Eight undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa experienced an all-expenses-paid research trip of a lifetime—spending eight weeks in summer 2024 immersed in the Galápagos Islands. They engaged in mentored research via a transformational journey that promoted deep connections to ʻāina (land/sea), kānaka (people) communities and mālama ʻāina (stewardship of places and people).
Creighton Litton, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management professor, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) director, and one of the eight UH Mānoa faculty members who designed and implemented the program over the past two years, said, “Mentored research opportunities for undergraduate students is a high impact practice that provides myriad benefits to students, mentors, our campus and our islands as a whole. This is an innovative program—possible via a strong collaboration with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in Galápagos, and engagement by multiple faculty from across the UH Mānoa campus—that provides our students with transformative learning experiences in research science within a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning context.”
More than 80 students applied, and 12 were invited to enroll in a new spring course on island invasion biology to provide a base of knowledge for their mentored research projects. Eight traveled to the Galápagos and four conducted research in Hawaiʻi.
Students developed research proposals in spring 2024 with mentors from UH Mānoa and CDF. The collaborative mentorship approach allowed students to develop their research skills while contributing to real-world scientific questions. During the summer, the traveling students were housed at the CDF research station in the Galápagos, where they conducted their research projects focused on island invasion biology.
During the summer experience, students wrote research papers on every aspect of the scientific process, including literature review, data collection and analysis, conclusions and the socioecological implications of their findings. Each student also crafted a personal, contemporary kaʻao (epic story, tale) to document their experiences, from their hua (initial inspiration) to their haʻalele (preparing for the journey) to the huakaʻi (journey) to the hoʻina (reintegration) back into their on- and off-campus communities.
Important invasive species research
Matthew Kahokuloa’s project involved assessing plant diversity after the reintroduction of giant tortoises on Santa Fé Island.
“Being my first time leaving Hawaiʻi, it was amazing to experience the biodiversity and ecology of another archipelago’s ecosystem,” Kahokuloa said. “This trip provided me with invaluable field experience, especially in terms of working in remote environments and applying research methods.”
Emily Josefina Velasquez studied the impacts of Caulerpa racemosa (species of edible green alga) on sand dwelling benthic invertebrates (small aquatic animals that live on the bottom of bodies of water) in the Galápagos.
“You couldn’t walk for 10 minutes without running into a lounging iguana, sea bird, or sea lion, and we were always close to the ocean.” — Nicole Buyukacar
“The Galápagos was a place where my personal growth as an individual thrived and reaffirmed my passion and drive to work in academia,” Velasquez said. “It’s an unforgettable experience. You’re immersed in your project, living, breathing, and dreaming about it. I was surrounded by scientists from diverse backgrounds, and living and working in an environment where everyone shares a passion for understanding the world around them.”
Nicole Buyukacar’s project was about the developmental dynamics and temperature sensitivity of the avian vampire fly.
“The most remarkable thing about the town we worked in, Puerto Ayora, was the abundance of wildlife living right there on our doorstep all the time,” Buyukacar said. “You couldn’t walk for 10 minutes without running into a lounging iguana, sea bird, or sea lion, and we were always close to the ocean. The experience was an incredible blend of learning to integrate academically and socially into a completely different place while constantly being in awe of the natural beauty and learning to understand the reason why it all needs to be protected.”
The students presented their research and kaʻao products at the CDF research station and at the UROP SURE Symposium. Most students are continuing to work with their mentors to produce peer-reviewed journal publications.
This unique opportunity is the result of a collaboration between UH Mānoa and CDF and is funded by the National Science Foundation–International Research Experiences for Students ($300,000 grant), the UH Mānoa Provost’s Office to align the overall program with the campus goal of becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning ($100,000) and the UH Mānoa Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship ($80,000). The funds will make the program available to UH Mānoa undergraduate students for at least the next two years.
For more information, visit this website.
—By Marc Arakaki
