Wave Formation
Water has been consistent in my life for over twenty years. I started swimming when I was three, and throughout middle and high school, I was a competitive swimmer, strengthening my comfort and skill in the water. Because of my comfort level, I relished going to the beach. Boogie-boarding with my cousins or body surfing, I became aware of the peace and adventure the ocean provided. It was not until I spent a summer at the University of Penn as a Teen Research and Education in Environmental Science (TREES) student that the ocean could be a career. I entered Hampton University as a Marine and Environmental Science major and realized through a variety of internship opportunities the multitude of career opportunities in marine science. When I participated in TDP, an initiative through the University of California Office of the President to get a SCUBA certification and travel to one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, Bali, Indonesia, I knew that marine science was meant to be more than a hobby. Upon seeing my first coral reef in person, I was hooked and knew I wanted to see more. The following year, I entered the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at UCLA as a PhD student, where I worked in the Fong lab. A common sign of coral degradation is the transition from coral to algal dominance. My PhD research focused on the environmental factors that influence turf algal proliferation across a gradient of reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia. I graduated with my PhD in Biology in 2019 from UCLA. From there, I further developed my oceanic and research foundations as a postdoc at the University of California and the University of Pennsylvania.
Research
Broadly speaking, I am interested in the changes happening to coastal communities. I focus on coral reef ecosystems, which are vital to fisheries globally (It is estimated that 1 out of every 4 fish species spends a portion of their life in a coral reef), local economies (i.e., ecotourism, oceanic goods for sale), and shore protection. Reefs, however are not doing well, and we see their demise happening at an expedited speed. Typically, reefs are full of corals, fish, invertebrates, and various other organisms. They are underwater cities, however when stressed vital members of the community are loss. A warning sign for reef degradation is the transition from coral dominance to algae dominance. Throughout my career I have focused on the environmental changes that allow algae to succeed, preventing the return of healthy coral-dominated states. For most of my graduate career, I deployed a multitude of field experiments and collected samples for nutrient assays among reefs in the South Pacific. For my postdocs, I currently employ metabarcoding techniques to assess how nutrient enrichment and altered herbivore communities shift algal and bacterial communities in coastal systems across the globe.
BIMS and A WOC Space
I navigate professional spaces that were never met for me to exists. I want change, and I use my platform to make some of the changes needed for a more diverse group of scientists to exist. I am cofounder of A WOC Space, (Pronounced A WOKE Space) an organization that focuses on creating a safer workspaces for employees. We provide support and offer training to assist employers in changing the culture of their workplaces. Many of the changes we explore in A WOC Space directly apply to my workspaces; we need to create spaces that truly welcome diversity, not snuff it out. In 2020, I was a co-organizer for the first #BIMS week, which highlighted the work and experiences of atypical Marine Scientists. It was a huge success, and the organization has grown its leg, bringing on full-time staff, providing professional development opportunities for people, and spreading environmental awareness throughout our globe. I am the Chief Science Officer at BIMS. Combining my passion for the ocean without leaving any aspects of my Blackness behind is a dream not afforded to most people. Through my position, I have helped secure over $3+ million and currently manage programs, mainly in the Chesapeake Bay, that link diverse stakeholders with their coastal communities while exposing them to environmental DNA (eDNA) technology. I am also the principal investigator on the Tidal Wave, a program that brings scholars of all generations (high school to retirees) from all over the globe to ocean science conferences while providing them professional development skills. Through my position at BIMS, I will continue expanding and amplifying the work done in coastal communities’ by strengthening our connections with the ocean.
“Those who cannot forget the past are destined to remix it” -Evie Shockley
Sea Gaynus 