I was fortunate enough to experience. All of us knew the end was near with spring semester halfway over, but we never could have predicted this abrupt ending.

Speaking for all the class of 2020 seniors – we have had a ride of a lifetime in our respective experiences and more than a few things in common. For example, my first day of preschool in Coronado coincided with 9/11, an event that devastated and changed our nation forever. Now, in 2020 our senior year ends starkly and without ceremony due to COVID-19. Historical events have impacted my generation from an early age. While not the traditional path we might have preferred, it is a path fate has decreed; we will forever be bonded by the experience and, hopefully, all learn and grow from the shared experience. Now more than ever, we must unite and support each other and, as a global generation, set our sights on addressing global turmoil.

To all the seniors, this is not the end, it is simply a tumultuous prologue to the next stage of our lives. Remember the good times and be grateful for what you had. Take to heart lessons learned in and out of the classroom. Each day going forward look to the future with hope, appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of others and yourself, and do not undervalue the experiences that have shaped you.

So many clichés come to mind as I close. Perhaps the most fitting: life is what you choose to make of it. I am confident the Class of 2020 will garner strength – and, hopefully, wisdom – from events that have thus far shaped us and leverage both to positively impact the world we are inheriting.

“Graduation photo” taken at midnight after moving out of the dorm.

“Graduation photo” taken at midnight after moving out of the dorm.

Previously published in the Coronado Eagle Journal

Spring 2019 Update

It is past time for a blog update! My apologies for not posting sooner, the past year has been quite a trip- literally! Allow me to fill you in.

Spring 2018 – Duke Marine Lab

I spent the spring semester of 2018 at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. Beaufort is a quaint coastal town located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The downtown city front (might be an overstatement) looks across Tylor’s Creek to the Rachel Carson Reserve. If you sit long enough, you might be lucky enough to see some of their  26 wild horses. The lab is stationed on Pivers Island, the only other buildings belong to a NOAA Laboratory facility. Spring is a unique semester at the Duke Marine Lab. Classes are in a block schedule, only one class at a time, each lasting for about 4 weeks. Many of these classes offer the opportunity to travel. I was fortunate enough to spend the first course traveling to Belize with Dr. Brian Silliman for Marine Ecology. We spent the first week in the rain forest and the other two weeks our on a caye off the coast. We spent our days lecturing, snorkeling, identifying species, and observing interactions. We completed our time on the island working on research projects. After returning to Beaufort for a few days, we were off on our next adventure to Singapore to study Urban Tropical Ecology with Dr. Tom Schultz and Dr. Dan Rittschof. Exploring such a unique city/metropolitan country was incredible. I was consistently blown away by the utilization of green space in the downtown area. No ground space? No problem. Build a vertical garden on the sides of high rises and establish rooftop gardens. Gardens by the Bay is a wonderful example of creative utilization of space to make the city all the more green. My favorite part of this course was the short trip we took to Malaysia. We crossed the border and drove to a coastal town where we boarded a boat for a long boat ride out to Pulau Dayang. We were the only ones on this island surrounded by brilliant blue water. I have never seen so many diverse species of coral or as many brilliant colors while snorkeling as I did here. From Giant Clams to Cuttlefish to massive neon coral, I was amazed. I would give anything to go back and explore further. We returned to Beaufort for a block at the lab where I took Biology with one of my favorite professors, Dr. Schultz. The last block I spent time in St. Croix working with The St. Croix Leatherback Project on Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge with Dr. Matthew Godfrey. Here we spent the nights walking the beach with team members from 8:00pm to 6:00 am looking for nests and turtles. Some nights were long with no turtles at all, and other nights we would have up to three leatherbacks nesting. We helped measure the turtles, mark nest sites, and tag the turtles. When we found the first turtle, we stayed behind her while she dug her nest as to not disturb her. Once she began laying her eggs, we went to work. As we moved around her, I was finally able to appreciate the sheer size of this animal. The shell alone can reach up to 6 feet in length. Truly an amazing experience never to be forgotten.

Summer 2018 –R/V Falkor

If you follow any Ocean Steward social media accounts, you will have seen posts from aboard the R/V Falkor with Schmidt Ocean Institute. I set sail aboard the R/V Falkor on a voyage up the coast from San Diego, CA to Astoria, OR mapping methane seeps with chief scientist Susan Merle (OSU) as a student scientist. There were also artists on board working with the crew and scientists to present research in their respective media from murals to sculptures to resin paintings. This was a fascinating experience. So often research is difficult to comprehend and intimidating, as a result, many people are not up to date on the most recent research. These scientists present the work in such a way that it draws attentions and sparks curiosity in the audience. Curiosity is the first step toward engagement. While on board, I presented to the Rotary Club of Coronado during a ship to shore FaceTime. I learned to appreciate the work we were doing in a different way. It truly is beautiful.

