June 2015 Seawords

Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter

June 2015/Photography Issue

46 “ To say I

am obsessed with the water is an understatement. ”

MOP SPRING GRADUATION PROPOSED REMOVAL OF HUMPBACK WHALES FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

June 2015

Volume XXIX, Number 6

Articles Page 3: Letter from the Editor Page 4: MOP graduation & keynote speech Page 8: Proposed removal of humpback whales from endangered species list Page 10: Generation Blue Page 12: Wanna sea something cool?

Page 14: Critter of the Month Page 16: Hanauma Bay calendar of events Page 17: Flashback Page 18: MOP calendar of events Page 20: Photography competition

About the Photography -Cover: Antoinette Ranit, UHM MOP Student -Table of Contents: Antoinette Ranit, UHM MOP Student, 2014 Seawords Photography Contest submission.

-June calendar of events: Kimberly James, UHH Student, 2014 Seawords Photography Contest submission.

-Back cover: Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP Student -All uncredited photos by: MOP -Disclaimer: any photo taken from flickr.com is used under the Creative Commons License and is credited appropriately with links to the user’s flickr account.

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Letter from the Editor

N

ow that the semester has wound down, we at Seawords have a luxurious issue to present to you: the long-awaited Photography Issue!

Unlike last year’s photography issue, this year we also have several of our regular articles for your enjoyment including Generation Blue and Critter of the Month.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it!

Thanks for reading,

Seawords Volume XXIX, Number 6, June 2015 Editor: Kathryn Lam Associate Editor: Brijonnay Madrigal Dr. Cynthia Hunter (éminence grise) Seawords- Marine Option Program University of Hawai‘i, College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Telephone: (808) 956-8433 Email: <seawords@hawaii.edu> Website: <http://www.hawaii.edu/mop> Seawords is the monthly newsletter of the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawai‘i. Opinions expressed herein are not necessariliy those of the Marine Option Program or of the University of Hawai‘i.

Suggestions and submissions are welcome. Submissions may include articles, photography, art work, or anything that may be of interest to the marine community in Hawai‘i and around the world.

All photos are taken by MOP unless otherwise credited.

JUNE 2015 |3

Student Perspective

MOP GRAD O

n May 8th, 2015 the Marine Option Program held its eight MOP students from both the University of Haw Coordinator Jeff Kuwabara gave welcoming remarks This was followed by a “Life after MOP” keynote add Jeff Kuwabara then presented the attending graduates with their and conveyed what the MOP program has meant to them. Closin On behalf of the MOP ‘ohana, we wish the spring 2015 MOP gra

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DUATION

Photo credit: Kathryn Lam Seawords Editor

s 88th graduation ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of wai‘i at Mānoa and University of Hawai‘i at Hilo campuses. MOP to the friends and family that gathered to share a potluck meal. dress given by a MOP Alumnus and inspiration, Paula Ayotte.

MOP certificates. Each graduate spoke about their future plans ng remarks were given by Dr. Cindy Hunter (MOP Director). aduates the best of luck in their future endeavors! n

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Graduates: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MĀNOA Cencia Balderama Certificate Title: Coastal Mapping Project Title: Mapping off-roading vehicle trails of the Mokuleia side of Ka‘ena Point via remote sensing techniques and interactive map Roman Kalinowski Certificate Title: Sailing Education Project Title: Effective Sailing Instruction Antoinette Ranit Certificate Title: Ocean Literature Project Title: Stop the Slop Christina Curto Certificate Title: Shark Conservation Project Title: Survey site comparisons and quantitative ecological analysis of apex predator and indicator fish species in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji Taylor Shedd Certificate Title: Maritime Culture and Heritage Project Title: Crossing and ocean: The benefits and experiences of sailing programs UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT HILO Julia Rose Certificate Title: Reef Monitoring Project Title: Population dynamics of hermatypic corals on artificial reef modules at Waianae, Hawai’i Chris Funada Certificate Title: Technology Project Title: QUEST ID flash modules Jenna Rubin Certificate Title: Outreach and Education Project Title: A quick guide for an ecofriendly visit to Hawai‘i’s shores: An informative pamphlet

