My first taste of the workforce

08/06/2025 - Buenas yan Hafa Adai Marianas. My name is Jesse Aldan, more known as “ Champ “. I am an  upcoming Senior at MHS on Saipan, staying in the village of As Lito. As part of DCRM’s 2025 Summer internship under the Coral Reef Initiative (CRI), I work together with the CRI team to preserve, protect, and learn about our coral reef ecosystems. Working alongside mentors and peers has deepened my appreciation for the unique ecosystems that surround our islands and inspired me to conserve our ocean. This experience not only expanded my knowledge of marine biology but inspired me to commit to protecting the Marianas for our younger generation. Outreach is done to bring awareness to the people and especially to the kids.

The summer program has allowed me to work on multiple projects, including an in water lagoon survey and a “Virtual Field Trip”. The lagoon survey methods taught the scientific names of coral and algae. We do this around the island, mostly on the west side of Saipan. My mentor also has me working on a project throughout my internship, called a virtual field trip. The field trip includes a presentation online showing the viewer our island and the reefs of different beaches. My target audience is the fishing community, which means I focus on this community's communication needs more than others. To accomplish my Virtual Field Trip, I will take pictures of corals within our reef, reef fish, and other pictures of marine life in Saipan. The main tool I will be using to make this presentation is Canva. This field trip is important to the community because fishers have mentioned that they might not know all the fishing regulations here enforced by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. If the people do not know what the regulations are for harvesting fish, they will be fined and will not know why they have been fined. 

My time here as an intern at DCRM has been a fun ride from being in the water doing lagoon surveys to making stickers in the office. I really love our waters because they are resilient from climate change impacts such as coral bleaching, macroalgal cover, and social impacts (Oliver, et al; 2020).  I would definitely like to come back and potentially work here in the near future after my last year of High School. 

Reference: 

Oliver, Thomas A.; et. al. 2020. “Coral Reef Resilience and Social Vulnerability to Climate Change: CNMI”. DOI : https://doi.org/10.25923/sn8p-4z44

By Intern: Jesse Aldan