Mia Melamed Tierney is a Master Student in the Biology program at Arizona State University and a graduate student in the Asner-Martin Lab. She graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Environmental Management (Coastal Ecology), holds a Marine Option Program certificate, is a certified Scientific Diver, and has an Associate of Science in Natural Sciences. Her research experience spans from studying native Hawaiian forests, to the intertidal zone, and coral reefs. Mia resides on the island where she was born and raised, working for the Kauai Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) as a Fish and Habitat Monitoring Technician. Her current research interest is to help advance the detection of coral disease by investigating whether the application of spectroscopy is accurate and useful, with a focus on Black Band Disease at Anini Reef, Kauai. She is honored and grateful to work alongside Mckenna Allen, also in the Asner-Martin Lab, having the ability to join research forces and produce information to communicate priority areas (such as Anini) to initiate coral reef management and restoration efforts. Mia’s life dream is to continue studying the interconnectedness of Kauai’s precious resources that stretch from ma uka (mountains) to ma kai (ocean), giving back to the island and community that raised her.
Mia Tierney
