‘Ia Orana, all! My name is Keanu. I am from Tahiti, French Polynesia, and I am studying at the University of Hawai‘i. For my NOAA internship, I had the chance to work at the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), an estuary and State Nature Preserve on Lake Erie. My role at Old Woman Creek NERR was to collect, manage, and analyze data for the Phenological Species Monitoring Program. Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life. Studying the phenology of species helps us understand how climate change affects flora and fauna that live in Old Woman Creek’s ecosystem.
![A selfie-style photo taken by Keanu. He smiles in the foreground in his kayak. Two people are in a canoe in the background and smile for the camera. Everyone is wearing protective life vests and sun protection as they float among the lotus and lily pads on a calm sunny day. (Image credit: Keanu Rochette-Yu Tseun) A selfie-style photo taken by Keanu. He smiles in the foreground in his kayak. Two people are in a canoe in the background and smile for the camera. Everyone is wearing protective life vests and sun protection as they float among the lotus and lily pads on a calm sunny day.](/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_width_1275/public/2023-01/Muskrat-study.jpg?h=8c25843f&itok=tdOwedwx)
Keanu Rochette-Yu Tsuen, a Hollings scholar, collecting data about muskrats alongside volunteers Rudy and Joli during his 2022 summer internship at Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve. (Image credit: Keanu Rochette-Yu Tseun)