Gabrielle Rungsiya Keeler-May 

 AAUS Scholar 2025 Update

I was awarded the AAUS scholarship in 2019 while diving nearly every week for my PhD research in Aotearoa New Zealand. That support came at a critical time and helped me build the foundation for an unforgettable few years of fieldwork, removing and studying Undaria pinnatifida, an invasive kelp species that has taken hold across much of the country’s coastline.

My research projects ended up spanning three regions, more than 130 subtidal sites, and over 40 dive trips. I worked alongside iwi (tribal partners) throughout my projects; this grounded the science in multigenerational place-based knowledge and helped shape my understanding of what restoration was, is and could be. Over the years, my team and I hauled out over 20 tonnes of Undaria by hand and monitored how the ecosystem responded. The results showed that, even after Undaria becomes established, large-scale removal can still reduce its spread and dominance, something many managers had started to doubt.

During graduate school, I also worked as a scientific diving contractor, logging hundreds of dive hours beyond my own research. These included ecological surveys for proposed marine protected areas, seafloor imaging and sediment sampling to support bathymetric mapping, invasive species control using machinery and field prototypes, and seaweed harvesting trials aimed at methane reduction. Supporting these interdisciplinary projects gave me a deep appreciation for collaborative science and strengthened my skills in field planning, dive safety, and adaptive logistics.

Since finishing my PhD, I’ve stayed close to applied science and restoration. As a postdoc at Chapman University, I worked on invasive species control in California’s Bay-Delta, building a spatial model to help the Suisun Regional Conservation District prioritize where and how to act. One of the most meaningful parts of my postdoc was mentoring undergraduate students through California Sea Grant. Supporting them as they grew into community-based researchers and explored connections between environmental literacy and climate advocacy across language barriers was a real highlight. I also spent a year as an Instructional Professor at Chapman, teaching environmental science and GIS courses. It was a great opportunity to bring field experiences into the classroom and help students connect scientific methods with real-world challenges, especially around equity and decision-making.

Now I work with NOAA Fisheries as a Marine Habitat Resource Specialist and serve as the Tribal Liaison for the Office of Habitat Conservation. I still rely on the lessons I learned underwater: how to slow down and pay attention to the small things, how to plan (and re-plan) in the face of changing conditions, and how to build trust with the people you're working with. Diving isn’t something I do every day anymore, but it continues to shape how I collaborate with partners and steward federal habitat restoration funds throughout our communities.

I'm grateful to AAUS for helping me get in the water all the way back in 2012 as an undergraduate student, then later supporting me in 2019 as a doctoral student and ultimately for building a community that values field science and hands-on learning. My dive years were formative, and I still carry them with me in how I think, lead, and show up in my work today.