Fall 2018 – Duke Marine Lab

I returned to the lab for another round! However, this semester was disrupted by Hurricane Florence that devastated the lab for some time. The students were evacuated to main campus where we stayed for four weeks until the lab was restored enough for us to resume classes. At this point the campus dorms were still destroyed, so we lived in a hotel for a few weeks while repairs were made. The lab faculty and staff deserve all the credit for making it possible for us to return. For a time, it looked as if we would not be able to return, but everyone pitched in and made it possible it happen. We are all grateful for the time and effort they spent restoring the lab, moving our items out of rooms to prevent damage not once, but twice. We owe the semester to these wonderful people. Fall at the marine lab is set up like a normal semester. All classes occur at once without travel components. However, Fall Break at the marine lab is extended so students may participate in a travel course. I was part of a travel course that traveled to Bocas del Toro, Panama. We spent the days on boats going from site to site collecting data and snorkeling. Evenings were spent data crunching with further analysis. Having opportunities like this sets Duke apart. Being able to get back to hands-on science and work in the field is always refreshing. Upon return we resumed our normal classes. I began my research with Dr. Avery Paxton in Dr. Silliman’s lab – a project collaborating with NOAA to map artificial reefs in the Southeast US. This project is ongoing and will be my senior thesis so stay tuned!

Spring 2019 – Duke

After a year away, I returned to main campus in Durham, NC. I am continuing my research with Dr. Paxton remotely. Classes are normal and stressful, as to be expected. However, I managed to find another unique opportunity to travel and do research. I found an opportunity to take a course with Dr. Stuart Pimm, Seabird Dispersal and Analysis, with a travel component to Dry Tortugas National Park. Dry Tortugas is located 67 miles west of Key West. This is a breeding site of the Sooty Tern. A massive banding effort has been going on for years now. Duke has been assisting this project since 2015. Every spring break, Dr. Pimm takes students to the island for a week. Days are spent out at the breeding site catching birds in nets, banding them, and recording the band number and weight. This season we managed to catch 590 birds total. While I was not the best at catching birds, I found my strength in running birds up and down the beach to be banded. At times we had so many birds being caught we had to have three people running and even still we were backed up. I cannot say enough about the beauty of the birds and island. We were truly fortunate to have this opportunity.

Music: Darwin Derby by Vulfpeck

 

There is more travel in my future as the summer I as I will be completing my NOAA Hollings Scholarship Internship in Saipan, CNMI working on a research project involving invasive catfish. Stay tuned and as always – and be an Ocean Steward.  

~ D’amy Steward

The Ocean Steward

Summer 2017 Update

Happy Summer! 

BLUE VISION SUMMIT

I was fortunate to represent EarthEcho at the Blue Vision Summit in Washington D.C. this past May. I served on a panel along with Nora Abdiruham (National Aquarium), Kimberly Correia (Plastic Free Mermaids), Seth Weinfield (Heirs to Our Oceans), Steve Culbertson (Youth Service America), and Bill Street (SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment). Sean Russell from Youth Ocean Conservation Summit was our moderator.  We discussed the importance of engaging youth leaders in the field of ocean conservation and strategies for reaching and mobilizing young audiences in a time of increasing threats. I enjoyed speaking with like-minded inspirational youth leaders.

The second day of the conference was Healthy Ocean Hill Day. Participants broke into groups by state to lobby officials on the Hill. I realized the importance of making our voices heard. Without legislation and support from Washington to protect our oceans, there is only so much we can do. Whether your voice is heard at the local, state, or federal level, it is important and makes a difference. Now more than ever, we need people of all ages to speak up and share their concerns with their elected officials.

TIJUANA SEWAGE DOCUMENTARY

Most people from San Diego have heard about the ongoing and worsening sewage issue in Tijuana, Mexico, but others may not have. When a pipe broke in March releasing 256 million gallons of raw sewage into the Tijuana River, people on both sides of the border were outraged.  Coronado Middle School’s broadcast program created the documentary, The Awful Truth, to provide background on the issue and underscore the devastating impact on San Diego beach communities. I was pleased to contribute footage from my time in Washington, DC, to this important documentary. Please watch this 16-minute video and share it to help spread the word about what is happening on our beaches. This is a bi-national issue requiring Washington's action. 

UCSD SCRIPPS MARINE LAB

This summer I am interning at the UCSD Scripps Marine Lab as a part of the Marine Physical Laboratory Internship program. Working at Scripps has been eye opening to see all the different research projects in the individual labs. 

BE AN OCEAN STEWARD

I am seeing a lot of trash on our beaches and in the ocean this summer. Let’s pick it up!  Please pick up three pieces of trash every day and ask your friends to do the same. Every little bit helps! Stay tuned for updates on social media. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Please encourage your friends to visit the website and subscribe. Thank you for being an Ocean Steward!

~ D'amy Steward

The Ocean Steward

 

Happy New Year!

