Kellie works in the Lynch Lab at the Center for Marine Debris Research as a Graduate Assistant, where her primary focus is categorizing and identifying the polymer type of beach plastic using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). She is currently finishing up her Master of Marine Science degree at Hawaii Pacific University. Kellie’s background is in chemistry and her current research interests include the marine carbon cycle, ocean acidification, and global climate change. Right now, she is working on a project to characterize the two source waters used by the Waikiki Aquarium and understand the natural variability in carbon parameters over time. Outside of academia, Kellie likes spending time outdoors, eating good food, and bingewatching The Great British Bake-off. Her favorite sea creature is the Longhorn Cowfish (Lactoria cornuta) because it looks like an adorable alien