Every student has specific highlights of their years at BYU–Hawaii. A few can now say they’ve documented, and possibly even discovered, species in the Pacific Ocean. Over the summer, 12 BYU–Hawaii students traveled to Saipan on a three-week biodiversity research trip to study the oceanic invertebrates of the area. The students were able to scuba dive, snorkel, and walk along the reefs nearly every day to research shrimp, octopuses, coral, and more.
Saipan is one of the Northern Mariana Islands located near Guam. Roger Goodwill, chair of the biology department, has been taking students to Saipan to study the diversity of oceanic species since 2006. “A lot of marine life has been studied here in Hawaii already because of Hawaii Pacific University’s marine biology program, but not very much has been done in Micronesia,” explains Goodwill. “Local agencies can’t do it themselves since the government won’t fund projects [like this], but we can do it, and it benefits our students, so they ask us to help.”
The students were in charge of photographing, collecting, and cataloguing any invertebrate animals they could find. In their makeshift laboratory, the students were able to further observe their specimens using microscopes and other equipment. “We were doing about seven dives a week, and we got to see some truly incredible stuff,” says Chase Beal, a marine biology major from Utah. “We all worked together and collected over 1500 specimens to bring back with us for further research.” All the specimens that the students preserved are now in BYU–Hawaii’s Museum of Natural History. Some of these specimens will be sent to different research facilities around the world for further analysis or even naming if it is a new species. For example, a mantis shrimp the students collected will be sent to Australian experts for further research.
Another important part of their biodiversity research involves being aware of what animals exist in the ecosystem in order to preserve and protect them. “If we don't know what is there we can't know how to protect it,” says Nick Cook, a marine biology major from Utah. “With the information we gathered, someone else can go to Saipan in 30 years, conduct similar studies, and compare our data with theirs. That will help us to know if any species are threatened, and then we can develop a plan to conserve them.”
The BYU–Hawaii students also help local wildlife agencies gather valuable information to help solve current local issues. Last summer, officials asked the BYU–Hawaii team to look into a problem concerning tourists being stung by something in the water. BYU–Hawaii students were able to find out what animal was stinging the tourists, providing the local authorities with that important data.
One particular highlight of this year’s trip included a tour of a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) oceanic research ship, which helped the students become acquainted with professional marine biologists’ work and living conditions. “The professional biologists explained that they worked long hours, from 7 AM-9 PM, but our students laughed because we are at it from 7 AM-1 AM or longer,” says Goodwill. This practice students get by living and working like real marine biologists helps them gain valuable experience necessary to stand out from other college graduates. “Nowadays, graduates need diving experience in order to get jobs. A degree isn’t enough because 10,000 other graduates have a degree, too,” explains Goodwill. “When our students leave here to get a job with fish and wildlife agencies or organizations, they are doing what we do on the trip. This is a professional job.”
This in-field involvement also amounts to much more than the average marine biology undergraduate experience, helping them take real advantage of the unique opportunities available to BYU–Hawaii students. “Most undergraduates never get anything close to the opportunity we had in Saipan,” says Cook. “At best, they get to be a lab tech or, if they are lucky, work in their school's marine lab. However, to name just a few of the things we can now write on our resume, we can say we have experience in underwater photography (diving/snorkeling), specimen collection, specimen preservation, lab photography, and microscope use. I think that sticks out a little more than ‘lab tech.’”
Discover more about biology majors and programs at BYU–Hawaii at https://biology.byuh.edu/about.