As we begin 2017, our oceans need us more than ever!  Did you know every year 8,000,000 metric tons of plastic enter the ocean?  Americans throw away 60 million plastic water bottles a day. At this rate, by the year 2050 plastic will exceed the number of fish in our oceans. If this disturbs you, it should!  We need everyone to become an Ocean Steward. 

With my first semester at Duke completed, it is clear ocean research is more important than ever with study of the epigenetics and genomics leading the way to formulate future policy regarding fisheries and marine protected areas. I want to share a few highlights from my fall:

1) Our Oceans Conference 

I was fortunate to attend John Kerry’s Our Ocean Summit in Washington, D.C. in September as a member of EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council. It was an incredible opportunity to meet like-minded people from around the world who are committed to helping our oceans. The inspiring speakers ranged from US Secretary of State John Kerry to Sylvia Earle (Mission Blue) to Phillipe Cousteau (founder of EarthEcho International). It was exciting to sit and listen to countries announce their goals for the year.  Protecting our oceans and planet takes vision, hard work, and collaboration of all countries and people. It is a shared responsibility to care and advocate for our oceans.

2) 3T4E (Three pieces of Trash For the Earth)

Thank you to everyone who participated in EarthEcho International’s project, 3T4E.  I was pleased EarthEcho International selected my concept as their first Youth Leadership Council Initiative. While I would have liked to have more lead-time, the results are impressive. Social media reached 1,624,016 people in 19 countries and 24 states with 469 posts with #3T4E. Look for 3T4E this fall and be sure to post your photo. In the meantime, make every day a 3T4E Day! Pick up 3 pieces of Trash 4 the Earth every day!

3) Sailors for the Sea Gala

I was honored to be recognized for my ocean conservation work at Sailors for the Sea’s annual gala fund raiser hosted by David and Susan Rockefeller and Stephen & Wendy Lash at Christie's in New York City. Fellow awardees included Dr. Enric Sala (National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence & Executive Director of Pristine Seas), Ian Walker (two-time Olympic Silver Medalist & winning skipper of the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race), and Charles Goddard (Editorial Director, Asia-pacific, The Economist Intelligence Unit & Executive Director of the Economist's World Ocean Summit).  Sailors for the Sea engages, educates, inspires, and activates the sailing and boating communities toward healing the ocean. Speaking to a crowd of over 200 whose generosity that evening raised over $880,000 for ocean conservation, I spoke of my life-long love of the ocean and passion for its preservation. Thank you US Sailing for sponsoring my award and Sailors for the Sea for believing in me and allowing me to serve as their ambassador.

As we look ahead, think about what YOU can do to help our oceans:

1)    Choose sustainable seafood.

2)   Say no to single use plastics.

3)   Skip the plastic straw and lid.

4)   Get involved with an ocean conservation group.

5)    Pick up three pieces of trash EVERY day and convince your friends to do the same! 

Here is to a healthier ocean in 2017!

- D'amy Steward

Welcome!

Welcome! I am excited and proud to announce the launch of Ocean Steward, and I am so glad you are here. My name is D’amy Steward, and I became involved with ocean conservation after a high school version of SEA Semester with Sea Education Association (SEA) aboard the tall ship, SSV Robert C. Seamans, following my freshman year in high school.  We sailed down the coast of California starting in Sausalito sailing through the Golden Gate Bridge, then through the Channel Islands ending in Catalina at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center. Throughout the trip, we conducted experiments over the side of the rail, one of which was a net tow. In every single net tow, we collected plastic. From microscopic bits to hose reels, my eyes were opened to the magnitude of the pressing issue of plastic pollution. It pained and angered me to see all the garbage. Upon my return I was determined to find a way to make a difference and take action. I have been a sailor my entire life and have raced competitively around the country. I began noticing at regattas a logo that would appear on banners and water bottles we were given. I decided to research the logo. After a brief Google search I learned Sailors for the Sea is a non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode Island, that is dedicated to educating the boating communities about plastics pollution and ocean conservation. I contacted them and offered to be a person on the ground at regattas.  I was appointed the first West Coast Ambassador and began speaking at yacht club dinners, regattas, and schools helping to spread the message for Sailors for the Sea. My message was a simple three prong plan: 1) Pick up three pieces of trash every day, 2) use reusable water bottles, and  3) convince your friends to do the same — a plan that was easy to remember and not too much to ask. Fast forward a few years, I am now a member of the Youth Leadership Council for EarthEcho — an organization run by Jacque Cousteau’s grandchildren. EarthEcho strives to inspire youth to take actions toward a sustainable future. It is my goal to create an organization and website that makes it easy for people to find ways to get involved by synergizing the efforts and projects of various conservation organizations. Hence, the double entendre of this website:  "Ocean Steward."  I seek to bring together like-minded people who want to make a difference and join the movement to help save our oceans. Man and the oceans are inextricably linked. It is our responsibility to help protect our waters. I hope you find this website useful and become an Ocean Steward. While ONE can make a difference, MANY can make an ocean of difference. 

- D'amy Steward