Day 4 by Isabella

Today surprised and changed me in ways I didn’t expect. These past four days have flown by, and it seems every day is better than the one before. The lessons I learned today, however, made for an especially unforgettable experience.

This morning, we set off in a small research vessel, the Makai ‘Eha with Dr. Jason Adolf, a specialist in marine science, especially marine microbiology. The sky was overcast and a breeze tossed the waves against the hull as we glided out of Hilo’s harbor and into the open ocean. Soon, Dr. Adolf enthusiastically and patiently guided us from station to station, collecting water samples and measuring their properties – salinity, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and so on. Sometime later, we disembarked the boat and traveled to a lab to analyze our samples and draw conclusions from our data. I was excited to get my hands on advanced scientific tools, many of which I had never had any experience with. The amount of trust the instructors placed in me to responsibly use them inspired a new sense of confidence. As we tested the different water samples, we discovered that Hawaii’s ecosystems are in danger. As Dr. Adolf explained, the Earth is not made of isolated parts. Each part, whether it be the biosphere, geosphere, or atmosphere, affects and is affected by every other part. Any change in one of these spheres can have devastating consequences throughout all of them. For example, the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere result in global warming and cause the temperature of the ocean to rise, leading to the widespread death of coral. When Dr. Adolf told the class that the threshold for the coral reefs to begin bleaching and dying off was 30 degrees Celsius, my stomach dropped. The temperatures that we measured in the water were a little more than 26 degrees Celsius, and the summer heat hasn’t even reached its peak yet. It hit me that I was finally witnessing what my science textbooks and teachers had been trying to tell me: without our intervention, the effects of our own human actions will soon have catastrophic effects. This experience brought home the need for change in our world, and it has made me realize that I could have a future in this science. As I discovered the intricacies of sampling water and identifying microorganisms, I felt myself becoming more and more excited about marine biology. This was real science – the nitty-gritty work in the field – and I loved it.

While I observed the interconnectedness of air, water, and sea life on the boat, I also witnessed a parallel kind of interaction between my classmates. For some, the experience of the boat wasn’t all that pleasant – the constant bucking and swaying of the small vessel in the waves caused quite a few faces to turn a pale green. Many of the students had to sit down because of sudden attacks of seasickness, and some regrettably missed out on some of the activities. Despite the sudden loss of hands on deck, no one became frustrated at each other. The people left standing took on the full responsibility of taking samples. I saw people who had only known each other for four days comfort each other. Even those who were also seasick shared water bottles and snacks. Everything ran along smoothly, and through these small actions, I saw how we are all connected. When we came together, it was inspiring the difference that we could make. As the instructors here constantly remind us, in order to change the world, we need to first change ourselves. Each day, as we answer the Question of the Day or hear about the latest scientific advancements and ecological research, we grow in confidence and leadership skills. Like the Earth’s systems, no one of us is isolated. Today’s explorations have reminded me that this new passion for change inside me will only come to fruition if I know myself and know how to work with others.