Angelie Donguines

Tell us about your work/ research. What kinds of things do you do?

I am currently interning at the marine lab at the University of Guam. The lab I intern under focuses on benthic data in Micronesia, which is coral, algae, and more. My job is to annotate photos taken on dives. The photos are put through a website called CoralNet, which uses AI to help us annotate the photos. My job is to check the AI's work, so for example, if there is a point on a coral, I will go in and make sure it was correctly identified. This helps us understand the reef's health because a lot of factors play a role in determining this. Living on an island, I am surrounded by miles of ocean and therefore a lot of coral so it's fairly convenient for us to attain coral data.
 

What sparked your initial interest in your career?

Being born and raised on a tropical island has made a lot of impact on my career choice. My parents took me to the beach a lot as a kid so it's like I've grown up there. I would say I've always been a curious child so when my would parents take me to the beach, I enjoyed looking for fish, shells, and hermit crabs. From then, I've always had this interest for the ocean because there's so much out there that makes it so fascinating to me. It honestly feels like I'm a kid in a candy store when I see the ocean.
 

Who influenced you or encouraged you the most?

To be honest, a career in Marine Biology was not my first choice. I've always thought that I shouldn't make a hobby or something I enjoy my career as I felt like it could take that spark away. However, my high school was offering a class in Marine Biology and it was the most eye-opening experience I had in high school because I finally realized what I wanted to do all thanks to my teacher. There was something about the way she taught the subject that made me change my mind. She always spoke with such enthusiasm and excitement each class, and I remember thinking I wanted to feel that way with my job.
 

What element of your work/ study do you think is the most fascinating?

I think the most fascinating part of what I do is being surrounded by nature. There's just so much out there and it's just so refreshing being outdoors. It also scratches that itch of curiosity in me so I'm never bored.
 

How did you get involved with Ocean Exploration Trust? How did you become part of the expedition team?

One of my best friends told me about the opportunity because she saw there was an ocean science internship. I read through it and I was immediately excited to apply.
 

What other jobs led you to your current career?

So far, I've only worked at the marine lab at the University of Guam, and worked with coral. During this time, I was trying to see if coral was something I would want to focus on in my career, and there is potential. I want to try different things hence why I applied for the Nautilus because I want to try something out of my comfort zone in order to broaden my horizons.
 

What are your hobbies?
 

Based on my previous answers, I think it's pretty obvious that I enjoy going the to beach and paddle boarding. I also enjoy going on runs outdoors because I love having a scenic view. Occasionally, I like to paint. I enjoy painting nature scenes like the sky, forests, or the beach.

What advice would you give someone who wants to have a career like yours?

Going into marine biology, I feel like it's important to have a curious mind. That doesn't only mean being curious about the topic but on how things work or where things are because it could honestly open a lot more doors. Your curiosity could also help you access a broad range of jobs because I feel like it's important to want to try new things. It's also important to listen. There's a lot of knowledge that gets passed around especially if you're working with people who share the same interests as you. It will help you not only in your career but also as a person because people from different backgrounds carry different stories. Passion is another important thing to have. When it comes to work, knowing that you enjoy doing what you're doing is key to a successful career. There's a lot to do in marine biology, and having that drive is what will keep you pushing forward and discovering new things.