Summer 2022




Spring 2022


Fall 2021

Lauryn Magno is a spring 2021 graduate from Oakland University with a BA in International Relations and a music minor. While she spent the majority of her life in Michigan, far from the ocean, respect for both the land and the sea was instilled in her from a young age. Her values of good environmental stewardship never ceased during college and turned towards the social sciences in the form of environmental policy. Exploring this policy area, Lauryn worked in several different offices, including two summers on Capitol Hill and a year in the U.S. Embassy’s Pacific ESTH Hub in Suva, Fiji, which is where her interests in marine conservation and policy began. During her ESTH Internship, she developed a strong interest in continuing to learn about human society’s interaction with the marine environment and its resources and went on to complete research on international deep sea mining governance. Her passion for marine and coastal resource governance is what led Lauryn to REEF. Lauryn is excited to combine her research experience with her enthusiasm for education and community outreach this Fall with the REEF team. After her internship, Lauryn plans to attend an interdisciplinary marine systems and policies graduate program.

Lauren Mahoney graduated from Duke University in the spring of 2021 with a B.S. in Biology with a Marine concentration and an Environmental Science minor. She grew up in the Netherlands just a few minutes away from Scheveningen Beach, where her passion for the ocean and its conservation began. While at university, Lauren became closely involved with the Duke Marine Lab, spending two summers there studying Invertebrate Zoology and Turtle Conservation, and becoming a Marine Lab Ambassador while back on the main campus. During her junior and senior year, she worked at the Donohue Laboratory, researching environmental interactions in plants and the relationship between parents and offspring phenotypes. She also spent a summer in Madagascar as a Coral Restoration Intern, during which she earned her PADI Advanced Scuba Certification whilst monitoring and aiding reef rejuvenation off the island of Nosy Komba. Outside of school, Lauren loves to read, run and ski, joining the Duke Ski and Snowboard team her freshman year. In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school for Marine Biology and pursue a career in conservation and research. She also aspires to become a PADI diving instructor to help spread her love for the ocean. Lauren is delighted to be part of the team at REEF and cannot wait to help make a difference, no matter how big or small.

Emily Boll graduated from Bowling Green State University in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. She spent her time at BGSU mostly in the marine lab learning aquarium husbandry skills for fresh and salt water tanks and contributing in outreach for younger students who would tour the lab. Emily’s favorite undergrad opportunity was to study at Williams-Mystic in Connecticut. This is where her love for research and the ocean blossomed. During her time in Mystic, she was able to attend extended field seminars while also doing research and attending classes. Alaska was one of our first trips where Emily listened to stories from Alaskan Natives, studied the importance of Fisheries, and researched the current environmental stressors in the state. She also spent 12 days on an offshore voyage in the Gulf of Maine on the Corwith Cramer where she learned to repel Neuston Tow nets to collect data for NOAA, researched further about the effects of microplastics in the ocean, and learned how to sail. While in Connecticut, Emily was able to do a semester long research on the importance of policies for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Monument off the New England coast. Emily is excited to learn more about invasive species, as she did research on an invasive species of Asian shore crab. This passion pushed her to an internship at REEF. Emily is looking forward to being able to contribute in outreach and conservation with other passionate REEF interns and increase her knowledge about the invasive species of lionfish!
Summer 2021



Spring 2021




Fall 2020




Summer 2020



Spring 2020



Riley Zoldi graduated from North Carolina State University in the spring of 2019 with dual majors in Environmental Science and Marine Science with a concentration in Biological Oceanography. She grew up in central New Jersey, where she spent all of her summers at the Jersey Shore, which initially sparked her love for the ocean. While in college Riley interned at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, did research in a Plankton Ecology Lab for a marine science professor, and spent a summer in South Queensland, Australia studying its natural resources. During her time in Australia she participated in beach clean ups, hiked through rainforests, searched for animals in the outback, and studied the Great Barrier Reef. For the past couple of years Riley has also worked for New Logic Marine Science Camp, where she leads outdoor environmental education programs that encourage children in New Jersey to love and appreciate their local marine environments. When she’s not working, Riley loves to travel and explore the outdoors with activities such as hiking, running and paddle boarding. With REEF, Riley is excited to learn about non-profit management and to engage with the public through education, outreach, and citizen science to spread marine conservation awareness.
Fall 2019



Maya Ganapathy moved a lot as a child but attended high school and college in Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Anthropology. While in college Maya interned at a zoo, did Ecology research for a biology professor, and took a semester off to intern at the South African Shark Conservancy which solidified her desire to become a Marine Biologist. During her internship she participated in White Shark surveys, learned how to measure and tag a shark, and assisted in an experiment that dealt with the behavioral and physiological responses of catsharks. Along with working in the lab she was also able to observe a White Shark necropsy, dive with Blue Sharks (diving in the ocean is way different than the pea-soup like lakes of the Midwest!) and snorkel at Seal Island. After graduating in the spring Maya interned in the Fishes Department at Shedd Aquarium, which she says allowed her to learn about a wide variety of fish and the different diseases that occur in marine environments. Maya is extremely grateful for the opportunity to intern at REEF and is excited to dive, learn about non-profit management, and create/ participate in community outreach and education events.
Summer 2019




Spring 2019
Lara Noren first fell in love with the ocean when she was growing up in Minnesota and went to visit the Shedd aquarium in Chicago. Deciding to follow this love of the ocean in her collegiate career, she moved to North Carolina to pursue a degree in Marine Biology, with a Concentration in Conservation, at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). While attending UNCW, Lara was involved with a research group studying Caribbean coral reef mesophotic ecosystems. This experience lead Lara to a deep love and appreciation for the fragility of coral reef ecosystems, which evolved into a determination to positively impact marine conservation initiatives in coral reef regions. In addition to Lara’s interests in coral reef ecology, she is also interested in working with environmental non-profits. She gained experience in the non-profit field through a Plastic Ocean Project, where she conducted plastic marine debris research and outreach programs. She also interned for the past four months at the Bald Head Island Conservancy, a non-profit centered in the preservation, education, and conservation of barrier island ecosystems. This spring she is looking forward to working with the public through outreach programs, working with another environmental non-profit, and hopes to gain more experience in SCUBA diving and marine conservation!
Evan Wilson grew up in Sarasota, FL, where time spent on and in the water has developed his passion for the marine environment. Since becoming a certified diver in 2009 he has seen the complexities of marine ecosystems and the need for conservation efforts. With a degree in Business Finance from the University of South Florida, he hopes to provide a unique perspective to marine research and conservation. Since graduating, Evan has spent much of his time on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Working as a guide for an Alaskan eco-tourism company, he has further sparked his interest in the natural world, and sharing all that it has to offer through environmental education. As an Intern with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute on Little Cayman, he had his first formal experience working for a marine research organization. During his time at CCMI, Evan was involved with a variety of projects including the tracking of invasive lionfish, coral restoration, and the filming of a live underwater lesson broadcasted to students throughout the Cayman Islands. Evan is excited for the opportunities in community outreach, and honing his marine science skills during his internship with REEF.