Celebrating AltaSea’s Summer Interns
During her speech at AltaSea’s August open house, State Senator Laura Richardson took a moment to recognize the cohort of college students who had just completed their summer internships at AltaSea.
We can have great young people who have an interest in working to preserve our climate,” she said in her speech, “I’m so excited to see what you’re going to go off and do.
The senator said she views AltaSea as an example of “paying it forward” by investing in the future of both the planet and the local community. AltaSea’s internship program exemplifies this approach—preparing the next generation for a wide array of climate conscious careers.
For Takuji Yamazaki, who studies aquaculture at Santa Monica College, working as an Entry-Level Hatchery Technician Intern at Holdfast Aquaculture helped him transition from education to career.
“The hands-on work gave me a real sense of what the aquaculture industry is like,” he said.
During his internship, Takuji learned how to maintain tanks and equipment, feed the oyster larvae, and count microalgae using a hemocytometer.
“I had the opportunity to drain twenty million oyster larvae during a water change, which was a big responsibility,” he said.
“That moment taught me how to stay calm under pressure and take ownership in real-life situations.”
On the other side of the AltaSea campus, EcoByRy’s interns—California State Maritime Academy graduate Skyler Williams and CSU Long Beach student Kalani Ono—were tasked with upcycling shredded plastic into surfboard fins. They also were trained in glassing—the highly technical process of layering epoxy and fiberglass—and used their new skills to glass autonomous sailboat parts.
“It was rewarding seeing rows of parts get completed and watching the progress as we became increasingly efficient at glassing, something neither of us knew how to do prior to the internship,” Kalani said.
Skyler agreed, adding, “This [internship] has taught me how to be patient and, if something goes wrong, to always try again.”
Depending on their interests, interns could choose to specialize in nonprofit operations or environmental communications instead of technical roles. Recent CSU Northridge graduate Lorie Van Ligten focused on outreach and social media marketing during her internship with Kelp Ark. And CalPoly Pomona student Natalie Garcia conducted community outreach with the Marine Protected Areas Collaborative Network.
“I led outreach during youth fishing trips, helping participants learn more about marine protected areas and ocean conservation,” Natalie explained.
Other interns focused on applying their creative skills to environmental communications.
“I designed visuals for social media posts, program materials, invitations, and other communications, which gave me a lot more confidence in my design skills,” said University of Texas student Sophie Harmon, who interned for AltaSea’s communications team.
USC film student Arian Tomar also completed a creative internship, directing a promotional short film for Holdfast Aquaculture.
“When I heard that there was an opportunity to work with Holdfast through AltaSea, I jumped at the opportunity to continue deepening my experience in sustainability, science, and research storytelling,” Arian said.
Arian traveled to Morro Bay to conduct interviews and collect footage of Holdfast’s oyster farm. While there, he was able to photograph wild sea otters—a highlight for him as a visual storyteller.
“[I took photos that] reveal the otter’s ecological relationship with eelgrass and kelp while also showing how humans in Morro Bay interact with them,” he explained.
A common sentiment amongst the interns is that the skills they learned at AltaSea will be beneficial no matter where their careers lead.
Lorie wants to continue searching for career opportunities that combine her communications skills and interest in lab work. Natalie plans to pursue a PhD in Marine Chemistry, focusing on ocean acidification. And Arian plans to use his storytelling skills to benefit his home state of Minnesota.
“I’m hoping to combine my interests in storytelling and sustainability with my passion for education,” he said.
Sophie is determined to “continue making a positive impact on the ocean and the communities connected to it.”
“While I don’t have a specific career path mapped out yet, I know that the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained here will guide me in finding opportunities where I can contribute meaningfully to ocean conservation and education,” she said.
Kalani, who is studying marine biology, said that his internship at EcoByRy helped refine his career goals.
“I’ve realized that I’ll have the most rewarding work experiences when I have to be doing things with my hands, as opposed to being solely at a desk,” he said.
Takuji is clear on his future path—becoming a leader in sustainable aquaculture.
“My long-term goal is to open a community-based fish market in Santa Monica that connects local aquaculture producers directly with customers. I’d like to make fresh, sustainable seafood more accessible,” he said.
“This internship helped me understand the industry better and gave me the confidence to keep moving forward.”
To learn more about internship opportunities at AltaSea, check out the video interviews with Rene Urrea, a UC Irvine student who interned for Equatic, and Clark Van Gorder, a Santa Monica College student who interned at Holdfast Aquaculture alongside Takuji and Arian.
Written by Emily Vidovich. Emily is an environmental journalist specializing in ocean conservation and climate change mitigation. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at George Washington University and a Masters in Global Environmental Studies at a university in Tokyo, Japan. Born and raised in the Port of Los Angeles, she now works in research and communications at AltaSea.