Lily Tsukayama, B.S. 2013

Lily Tsukayama is all about marine health, monitoring things such as increasing bacteria and declining fish stocks. Working on “real world applicable issues and real research has been the best part of my educational experience,” she says—even if the findings aren’t always what ocean users want to hear. After testing post-storm bacterial levels in Santa Monica Bay, Tsukayama had bad news for surfers. Instead of waiting the typical three days to get back in the water, surfers and swimmers should allow five to ten days to allow harmful bacteria to drop to safe levels. After she’s tackled California’s coastal fisheries, Tsukayama intends to work on international issues that affect the entire Pacific Ocean.