PhD Student

Damien Cie

Undergraduate Degree:  BS Biology

Undergraduate University:  San Diego State University

Postgraduate Degree:MSc Marine Ecology

Postgraduate University: San Diego State University 

Email:  dcie@ucsd.edu

Advisor:  Dr. Jim Leichter

Brief Bio:
Some callings in life seem to be innate; some are realized along the way.  Certainly for me, the latter was true.  I grew up in a Hawaiian culture that for decades have relied heavily on making/fixing fishing nets, growing taro, and hunting wild pigs.  While this humble lifestyle seems exotic to the modern world and while I take extreme pride in my roots and heritage, as a young boy I dreamt of doing more, of being more…except I didn’t know then what “more” was.  Needless to say, during my early academic years I pursued many interests, including earning an AS degree in Liberal Arts, obtaining certifications in Firefighter Technology and Emergency Medical Technician, volunteering with local beach clean-up and biodiversity surveys, and serving as an Army Ranger in the 82nd Airborne Division.  Despite the diversity in these interests, I found that there was an underlying satisfaction gained from contributing meaningfully to the community.  As fate would have it, my committed goal to making a difference was further fueled on a return visit to Hawaii when I was struck by the tragic pollution and eventual destruction of several pristine coastlines once frequented by my grandfather and me.  This visit opened my eyes and mind to what I now believe is my destiny:  to protect and, possibly even, restore our natural resources so that their full potential can be enjoyed by generations to come.  The realization of this calling has put me on a focused path that, thus far, have led to a completion of a BS degree in Biology as well as a Masters degree in Marine Ecology at San Diego State University in the lab of Dr. Matt Edwards where my thesis emphasis was on Macrocystis pyrifera and the effects of physical and biological factors on their dispersal potential.  As a recipient of the 2006 IGERT fellowship at SIO, I am looking forward to beginning my Ph.D program under the guidance of Dr. Paul Dayton (among others).  The connection I have with the islands has already laid the groundwork for my future dissertation research.  Intrigued with the interactions between the people of “Old Hawai’i” and the environment, I hope to combine anthropology, political science, economics, and marine biology by looking at the effects of restoring “Native Hawaiian Fish Ponds” to the local environment and its indigenous people.  This is definitely more than I had hoped. 

Research Interests:
The interactions between the people of "Old Hawaii" and the environment, I hope to combine anthropology, political science, economics, and marine biology by looking at the effects of restoring "Native Hawaiian Fish Ponds" to the local environment and its indigenous people.

Publications:
Cie, D.K. and M.S. Edwards. 2008. The effects of high irradiance on the settlement competency and viability of kelp zoospores. J of Phyc. Vol. 44, No. 2.

Project Report:  Native Hawaiian Fishponds: Environmental and Economic Relevance  

Featured in "This week at UCSD" 2/09