Mariko Quinn, also known as Mari, is a passionate marine science enthusiast and a junior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Growing up in Hawaii near Kaneohe Bay, her love for the ocean was deeply influenced by her father, a boat captain, and her upbringing near the water. Witnessing a coral bleaching event in 2015 sparked Mari's interest in marine life and coral reefs. In response, she conducted a science fair project to track the recovery of 24 individual coral colonies in her local reef, discovering the impact of environmental stressors and the resilience of some coral colonies.