Class of 2024 graduate Gabriel Keali’i Jones is determined to make a positive impact on marine conservation. Gabe graduated with two honors degrees in ecological engineering and chemical oceanography. These fields have given him a deeper understanding of the environmental issues affecting coastal communities. “Growing up Native Hawai’ian, I have always felt drawn to restoring the natural world,” he says. His Hawai’ian roots have “made him deeply aware of how communities in Hawai’i have been impacted by climate change, especially through issues like ocean acidification and coral reef depletion.”
Gabe’s journey to this area of research was transformative. “I started at OSU in chemical engineering,” he explains. But as, he says, “I became aware of the extensive oceanography research at Oregon State and Dr. Francis Chan’s research with corals, my passion for ecology and oceanography became more focused.” In his second year, he changed majors. “I chose ecological engineering and oceanography because I wanted to combine my love of the ocean with functional ways to fix the problems I saw, mainly looking at how we can restore our coastline and reef ecosystems,” he says.
During his time at Oregon State, Gabe has been involved in several clubs and organizations, including Hui O’ Hawai’i, The Pacific Islander Association, The Ecological Engineering Student Society, The Marine Energy Colligate Competition Team, The Marine Renewable Energy Club and United for Oceanography.
Gabe chose the Honors College for its “close-knit classes and colloquium that encourage discussion and interaction with topics outside one’s major.” His favorite colloquium was Soundscape Ecology with Dr. Dana Reason, which “opened my mind to aspects of human-environmental interactions that I had never deeply considered before.”
For his honors thesis, Gabe sought to improve how artificial reefs attract marine life. Working with his mentor Dr. Francis Chan, an associate faculty and senior researcher in the Department of Integrated Biology, he tested using crushed oyster shells in engineered reefs to attract Pacific oysters. His study found that these oyster shell aggregates, which he named “Shellcrete,” outperformed traditional materials in attracting Pacific oysters. “These results have the potential to inform future efforts to enhance coastal communities’ economic sustainability and resilience against climate impacts,” says Gabe.
After graduating, Gabe will pursue a Ph.D. in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Incorporating data science and engineering, his doctoral research will seek solutions to coral reef depletion. “I’m excited to work with people from across different disciplines like biology, computer science and public policy,” he says. Gabe believes that collaboration is the key to conservation. Beyond practical problem solving, public outreach is “just as important for solving environmental problems.”
Gabe’s advice to incoming honors students is to be open-minded and seek out opportunities and ways to get involved. “College is a great place to make connections, so don’t be scared to reach out and meet new friends,” he says.
By Shion Britten, student writer.
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