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Keynote speaker: Paula Ayotte

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By Kathryn Lam, Editor

aula Ayotte, the keynote speaker for UH MOP graduation this year, opened her talk by announcing that she had been “clueless” when she first went to college and ended up actually leaving shortly after starting to pursue a career in professional dancing. After awhile she switched gears and became a corporate consultant, but eventually she wound up returning to school. She attended undergraduate school at UH Hilo as a non-traditional student where she joined UH Hilo’s MOP program. She not only attended QUEST, but also became UHH MOP Student Coordinator.

According to Ayotte, even though UH Hilo is a smaller campus than UH Mānoa, it provided just as many opportunities because the smaller campus meant that there were a number of research projects and internships available with her professors. Ayotte ended up choosing to conduct her skill project on sea cucumbers and won the Anna Ng Toy award when she presented at the annual MOP Student Symposium in 2005.

During her time at UH Hilo, Ayotte took a semester to sail on a research cruise to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and a Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) equatorial cruise. It was these two opportunities that caused her to put off plans to move to O‘ahu to attain a masters degree in chemical oceanography and instead she got her first job at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) with the super sucker team, removing alien invasive algae in Kāne‘ohe Bay. After this, Ayotte was presented with the opportunity to pursue her dream job working with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Coral Reef

Ecosystem Division. Here, she collected data on coral reefs for fisheries management. With this job, Ayotte went on several cruises to map the Coral Reef Triangle and just a few years ago was able to go to East Timor for the first time!

In addition to mapping reefs, Ayotte has also been able to learn geospacial mapping which she said is very interesting; however, her main job is conducting fish surveys. Fish surveys are important because they collect data for fisheries management and the information is used to keep track of biomass and other important factors. Ayotte also says that fish surveys are “really cool.” She conducts these surveys on about fifty different islands, atolls, banks, and reefs in the Pacific Ocean every three years.

According to Ayotte, the skills needed to be involved with these sorts of cruises are familiarity with the ArcGIS system and a working knowledge of R and SAS statistical software. Those who are interested in learning this software can find free classes online, said Ayotte. For her, though, all of these opportunities were made possible through the connections she made while at MOP and QUEST. n These surveys are a part of the NOAA Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) research cruises which take two QUEST graduates with them as interns each trip. This past summer, MOP alum Stephen Matadobra and current UHM MOP Student Coordinator, Tate Wester, were able to go on the cruise with Ayotte and the other RAMP scientists. To read more about the RAMP cruise, you can read an article written by Wester and published in the December 2014 issue of Seawords.

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Features proposed removal of humpbacks from endangered species list

Photo credit: Alysia Curdts and Trent Fischer

By Brijonnay Madrigal, Associate Editor

L

ast month, the federal government officially proposed to remove humpback whales from the endangered species list. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, this list was first created in 1964 and was called “The Red Book on Rare and Endangered Fish and Wildlife of the United States.” This book was a result of the environmental political activism that became popular in the 1960s. Also a result of this activism was the banning of commercial whaling of humpback whales by the International Whaling Commission.

After decades of overexploitation for resources such as whale oil, fertilizer and pet food, humpback whales were first deemed “endangered” in 1970 under the Endangered Species Act, the most influential federal

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law governing the protection of at risk wildlife species. In 1991, a recovery plan was implemented with the objective of increasing humpback whale populations to 60% of the pre-whaling population or current environmental carrying capacity. This was later modified to doubling within 20 years. It’s estimated that approximately 90,000 humpback whale individuals currently exist world-wide.

The April 2015 proposal to delist the humpback lists was based on a reclassification of populations that divided the worldwide total into 14 populations.

