LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Growing up in Middletown, N.J. near the banks of Sandy Hook Bay was ideal for Sierra Byrne, who was passionate about protecting the nearby waters. Now, Byrne has traded the shores of the east coast for the west coast, where she continues to learn about protecting marine environments while competing on the University of California San Diego women's rowing team.
 
Byrne, who is in the midst of her junior year at UC San Diego, discovered her passion back in high school. She attended the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, a high school which offers marine-focused classes in addition to its general courses. Byrne was not particularly interested in learning about aquatic sciences heading into high school, but that changed during her senior year.
 
"When you get to your senior year, you do a capstone project, so I did my capstone project in the marine research capstone class," Byrne explained. "The project I did was on microplastics. By the end of the class, you write a full research paper, so I spent a lot of time reading scientific articles about plastic pollution and became really passionate about the topic."
 
The timing was ideal for Byrne's budding interest. When she was not busy working on her capstone project, she spent time volunteering with Clean Ocean Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the water quality off the coast of New Jersey and New York.
 
"I was able to work with them as a senior to help plan [their beach cleanups]," Byrne shared. "They use volunteers from our school at one of their large sites because they do cleanups at over 60 locations in New Jersey at the same time on the same day. One of them had over 1,000 volunteers come to that one site, so it helps to have the student power to keep people organized."
 
After the positive experience, Byrne decided to apply for Clean Ocean Action's summer internship. She was accepted, and spent the summer following her senior year of high school continuing to assist the nonprofit organization.
 
"When I helped out in the summer, I was helping prepare for the beach sweeps coming up in the fall," Byrne recalled. "They also do corporate beach sweeps during the summer, so I'd help with those, and I was going through and helping process the data they collect.
 
"It's a cleanup, but also a data collection, so you mark the items as you pick them up. If it's a bottle cap, you'd go under the plastic category and mark a bottle cap, so then we have all the data."
 
Byrne particularly enjoyed working with the data gathered at the beach cleanups.
 
"They've been doing these for about 30 years, so you can see what they collect and the trends," Byrne said. "I really liked taking all of the data and making time trends to look at a snapshot of what the local pollution looks like."
 
After spending the summer with Clean Ocean Action, Byrne made the cross-country move to San Diego to begin her college journey. She entered UC San Diego as an environmental systems major with a specialization in earth sciences, but soon found a better fit.
 
"My spring quarter of my freshman year, they created the ocean and atmospheric sciences major," Byrne remembered. "As soon as I saw it, it was exactly what I was hoping for, so I switched into it right away."
 
With the opportunity to study her passion, Byrne was thrilled with her experience at UC San Diego. She felt like the campus was a perfect fit for her.
 
"It feels like everyone is trying to do their best academically, but it's not tense on the campus," Byrne described. "It's a very friendly environment that stimulates growth at the same time."
 
Although she successfully navigated the transition from high school to college, there was one thing that Byrne felt was lacking.
 
"I always worked out on my own during my freshman year," Byrne shared. "I was at the gym one day sitting there wanting to work out, but feeling like I had no goal. I wanted something to work for, and I felt like I could apply that to a sport."
 
After talking with her friend Devin Gaetje, who competes on the women's rowing team, Byrne decided to pursue rowing. She eagerly waited for the start of her sophomore year and walked onto the team.
 
"It's really unique for the sport that you're able to walk on," Byrne said. "Coach Kim [Dale] was able to teach our whole novice class about the sport even though we knew literally nothing the first day we got there. We were looking at the boat extremely confused, wondering where the oar goes. Everyone has to start somewhere, and everyone who's on varsity had that day at some point in their lives too."
 
Byrne has enjoyed the learning process and appreciates the coaches' efforts in getting the novice rowers up to speed.
 
"Being able to have a really supportive coaching staff that takes you from knowing nothing and trains you to the point where you can be competitive with people who have been rowing a long time is really unique and a great experience," Byrne stated. "Joining the rowing team is one of the best choices I've made since coming here."
 
It comes as no surprise that one of the things that Byrne loves most about rowing is spending time on the water.
 
"Being on the water is so beautiful, it's almost mesmerizing at times," Byrne shared. "I love being outdoors, and most people think it's horrible to wake up so early, but is starts off the morning so great."
 
Byrne's time spent practicing on Mission Bay inspires her as she continues to learn more about protecting the waters. She wants others to be able to take advantage of being on and in the water too.
 
"I feel a certain sense of responsibility," Byrne expressed. "Everyone loves to spend time outside and I feel like I've taken it upon myself to protect it so people can still enjoy it."
 
Excited by her studies and her rowing experience, Byrne is looking ahead to what is next on her journey.
 
"I feel like I'm spoiled because I get to be learning about stuff I already care about," Byrne said. "I'd like to continue into graduate school because I want to do research. The lab I'm working in right now is giving me a pretty good view as to what options I have for the future and what I want to do."
 
For now, Byrne will continue to learn about her passions, whether she is in her classes or out on the water.
 
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