Serendipity plays a major role in my life. Meeting Alison in Reykjavik lead to HIMB in Oahu which then led me to Post Doc Ingrid Knapp who connected me with a former HIMB colleague: Marieke Sudek who happened to be the lead scientist at NOAAS’s Marine Sanctuary and Ocean Center.

We met with Marieke and her staff our first day.

On our last day, we returned and I was so pleased to meet her Education coordinator, Isabel Gaoteote Halatuituia. We spoke about the effort they are making to educate the young population about the crucial ecosystems around their island, and how she is trying to introduce marine science into the curriculum.