Capitola Aptos Rotary Scholarship Recipient Tells Story

Aptos HS Graduate Susy Honig to Receive PhD from UCSC

At a recent meeting of the Capitola Aptos Rotary Susanna Honig presented an update to her research assessing the impact of seabird colonies on coral reef ecosystems. Susy is the recipient of a $15,000 Piatt scholarship from the Capitola Aptos club. She graduated from Aptos High School in 2004, UC Santa Barbara in 2008, and will shortly be obtaining her PhD from UC Santa Cruz in Marine Biology.

Seabirds and coral reefs are two of the most threatened marine communities on the planet, and they co-occur on tropical islands. Seabirds feed on fish, krill, and squid in the open ocean, then travel thousands of kilometers to islands where they nest. On the islands they deposit feces, or guano, so rich in nitrogen and phosphorus it is harvested as fertilizer.

Susy is studying how these guano deposits affect the health of the coral reefs that surround the islands. She is using ecology and chemistry to test whether corals, algae, and fish on nearby reefs are using the nutrients from seabirds. Coral reefs and seabird islands are currently managed independently; this work shows how their management can be integrated for the benefit of both seabirds and coral reefs.

The Rotary club is proud to sponsor students like Susy who strive to make a difference in the community and the world.