Keiko Wilkins

Keiko Wilkins is a coral ecologist from Ohio with more than 12 years of research experience in freshwater and marine science. As a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, Keiko is establishing a baseline of microplastic adhesion, ingestion, and incorporation within corals of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries of the Pacific Islands region. These sanctuaries are Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Keiko earned her PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where her dissertation research examined the effects of microplastic-associated chemicals on coral health and reproduction. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Master of Science in Biology with an Applied Statistics Certificate from Miami University (Oxford, OH). Her undergraduate and Master’s research focused on freshwater zooplankton ecology in lakes of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania (USA).

Alongside her research, Keiko has spent the past four years in the nonprofit sector, including as Community Coordinator for Black Women in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Science (BWEEMS), supporting women of color in science and expanding access and opportunity for youth, students and professionals of color. She is also a co-founder of the Stewards of Underrepresented Lineages (SoUL) Network, a nonprofit organization that builds a global community of youth, students, and professionals from underrepresented and underserved communities in aquatic STEAM. Through SoUL, she helps promote inclusivity, financial literacy and climate justice.