MM Welcomes Summer 2020 Interns

Mālama Maunalua is happy to welcome six interns this summer, hailing from right here on O’ahu all the way to the east coast of the mainland. These interns will be working on a range of projects on land and in the water, including oyster bioremediation in Koko Marina, rain gauge installation above Maunalua Bay, climate resilient coral research, seagrass monitoring, and water quality data management. We’re very excited to undertake this meaningful work with an awesome team!

Anelise Zimmer, Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

Originally from the island of Kodiak, Alaska, Anelise is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of the Environment, where she studies climate change and ecosystem conservation. At Mālama Maunalua, Anelise is utilizing environmental data and ArcGIS to identify suitable locations for climate resilient coral reef restoration in Maunalua Bay. This summer, she is eager to learn about Hawai’i’s biodiversity as well as coastal management under climate change conditions.

Davis Coffey, University of Virginia

Davis is an undergrad environmental science and poetry major at the University of Virginia. He is spending the summer with Mālama Maunalua investigating different restoration techniques for the native seagrass species H. hawaiiana. He is also working on developing a comprehensive map of H. hawaiiana distribution in the Paiko beach region of Maunalua Bay. Davis is hoping to be able to ID every species of algae found in the bay while blind-folded by the end of the internship.

Kealaulaikalani Gier, Willamette University (recently graduated)

Kealaulaikalani, originally from Kaneohe, HI, graduated from Iolani School in 2016 and Willamette University in 2020 with a Bachelors of Arts in Economics, Sociology, and Environmental Science. Her project this summer will be focused on organizing the implemented database for water quality assessments of Maunalua Bay while tackling a side project of creating sedimentation traps for future use. She hopes this summer will allow her to become more familiar with inputting water quality data to prepare her for an upcoming job opportunity in August.

Lia Wong, University of San Diego

Lia is a rising third year at the University of San Diego studying Environmental and Ocean Sciences and Biology. She is from Mānoa in Honolulu and is working on the Oyster Bioremediation Project to clean the water in Maunalua Bay and Koko Marina. Lia is hoping to gain experience in conservation work and connect with more people in the field.

Nick Nonnenmacher, Middlebury College

Nick is a rising senior Environmental Studies and Biology undergrad originally from Connecticut, and now studying at Middlebury College in Vermont. This summer, he is taking a break from the cold and working on installing rain gauges around and above Maunalua Bay in order to more accurately capture the local regional rainfall variation. This summer, he hopes to learn more about running community engagement projects and being a resource manager and conservationist, while immersing himself in local Hawaiian culture.

Sammie Kuriyama, University of Washington

Sammie is a rising 3rd-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington studying Environmental Science and Urban Planning. This summer, she is working on the Oyster Bioremediation project to provide the groundwork for possible oyster projects within Koko Marina and Maunalua Bay and educate community members about the initiative. Originally from Moanalua, she hopes to learn more about her home and give back to the community while learning more about conservation and research!