Ten of these populations will be removed from the endangered species list. The two populations in the Arabian Sea and Northwestern Africa will continue to be classified as endangered while the two in Central

American and the Western North Pacific will be listed as threatened. After 45 years of conservation, this would mean that approximately two thirds of all humpbacks would be considered recovered.

The delisting was instigated by a petition created from pressures from both the state of Alaska and the Hawai‘i Fisherman’s Alliance as both tropical and polar regions agreed that the humpback populations in their areas had increased to a stable state. However, each organization can be considered to have a bias as removing ESA protection in Alaska would make authorization of offshore drilling easier while the action on the part of the Hawaiian Fisherman’s Alliance stems from opposition to federal oversight of fishing grounds.

Historically, only 1% of species have ever been taken off the endangered species list which makes this proposal even more remarkable. American crocodiles, bald eagles, and gray wolves and are among the 56 species that have been removed. The only marine mammal species that has ever been delisted was the gray whale, specifically the Eastern North Pacific gray whale stock, in 1994. This decision was made based on evidence that populations of the gray whales had rebounded in their range.

Despite the delisting, though, humpback whales will still be protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Additionally, the Center for Biological Diversity has conveyed their skepticism and stated that this action may be premature. Many of the population estimates are outdated, some by as much as a decade. On the other hand, numerous people are proud of these population recoveries and consider them a milestone in conservation efforts. This success is attributed to the efforts of agencies, citizens and the scientific research that support these decisions. n An essential question that emerges from this proposal is whether or not protection is sufficient for continued recovery in the future. If you have any comments or strong opinions on this proposal, the ESA is giving the public the opportunity to provide feedback and comments through July 20th.

Click here to give your comments to the federal government.

Photo credit: Kimberly James UHH MOP Student

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Actions for the Ocean

BLUE

By Brijonnay Madrigal, Associate Editor

THE OCEAN SPANS OVER 70 PERCENT OF OUR WORLD. It is responsible for regulating temperature, food production, sustaining numerous species, and is a source for inspiration for many people.The ocean gives us so much and it is time for us to return the favor and take actions to make the ocean ecosystem healthy again. Almost every action that we take affects the ocean in some way. Our everyday choices can be tailored to support a healthy ocean. Here are some examples of green acts that will keep the ocean blue.

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Photo credit: Corey Mutnik UHM MOP Student

Beat the heat- “Generation Blue” style!

Summer is here which means we have more time to explore the outdoors or, if one is so inclined, to cool off indoors. However while you’re out and about this summer, here are a few tips to help keep in mind having a “green” summer while beating the heat!

1. Barbeques: Avoid charcoal if you can. Charcoal can contribute to bad air quality and pollute the environment. Cleaner options include propane and electric grills.

2. Sunscreen: Many of the chemicals in sunscreen negatively affect the environment, and may induce coral bleaching. Next time you go to the store, look for environmentally-friendly sunscreen. You can find more information at http://www.greeneffect.me/safe-safe-earth-8-eco-friendly-sunscreens/.

3. Keeping the Earth litter free: While camping, picnicking, or hiking, make sure you always know where the nearest garbage cans are to make sure you have somewhere to throw your trash so it doesn’t end up on the beach or park where it can end up in the ocean. As a precaution, make sure to bring garbage bags with you when you go on your next camping trip; pack-in, pack out.

4. Cool off the right way: Electric fans are 90% more energy efficient than air conditioning systems so try using fans whenever possible next time you feel the need to cool down. Or, head over to the nearest body of water and jump in! n JUNE 2015 |11

Features

Wanna sea something cool?

By Rachel Shackne, UHM MOP Student

Getting “Jacksoned” up on Marine Conservation and Global Environmental Change: An overview of Dr. Jeremy Jackson’s presentations at the 40th Annual Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium

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r. Jeremy Jackson, Professor of Oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, and Senior Scientist at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, gave a public presentation as part of the 40th Annual Albert L. Tester Symposium held from April 8-10, 2015.

