“We do a bit of everything,” Hong, a two-year CiS intern, said. “We help out around the public floor, we talk to guests and visitors about different science concepts, and we also work with different scientists.”
Ley and Hong’s research was one of many semester-long opportunities. Conducted in partnership with Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS), a California-based community science program, the project used citywide data to monitor the effects of heavy metals on local sand crab populations.
“We chose to address the effects of heavy metals because we know that SF has a lot of history with them, considering the Gold Rush and the fact that we’re a major port city,” Ley, a three-year CiS intern, said. “A lot of stuff comes into the bay, and there’s a lot of contamination.”
“Pacific mole crabs, or sand moles, are indicator species – they’re really important to the Bay Area environment,” Hong adds. “If they’re doing well, it means the ecosystem is doing well.”
Research began in June 2024. As part of LiMPETS’s community involvement efforts, Hong and Ley’s group took to Ocean Beach to test the water for methyl-mercury and uncover burrowed Pacific mole crabs along the shore.
“It’s definitely an experience – it makes you bond for sure,” Hong said.
The group measured each crab for their size and identified them by sex and age. This data was then added to LiMPETS’s records of crab populations sent in by other environmental science groups and high school classes around the bay.
After a summer of field work, Ley and Hong shifted to the Academy’s labs to compare and analyze their observations. There, they organized five years’ worth of LiMPET sand crab data and tackled statistical holes.
“One of the most meaningful parts of the process was seeing all the data come together,” Hong said, “We got to see how our data actually affects us, how the water and the environment we share all connect.”
After six months and tens of hours of preparation, Hong and Ley’s CiS team was sponsored by AGU’s Bright STaRS Program to speak at the conference. Their group was one of the few youth scientists presenting.
“For some students, this trip was their first time traveling to the East Coast. They absolutely crushed it,” Kalish said. “I felt this overwhelming pride and joy watching them present – you could tell that they felt confident and proud of the work they were doing. They spoke with such eloquence. It’s been a month since the conference and I’m still excited about it.”
“It really helped that everyone was really interested to learn from us and talk to each other,” Hong said. “Our experience presenting at the Academy really helped us.”
For Ley, a highlight of the trip was the chance to network with experts from all niches of scientific study.
“We really got to connect and learn from people from fields that we were interested in,” an attendee said. “It was really interesting to see NASA’s models of the Parker Probe orbiting around the sun. I also remember going to one of these sessions and learning about this team of people who found out a way to predict and analyze moonquakes. Everything was really cool.”
Hong, as well as her other team members, were also thrilled to share their work with the broader STEM community. According to Kalish, the group was able to officially publish its research and physically present their research to acclaimed scientists – two rare opportunities for high school students.
“It was a great honor,” Ley said. “It was scary to travel all the way to Washington, D.C., but we got to talk to so many scientists. We all had a lot of fun.”
This semester, as well as the following summer, marks the last session of the program for graduating seniors like Ley. With their remaining time in CiS, they look forward to attending overnight trips and tackling an ornithology research project in hopes of exploring a new branch of science.
“One of our upcoming overnight trips is at Hastings, which is a natural history reserve that is owned by UC Berkeley,” Ley said. “We go there every year to learn about and study the woodpecker populations there. It’s really fun to bond as a team and learn about the ecosystem.”
Hong also plans on exploring different branches of environmental science, biology and energy in hopes of settling on her future major at university; she hopes she can use her senior year for more experimentation.
“I’m really excited to explore ornithology,” Hong said. “This is one of the best parts of CiS: You get to try new things and all possible careers in science.”
Beyond high school, both teens see themselves studying STEM in college, and agree that the CiS program inspired them to pursue science careers in the future.
“I want to tell these kids to never underestimate themselves, to remember all of the hard work they’ve put in over the past three years,” Kalish said. “They know they have the ability and the skills to be successful in whatever career they choose. Just go for it!”
