Aloha nō kāua, ʻo Leah Shizuru koʻu inoa. I was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu. My current research seeks to provide taxonomic clarity on a culturally, ecologically and economically significant ecosystem engineer, ̒ekaha kū moana (black corals). In addition to delimiting species of this taxonomically muddled order—our state’s prized gemstone—my research also focuses on population connectivity across the Hawaiian archipelago.