During his first talk on April 8, he spoke of coral reef conservation and discussion, pointing to the main concepts surrounding marine coastal issues such as sea surface temperature and ocean acidification. According to Jackson, one of the world’s foremost leaders in marine research, it is important to understand human impacts on reefs and our ability to affect ecosystem dynamics by our use of the coastal oceans. He also discussed other keynote concepts about coral ecosystems, such as how certain reefs have evolved to react to changing climate shifts and our need to develop and further our understanding of those specific ecosystems.

Amidst the facts of destruction to our societies and his overall depressing narrative, he had a slight undertone of humor. Jackson kept the crowds engaged, yet still focused on the dilemma. Ending his gloom and doom talk with “I could go for a martini right now, how ‘bout you?”, Jackson left the crowd with the eerie feeling that the change that is coming is inevitable, yet managing to make us understand that we can still take positive actions by controlling overfishing and coastal pollution. n

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Rachel Shackne/UHM MOP Student

His second talk, given on April 10 to UHM students and faculty, spoke in terms of “the Ocean Apocalypse” in relation to how rapid climate shifts are impacting sea level rise which will have explicit implications to coastal urban communities. Jackson focused heavily on Miami, New Orleans, and New York in terms of damage from storm surge, the financial demands of destruction, and the number of people that will be affected. He discussed the importance of planning and the necessity for discussion, highlighting that areas such as Miami that resist to plan for sea level change will have difficulty mitigating damage.

critter of the month

Ornate butterflyfish Seawords features marine critters seen and photographed by MOP students. Send your critters to seawords@hawaii.edu to be featured and be sent an issue of Seawords in color and a MOP sticker. (Come in after we contact you to claim your prizes).

This month’s critter photo is by UHM MOP student Corey Mutnik.

Scientific name: Chaetodon ornatissimus Found throughout tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific area, the ornate butterflyfish is closely related to the reticulated butterflyfish (C. reticulatus) and the scrawled butterflyfish (C. meyeri).

The ornate butterflyfish can grow up to 20 cm in length and is found at depths down to 36 m, although this particular one was found in the shallow waters of Hanauma Bay on O‘ahu’s southeast coast.

According to Hawai‘i’s fishes: a guide for snorklers and divers by John P. Hoover , these fish which feed almost exclusively on coral polyps and coral mucous, find dark crevices and their bright markings fade at night so that they can blend in with the reef background.

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FREE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

June 2015 – Science and the Nearshore -7 June“NO LIMU – NO FISH” by Wally Ito, Ewa Beach Limu Project

-14 JuneSunday afternoons 3pm to 4pm at Hanauma Bay Parking $1.00 per vehicle

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“Me he 'opihi pa'a la: Utilizing Science and Culture to Manage Our Shorelines” by Hoku Johnson, NOAA, National Marine Monuments

-21 June-

“Phylogeography of tropical Pacific marine algae” by Alison Sherwood, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Botany Department

-28 June-

“A global perspective on Hawai‘i’s coral reefs” by Alan Friedlander, Chief Scientist, Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Fisheries Ecology Research Lab Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i

See you Sunday!

Questions?

Call # 397-5840

CALL TO ACTION Please check nearby coral reefs and report any signs of bleaching.

Make an online report: www.eorhawaii.org Send photos to:

rrcpcoordinator@gmail.com Bleached coral (on right) next to normal coral (left) at Lanikai, O‘ahu on 9/23/2014 Photo credit: C. Hunter

Want to know more about the EOR Network or coral bleaching? www.oerhawaii.org www.facebook.com/eyesofthereef Flyer created by and used with permission from: Eyes of the Reef

FLASHBACK: 2007

After last month’s flashback to when UHM MOP Coordinator, Jeff Kuwabara, began working at MOP professionally, we wouldn’t want MOP’s beloved director, Dr. Cindy Hunter, to feel left out. So Seawords flipped a few issues forward in our archives to July 2007, the month Dr. Hunter joined our MOP ‘ohana.

