{"id":196695,"date":"2024-05-01T13:27:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T23:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=196695"},"modified":"2024-05-01T16:15:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T02:15:51","slug":"marine-sponge-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/05\/01\/marine-sponge-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine sponge research launches HS<\/abbr> student to STEM<\/abbr> competitions"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Sponges from Kāneʻohe<\/span> Bay. (Photo credit: Kian Sanchez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A high school student conducted award-winning research on marine sponges at the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa Hawaiʻi<\/span> Institute of Marine Biology<\/a> (HIMB<\/abbr>). That research is now taking University Laboratory School junior Kian Sanchez to two high-caliber competitions on the U.S. continent.<\/p>\n

Mentored by Jan Vicente, coral reef biodiversity researcher at HIMB<\/abbr> in 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa\u2019s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a> (SOEST<\/abbr>), Sanchez assessed the importance of marine sponges in the reef ecosystem. Specifically, he was interested in how sponges, which are filter-feeders and critical to the nutrient cycling on a coral reef, may be impacted by pollution and climate change.<\/p>\n

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Kian Sanchez placed third in 2024 Hawaiʻi<\/span> State Science Fair.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Placing third in the Hawaiʻi<\/span> State Science and Engineering Fair<\/a> and third at the Pacific Junior Science and Humanities Symposium<\/a>, Sanchez qualified to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair, the world\u2019s largest pre-college STEM<\/abbr> competition, in California and the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium<\/a> in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

“Since the first day I met Kian, I was inspired to teach him what I know about marine sponges because his curiosity and relentless motivation to do science at such a young age was absolutely stunning and foreign to me,” said Vicente.<\/p>\n

Preparing young scientists<\/h2>\n
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Close up of sponge tissue. (Photo credit: Ocean Exploration Trust)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sanchez has always had an intrinsic curiosity about the world around him and with the ocean in particular. His love for science and the ocean culminated into a passion for the aquarium hobby, which was his gateway into marine biology.<\/p>\n

During the summer of 2023, Sanchez met Vicente during his participation in the Research Experiences in Marine Science<\/a> (REMS<\/abbr>) program at HIMB<\/abbr>. The six-week summer course offers a rigorous, place-based, early-college marine science experience for Hawaiʻi<\/span> high school students.<\/p>\n

“As the purpose of REMS<\/abbr> is to prepare young scientists to tackle marine science issues in Hawaiʻi,<\/span> it is incredibly rewarding to watch alumni, like Kian, expand the limits of our understanding of the ocean and the complex life within it,” said Christine Ambrosino Carrier, a discipline-based education researcher in the KeaoaLoʻe<\/span> REMS<\/abbr> Lab who helps coordinate the experience.<\/p>\n

For more information, see SOEST<\/abbr>\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

–By Marcie Grabowski<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A high school student conducted award-winning research on marine sponges at the 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa Hawaiʻi<\/span> Institute of Marine Biology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[53,262,92,9],"class_list":["post-196695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-hawaii-institute-of-marine-biology","tag-marine-science","tag-school-of-ocean-and-earth-science-and-technology","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t