Hoaka Thomas is excited and grateful to be chosen as a 2023 E. Gordon Grau Fellow placed in the Division of Aquatic Resources on the island of Oʻahu as a member of the Kōkua Community Based Monitoring Program. The main goal of the Kōkua Community Based Monitoring Program is to create a pathway for collaborative data collection, monitor valuable coastal resources identified by local communities, and co-produce informed management strategies. Hoaka will be working with local groups who are interested in evaluating their coastal resources and guiding them through the Kōkua Community Based Monitoring Program pathway with the DAR Holomua Initiative team.

Hoaka received his Bachelor’s of Science in biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. During his time as an undergraduate, he carried out research projects focused on invertebrate ecology and molecular phylogeny of Pacific lobsters. After his undergraduate degree, Hoaka joined Kupu and was placed in the Scientific Inquiry Education Program at Moku o Loʻe (HIMB) where he designed education materials based on ongoing research at HIMB and was an instructor in the Research Experiences in Marine Sciences Program. Hoaka joined the Marine Biology Graduate Program in 2017 and his research, co-produced with Paepae o Heʻeia, focused on describing zooplankton and choanoflagellate ecology in Heʻeia Fishpond. Like the DAR Grau Fellows before him, Hoaka is looking forward to bridging the gap between science, management, and local communities. He hopes to continue the tradition of transparent communication between all parties and stakeholders to maintain effective management of our nearshore marine resources, while recognizing and respecting local communities and their values.