Rebecca Katz

"We hope to inspire the next generation to take interest in the importance of the intertidal and the surrounding environment, extending the values of mālama ‘āina."

Hometown

Rockville Centre, New York

Department

Curriculum Research & Development Group

What is OPIHI*?
Our Project in Hawai‘i’s Intertidal (OPIHI) involves undergraduate and graduate students here at UH Mānoa with focuses on environmental sciences and policy. Our goal is to help students of all grade levels to understand the incredibly diverse and unique intertidal system. We do so by teaching them to survey the area, identify species, and examine biological factors that affect the water. In doing this, we are also conducting our own experiments and research, allowing us to learn as we teach. We hope to inspire the next generation to take interest in the importance of the intertidal and the surrounding environment, extending the values of mālama ‘āina.

How did you become part of this internship?
When I first heard about OPIHI, it reminded me of the days I spent at the beach as a child. I was always wandering off to look at the tide pools that formed by the jetty rather than playing in the surf with my brother. I was so fascinated in the life that I found there, always different and always changing. I checked out countless books from the local library and tried to teach myself all that I could. Most books however were focused on big animals like dolphins and sharks; there was so little about tide pools and the little creatures that called them home. By becoming a part of OPIHI, I am able to learn so much more about how the intertidal ecosystem works and at the same time teach others who share the same interest I’ve had all my life.

What is your role in OPIHI?
My role with the teachers and students is to help them learn and execute proper techniques in the field by assisting them in their own learning process. My knowledge of the intertidal is used to further theirs by showing them ways to identify algal, vertebrate, and invertebrate species;  encourage scientific thinking processes; and discussing and demonstrating the importance of what we are doing.

What has been the best part of the program experience so far?
For me, the best part is always the excitement and wonder the students find out in the field. It’s the same feeling I get every time I go out to collect and survey. It’s incredible watching them realize that there is almost another world hiding right there in the intertidal and to see in them the same amazement that I shared at their age

What is the focus of your science research project?
My focus is on the impact of Submarine Groundwater Discharges (SGDs) on the Nerita picea (Pipipi) population at Black Point, O‘ahu. In Black Point, there are many homes with cesspools, leading to groundwater mixing in with the human waste before seeping into the intertidal. I am looking at the the Nitrogen-15 isotope levels in the tissue of the nerites as an indicator of exposure to waste laden SGDs. The isotope analysis on the nerites will help determine if and how the contaminants in the groundwater are present in and moving up into different trophic levels in the intertidal.

In what ways do you hope to make a difference in your field?
I hope to bring into the public eye the ways in which we impact our environment, sometimes without even realizing it. Humans tend to turn a blind eye to a lot of the repercussions of their actions and it’s this disconnect that is causing such issues in the environment. By knowing the cause of the problem, we can work toward the solution.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I am going to continue my education with a goal of earning a PhD in Ichthyology and to achieve a career studying pelagic ecosystems.

* Our Project in Hawai‘i’s Intertidal (OPIHI) is a series of professional development workshops from the COE Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG).