Pacific American Foundation: A Dash of Aquaculture in Hawaii

Pacific American Foundation: A Dash of Aquaculture in Hawaii

Pacific American Foundation: A Dash of Aquaculture in Hawaii

a young man wearing sunglasses and a blue shirt uses a net to capture small fish from a cooler

Dash Dicksion was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii, and is a freshman at the University of Washington studying aquatic and fishery sciences. Having spent most of his life living near the ocean, he participated in activities like fishing, spearfishing, and surfing from a young age. These hobbies helped shape his career path by igniting his passion for fish and aquatic resources. After obtaining his degree, Dash plans to return to Hawaii to pursue a career in aquaculture or nearshore resource management. Ultimately, he hopes to determine how to remove pressure from heavily used aquatic resources while supporting the needs of the steadily growing human population.

The Chrysalis Fund recently supported Dash to further explore his marine-related interests as an intern in the Pua Boot Camp—a collaborative project between the Pacific American Foundation (PAF) and the University of Hawaii Sea Grant. The project aims to establish an aquaculture facility that functions as a nursery system for juvenile fish. Its main goal is to acclimate the fry to specific water conditions in tanks before their release into loko I’a (fishponds) during fish stocking efforts.

Dash’s internship began in 2022 when he helped construct an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system for the project. He assisted in maintaining the facility, raising various fish species, adapting fish to different salinities, and transporting fish to other islands. Additionally, he conducted a growth experiment with a native species of fish called the Hawaiian āholehole (a sustainable alternative to invasive tilapia), grew and cleaned marine algae for human consumption, and conducted presentations for individuals ranging from middle schoolers to adults.
Beyond the hands-on experience that Dash received through the internship, he gained valuable insight into his career path from his colleagues. He also reported learning techniques for biometric data collection and effective community engagement. According to the staff at PAF, they would not have been able to successfully design, build, or maintain the aquaculture system without Dash. They also reported that his cheerful demeanor was essential for keeping everyone’s spirits up—even during the most stressful moments of the project’s construction!
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