Hard at work above and below water at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Audrey Sarin, a 2021 Hollings scholar, and Gracia Rojas, a 2021 EPP/MSI undergraduate scholar, have been hard at work above and below the water this summer in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! Audrey has been investigating the efficacy and potential hazards of sea urchin culling for kelp forest restoration, while Gracia has been capturing 360 degree images to contribute to virtual reality dive experiences on Sanctuaries 360: Explore the Blue.
Audrey and Gracia also collaborated on training materials to help other interested researchers learn from and continue their work. Both Audrey and Gracia are certified American Academy of Underwater Sciences Scientific Divers, and they have been able to put their skills to use to do SCUBA dives for data collection, underwater photography, underwater videography, specimen collection, and more!