I spent two weeks with a group of marine biologists in Pisco, Peru volunteering in their laboratory and filming videos of their work and projects for the team’s proposal for a 10-year project under a network of Peruvian universities.

The team of marine biologists is tackling the problem of battling the invasive seaweed Caulerpa filiformis and conserving the indigenous seaweed Yuyo. Not only do they spend long hours in the lab studying seaweed properties, they are also testing out farming techniques of yuyo at sea while teaching local fishermen biology classes with a certification upon the completion of classes to begin farming their own seaweed. I truly loved taking part in the lab activities, whether we plunged in freezing waters to collect seaweed samples, to observing the science classes, to crafting the “branches” of seaweed trees. I loved working with a group passionate about the intersection of environmental justice, marrying science with social and economic empowerment of the working class.