HONOLULU — At the end of every Spring and Fall semester, the Undergraduate Showcase highlights faculty-mentored research or creative work projects by the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s undergraduate students in all fields.

What You Need To Know

  • Participating in the Honors Program and Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program offer opportunities for undergraduates to take an active role in their education and seek out funding

  • Nearly 100 projects in the Spring Undergraduate Showcase are available for online viewing

The virtual event is hosted by the Honors Program and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program aimed at connecting undergraduates and faculty through faculty-mentored or guided research and creative work. The Honors Program provides the opportunity for undergraduates to take an active role in their education through smaller classes, personalized academic advising, peer mentorship and faculty guidance.

UROP provides the additional step of funding for projects and presentations, finding venues to present undergraduates’ work and encourages hands-on work outside the four walls of the classroom. The program also awards funding to students to help fund field research abroad, purchase supplies and earn stipends.

Shannon Murphy is one of the undergraduate students whose work is presented in the Spring Undergraduate Showcase that took place on April 29. A senior global environmental science major in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Murphy studied the impact of visitors on Hanauma Bay’s coral reef, a place she’s visited all her life and has volunteered at with the Friends of Hanauma Bay.

“I have also found a passion for studying coral reef ecology, and this project was the perfect combination of studying my favorite organisms and providing science to my community,” said Murphy in a UH Manoa news release.

Murphy conducted her research under the guidance of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Researcher Ku‘ulei Rodgers. Murphy monitored four plots in the bay on a bimonthly basis for nine months, recording the number of snorkelers entering each plot and their interactions with the reef. Her findings showed a direct relationship between the number of snorkelers and disturbances, however, it did not translate to coral breakage or abrasions from snorkelers.

“Hanauma Bay is a place of cultural and ecological significance, not just a place for tourists to enjoy,” said Murphy. She said that as a designated Marine Life Conservation District, residents and visitors should work to preserve and protect the area. “Ultimately, if corals are not gaining surface area nor reproducing, it is a matter of time before more corals disappear. I hope this project can encourage additional research in the bay on coral health as well as initiate stricter preservation strategies so the people of Hawaii can enjoy this bay for years to come.”

The Spring Undergraduate Showcase program was conducted virtually and is available to view online.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, tourism and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii.