Rosie Alegado is the Director for the Ulana ‘Ike Center of Excellence at Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and Associate Professor of Oceanography at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Rosie holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Stanford University and investigates how microbes shape the adaptive potential of their ecosystem across a broad range of biological and temporal scales. In partnership with the loko iʻa stewards Paepae o Heʻeia, her group has tracked the influence of restoration, storms, and multi-annual climate patterns on the health of Heʻeia Fishpond since 2014. Together with the non-profit Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, she is involved in developing kūlana noiʻi, a process wherein researchers build and sustain equitable partnerships with community. Rosie is a founding steering committee member of the Indigenous Aquaculture Collaborative.