Almost eight years ago, Dr. Hunter took over as MOP Director from the late Sherwood Maynard, who we honored in our February 2014 issue. Since starting at MOP, Dr. Hunter has done so much for our students, from mentoring them during their MOP projects to teaching them in the classroom. Mahalo, Dr. Hunter for all your hard work!

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Letter to the Photographers

Dear Seawords Readers and Photographers, Many thanks to everyone who submitted their work for the competition. Picking just one favorite was hard as all the photos were incredibly beautiful. However this year, due to lack of participation, we only have three categories: topside, under the sea, and fauna.

Each category will start off with the winning photo followed by an interview with the photographer and then the two runner-up photos.

We hope you enjoy looking through the photos taken by all these wonderful photographers: Angel Melone, UHM MOP Student Amelia Dolgin, UHH MOP Student Atoinette Ranit, UHM MOP Student Erica Donlon, UHM MOP Student

Garret Venema, UHM MOP Student Joshua Levy, UHM Graduate Student Kelsey Maloney, UHM MOP Student Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP Student

Also, many thanks to Keoki Stender, photographer and owner of marinelifephotography. com for his help in determining the winner of the 2015 Photography Contest, Antoinette Ranit. The second place photo by photographer Taylor Shedd, is featured on the back cover of this issue.

Thank you, Kathryn Lam, Editor

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Contents:

THE PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE 22

Keoki Stender

34 Topside

24

Fauna

44 Under the Sea JUNE 2015 |21

KEOKI STEN marinelife photographer

F

ormer UHM MOP student, Keoki Stender, started taking photos of marine life for MOP in 1990.

Now, he works for the UH Diving Safety Program on the UH Mānoa campus and runs his own marine life photography website, marinelifephotography. com as well as a scuba repair business, Keoki’s Scuba. According to Stender, his favorite part about photography is “seeing fine details invisible unless magnified on a screen,” while his favorite part about marine life photography in specific would be “finding a species [he] hasn’t seen or shot before.”

Growing up, Stender was always “intrigued” by fish and

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NDER Photos (counterclockwise from top left):

Juvenile yellow anthias, a rare fish endemic to Hawai‘i (Holanthias fuscipinnis).

School of yellowfin goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis).

A school of blue stripped snappers (Lutjanus kasmira).

Stender’s wife, Yuko Stender snorkeling with red slate pencil urchins (Heterocentrotus mamillatus).

shells” and learned to apprecaite them by fishing and beachcombing with his family. He joined MOP because he loved the ocean and it was a way for him to pursue his interests at school. While at MOP, he most enjoyed the QUEST and QUEST ID classes, and graduted from Windward Community College MOP with a MOP Certificate in Marine Education.

To an aspiring marine life photographer, Stender would say “look at interesting photos and learn how they were created. Don’t be discouraged as we are all different. Discover what comes to you naturally and concentrate on doing it well. Experiment with your camera system to determine its strengths and weaknesses and apply it. Never stop learning and have fun.” n You can see more of Stender’s wonderful photography at his website, http://www.marinelifephotography.com. Also on his website you can find a link to his scuba repair shop, Keoki’s Scuba.

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Interview: Joshua Levy UHM Student Gradute student in Marine Biology M.S.

Q A Q A

: What is your connection to MOP?

: I am a graduate student in the Marine Biology program under the guidance of Dr. Cynthia Hunter, the director of MOP. : How did you become interested in photography?

: I first started taking photos of my friend’s house in upstate New York while I was in high school.

It was such a beautiful place that originally, I just wanted to archive what I was seeing. Over the years photography has evolved as a way for me to share how I view the world.

Q A Q A

: What kind of camera did you use?

: I used a Canon T4i with a 10-18mm lens and polarizer. : What’s the story behind this photo?

