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Anthony Wawea (left) is the first Pacific Islander to be awarded a PhD in marine biology from Auckland University of Technology.
photo: supply
The first Pacific Islander to graduate with a PhD in marine biology from Auckland University of Technology (AUT) says he hopes to take what he has learned back to his “happy place surrounded by water” and share it with the people of the Cook Islands.
Antony Vavia, 28, graduated in Auckland on August 1, becoming only the second Cook Islander to gain a doctorate in the field – the other being Dr Teina Rongo, chairperson of Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau’ and a prominent community leader.
Vaviya’s research focuses on subsistence fisheries in the Pacific, using his home island of Mitiaro (the fourth of the Cook Islands) as an example.
He spent more than a year conducting research in Mitiaro during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought some challenges due to movement restrictions, including having to store all research fish in deep freezers before shipping them to New Zealand for laboratory experiments.
He told New Zealand’s Pacific Radio that completing his PhD was “a big day for me and my family”.
Anthony Wawea (left) is the first Pacific Islander to be awarded a PhD in marine biology from Auckland University of Technology.
photo: supply
“I learned a lot about gratitude not only from a scientific perspective, but also from the people of Mitiaro, the dads, the moms, the youth, the fishermen,” he said.
Wawia wants to study Pacific island fisheries because he believes the world is facing threats such as climate change, overfishing, and natural resource exploitation, which have negative impacts on food security, the environment, and health.
But much of the focus has been on developed countries.
“Millions of people throughout the Pacific Rim and around the world rely on these fisheries as a critical source of food, not only for their physical health but also for their culture.”
He said the Cook Islands are surrounded by ocean and “naturally we want to protect that resource”.
“I am so happy to be inspired by someone like Dr. Rongo. I know he has a passion for the ocean and our community. I do, too.”
“So to be the second marine biologist as a 28-year-old is pretty amazing.”
Anthony Wawea (left) is the first Pacific Islander to be awarded a PhD in marine biology from Auckland University of Technology.
photo: supply
He said his only goal now is to learn and give back to the community.
“I want to bring it home. I want to bring home everything I’ve learned and will learn.
“That place is where I’m happiest, being on the water, on Vaca Island, surrounded by water,” he added.
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