2015 CNMI Coral Reef Initiative Summer Interns’ Conservation Messages

/ aiccoral

By AIC guest bloggers, Britta Baechler, CNMI Marine Protected Areas Coordinator, Division of Fish and Wildlife and Avra Heller, CNMI Coral Reef Initiative Project Coordinator, Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality

We had a great time this summer with the 2015 Coral Reef Initiative internship participants! This summer 14 interns held various positions with CNMI Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality’s (BECQ) Division of Coastal Resources Management (DCRM), Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance (MINA), CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) learning about the various ways our government and partners work to protect CNMI’s precious natural resources.

Check out this fun video of the Coral Reef Initiative (CRI) intern cohort (and CNMI Micronesia Challenge Young Champion, Carey Demapan) during a field trip to the Managaha Marine Conservation Area! How many of these bright young CNMI stars do you know or recognize?

The video was compiled and edited by CRI intern Romana Chong. Original song written and performed by Nikkie Ayuyu.

 

2015 CRI SUMMER INTERNS:

  • Delfin Camacho – Worked with DCRM Enforcement, monitoring enforcement and compliance of permitted projects and marine sports activities.
  • Miso Sablan and Andrew Johnson – Conducted reef flat surveys looking for signs of coral disease with the CNMI Marine Monitoring Team based at BECQ.
  • Nikkie Ayuyu and Anathalia David – Conducted marine debris education outreach and research, with MINA, a key partner NGO.
  • Erick Dela Rosa and Max Garcia – Worked with the DLNR Sea Turtle team conducting nest surveys and monitoring as well as in-water live capture and tagging of sea turtles.
  • Kallie O’Conner, Jacklyn Garote, Romana Chong – Designed and assisted in implementation of various Marine Protected Areas (MPA) education and outreach strategies, with the MPA Coordinator based at DFW.
  • Austin Piteg and Mary Fem Urena – Worked with the CNMI NOAA field office staff conducting water quality and seagrass monitoring along the length of the Saipan lagoon.
  • Eric Cepeda and Ian Iriarte – Worked with DFW fisheries department on various fishery biology and tourist – interaction projects.