: I was on a trip to Big Island with some of my friends this past Spring. We were walking back from a morning at a secluded beach, and happened upon this turtle dragging himself up the beach. It was such a great setting that I had to take a shot.

Q A

: When you go to take a photo what sorts of things do you look for?

: It depends on what I’m shooting. Sometimes I’m trying to include a huge frame of view to capture scenery. For others, I’m focused on a very small subject, trying to get as much detail as possible.

Q

: What is your favorite type of photo to take?

A

: Underwater macro. It’s very rewarding when they come out well. n

Photo courtesy of Joshua Levy.

Runners-up:

hMaui monk

-Angel Melone, UHM MOP Student

About the fauna:

Honu: The honu or green sea turtle is a herbivore who can live to be over 80 years old. According to National Geographic, the honu can attain a size of up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) while they can weigh up to 700 lbs, or 317.5 kg! These beauties are on the endangered species list and can be found in the Indopacific. According to marinelifephotography.com, the honu’s “primary enemy” is the tiger shark. However, other threats include are poaching, boat collisions, entanglement, pollution, and fibropapilloma tumors. To learn more about the honu and what NOAA is doing for this endangered population, please read the April 2015 issue of Seawords.

Monk seal: The Hawaiian monk seal, or ‘ilioholoikauaua, is also a critically endangered species. The Hawaiian monk seal is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands which means that it can only be found on the Hawaiian Islands. The average lifespan of the Hawaiian monk seal is 25 to 30 years in the wild and these pinnepeds feed primarily on fishes and lobsters. gBrown These pinnepeds can reach a size of 7.5 ft (2.3 m) and can weigh up to 600 lbs (275 kg).

-Taylor Shedd, UHM MOP S The Hawaiian monk seal is one of two remaining monk seal species, a third species, the

n booby

Student

Fauna extended:

gRock huggers

-Angel Melone, UHM MOP Student

Caribbean monk seal was declared extinct in 2008 as a result of overhunting and overfishing. There are estimated to be about 12000 individuals of the Hawaiian monk seal left in the Hawaiian islands while there are estimated to be fewer than 600 individuals of the Mediterranean monk seal left.

Brown booby: The second runner-up, the brown booby lives in the tropical areas of the

iBare catch

-Angel Melone, UHM MOP Student

iHeterocentrotus mammillatus

-Erica Donlon, UHM MOP Student

Fauna contuned:

Pacific and Atlantic oceans. According to the National Audubon Society’s website, the brown booby feeds mainly on fish by taking incredible dives into the water, and have been known to specifically eat mullet and flying fish. Brown boobys also occasionally steal fish from other birds and have been known to eat squid and shrimp. The photographer, Taylor Shedd took this photo while he was at SEA Semester, an educational semester at sea.

There wasn’t enough room to give a brief bio of all the animals submitted to the fauna category, but in case you’re interested here is a list of all the featured animals so you can do your own research: -Lai (Scomberoides lysan); also known as a leatherskin or spotted queenfish -Shingle urchin (Colobocentrotus atratus)

-Red slate pencil urchin (Heterocentrotus mammillatus) -Collector urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) -Abbott’s moray eel (Gymnothorax eurostus)

hOscar

-Kelsey Maloney, UHM MOP Student

fTripneustes gratilla

-Erica Donlon, -UHM MOP Student JUNE 2015 |33

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TOPSIDE

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Interview: Taylor Shedd UHM MOP Student Major: Marine Biology MOP Certificate: Maritime Culture and Heritage

Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A

: Why did you join MOP?

: Because I wanted a hands on experiential learning experience. : What is your favorite MOP memory (so far)?

: Probably a tie between QUEST and MAST on Maui.

Q

: What is your favorite type of photo to take?

A

: The candid random ones.

They capture life’s purest and greatest moments. n

: How did you become interested in photography?

: I became interested when I started working g on a whale watch boat and saw some amazing things so I wanted to capture them. : What kind of camera did you use?

: GoPro 3+ : What’s the story behind this photo?

: This was taken on my study abroad trip with SeaMester crossing the Indian Ocean. This was taken as we were approaching Richards Bay, South Africa. We ran into some unexpected weather and swells. We went about 5 miles in one watch rotation (4 hours), because the swell was so bad. We were trimming the jib sail and waves kept crashing over the bow so I decided to take some photos.

Q A

: When you go to take a photo what sorts of things do you look for?

: Natural beauty or something unique that really inspires people and draws them into the photo.

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Photo courtesy of Shedd.

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Runners-up:

hUntitled, Untitled

-Garret Venema, UHM MOP Student 38|

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gChasing t

-Taylor Shedd, UHM MO

the Sunset

OP Student

gWorth it

-Kelsey Maloney, UHM MOP Student

fChinaman’s Hat

-Erica Donlon, -UHM MOP Student

fKa‘au Crater

-Joshua Levy, UHM Student

hSoul searching

-Kelsey Maloney, UHM MOP Student JUNE 2015 |41

Untitled

-Garett Venema, UHM MOP Student

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UNDER THE

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HE SEA

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Interview: Antoinette Ranit UHM MOP Student Major: Journalism Minor: English MOP Certificate: Ocean Literature

Q A

: Why did you join MOP?

the one million and first.

My friends and I love to explore the ocean : I joined MOP because I am a failed scientist. in our free time (and I am passionate about ocean conservation, but sometimes our not so want to contribute in a way that I can use my strengths. free time). When I free When I first began college, I pursued a biology degree. dive, I like to keep it But I soon found out that it was a lot different than to a minimum – mask, the biology courses I had taken in high school. I fell snorkel, fins, and a behind, but I still loved marine biology. So I decided to GoPro. This photo was switch my major to journalism, but continue my ocean taken on just another education while earning a certificate. That is why I day of another dive joined MOP. session with some lucky : What is your favorite MOP memory (so far)? visibility conditions.

Q A

: My favorite MOP memory was creating my MOP skills project – Stop the Slop. It’s an ocean conservation children’s book. I love writing and painting, so to be able to do both while earning a couple credits was pretty fun for me.

Q A

: How did you become interested in photography?

: I became interested in photography when I came to Hawai‘i and saw the most beautiful sights, met the most awesome people, and wanted to remember them all as vividly as possible.

Q A Q A

: What kind of camera did you use?

: GoPro Here 3+ Black. : What’s the story behind this photo?

: I could swim with one million Hawaiian Sea Turtles in my life and still be excited to swim with

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Q A

Photo courtesy of Antoinette

: When you go to Ranit. take a photo what sorts of things do you look for?

: When I take photos, I look for something that will get a lot of likes on Facebook and Instagram.

Kidding! On a more serious note, when I take photos I look for originality. As a journalist, my field has taught me that there is an incredibly slim chance that my subject of interest is original. However, the angle and subject frame can be. I like that challenge – taking something ordinary and finding away to make it new.

Q A

: What is your favorite type of photo to take?

: Underwater photography is my favorite genre of photography. To say I am obsessed with the water is an understatement. From my 17-year-long competitive swimmer career to my ocean-focused journalism, I am dedicated to the protection and conservation of our oceans through reflecting its beauty through the lens of my camera. n

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Runners-up:

Mistaken identity

-Joshua Levy, UHM Student

Graceful

-Amelia Dolgin, UHH MOP Student

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Cetacean nation

-Amelia Dolgin, UHH MOP Student

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Friendly wave

-Amelia Dolgin, UHH MOP Student

Sundays with spinners

-Antoinette Ranit, UHM MOP Student

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Redefined sky diving

-Antoinette Ranit, UHM MOP Student

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University of Hawai`i at Mānoa Seawords, Marine Option Program College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Address Service Requested

Thank you for reading!