Searcher Hawai'i
Meet the Team
Gillian Wysock
Founder, Director, Chair, Educational Program Director
Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, Gillian felt an early pull toward the ocean that led her to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Marine Science program, shaping a lifelong path of ocean exploration. Guided by generous mentors and thousands of miles at sea, she developed a deep respect for shared knowledge, collaboration, and life on the water. Programs such as UH Hilo Marine Science, MOP, QUEST, and SEA played a formative role in her education and approach. Since earning her captain’s license, working with MFSE, and crewing aboard Searcher since 2010, she has focused on building community outreach programs that connect people through education, exploration, and meaningful engagement.
Julia Hartl
Vice Chair, Research Program Director
Jules joined Searcher Hawaiʻi in 2014 as a deckhand and research assistant, supporting seasonal voyages to Papahānaumokuākea. Originally from California’s Bay Area, Jules moved to Oʻahu after high school and earned a degree in Biological Sciences from Hawaiʻi Pacific University. Jules is currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, researching the long-term impacts of North Shore shark ecotourism on the movement, diet, and energetics of target shark species.
Ilana Nims
Secretary, Community Outreach Director
Ilana is a marine ornitharborist, a seabird biologist and arborist, from Waimānalo on Oʻahu. Over the past 15 years, Nimz has worked with a range of research and conservation organizations studying seabirds, monk seals, nudibranchs, and native plants in remote locations including Papahānaumokuākea, the Farallon Islands, and the Aleutians. Nimz served as a scientist aboard Searcher for the Nihoa Cenchrus Eradication Project.
Lauren Arnold
Treasurer
Originally from Arizona, Lauren found her way to the ocean by earning her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology at the University of the Virgin Islands. She moved to Oʻahu in 2018 to continue her studies and is now a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research focuses on using minimally invasive methods to study the habitat use and ecology of sharks and rays around Oʻahu, helping inform conservation and management decisions that support healthy ocean ecosystems. Lauren is also passionate about encouraging women and underrepresented communities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
Jen Ballou
Marketing Director
Jen is a designer and creative leader based in Hawaiʻi, focused on bringing environmental stories to life through thoughtful, brand-driven design and outreach. She is the founder of Do Good Productions, an environmental film consultancy advancing sustainability practices within Hawaiʻi’s film industry. Through her work, she blends creativity and advocacy to strengthen community engagement. Outside of work, Jen spends as much time as possible on the water sailing and racing, drawing inspiration from the ocean that shapes both her life and her work.
Mollie Ginther
Communications Director
Mollie is a graphic designer and scientific illustrator originally from Wisconsin. Since moving to Hawaiʻi in 2016, she has worked with a range of conservation and marine organizations, from on-the-ground conservation management on Palmyra Atoll to serving as a communications specialist and scientific illustrator for NOAA Fisheries. Her work bridges science and storytelling to make complex research accessible and engaging.
Nicole Galase
Grants Director
Nicole Galase finds beauty in nature from mauka to makai. She serves as Managing Director of the Hawaiʻi Cattlemen's Council, supporting Hawaiʻi’s ranching community and the paniolo who steward working lands across the islands.
Her career has taken her from the remote atolls of Papahānaumokuākea to the subalpine slopes of Mauna Loa, where she has worked in native habitat restoration and studied monk seals and seabirds. Through her work, Nicole seeks to strengthen connections between land and people, fostering care for both.
Kanoe Morishige
Cultural Practitioner
Dr. Kanoe Morishige is an Assistant Professor at Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies and graduate faculty in the Sustainable Fisheries Program at UH Mānoa. Her work centers on Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) community-based intertidal research weaving ʻŌiwi knowledge systems and institutional science tools to understand and sustain the productivity and health of Hawaiʻi’s intertidal ecosystems in an ʻĀina Momona (healthy and productive communities of people and place) adaptive management framework. She is a research lead in the non-profit organization, Nā Maka Onaona, is a member of the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group, and was NOAA Papahānaumokuākea's Native Hawaiian Program Specialist from 2021-2025.
Pelika Andrade
Cultural Practitioner
Pelika Andrade is a Native Hawaiian born and raised on the island of Kauaʻi. She is the founder and Executive Director of Nā Maka Onaona and serves as an extension agent with the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program. As a community member, hoaʻāina, and researcher, Pelika has worked with communities across the Hawaiian archipelago for nearly two decades. Her work focuses on developing alternative approaches to monitoring Hawaiʻi’s watersheds and supporting management strategies rooted in ʻĀina Momona—healthy, balanced, and thriving communities.
Steve Martin
Maritime Consultant
Steve Martin is a lifelong mariner whose connection to the sea began in early childhood, sailing to Hawaiʻi at the age of six with his parents. After surviving a storm that left their vessel dismasted and 40 days adrift at sea, he developed a deep respect for the power and unpredictability of the ocean.
He has since spent decades on the water, racing maxi yachts, delivering vessels worldwide, and building maritime businesses across the Pacific. Based on Oʻahu, Steve works as a marine surveyor and consultant, bringing technical expertise, practical seamanship, and hard-earned experience to every vessel and project he supports.
Liam Prichard
Administrative Assistant and Intern
Hailing from the coast of Maine, Liam has been connected to the ocean since his earliest days. He assisted with crustacean research at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and graduated with honors in Marine Biology from the University of Glasgow before moving to Honolulu to support the mission. Liam is especially drawn to field research and hopes to build a career in deep-sea exploration.
Behind Ocean Conscious is a team of mariners, educators, scientists, storytellers, and stewards with over 200 combined years of experience in marine and terrestrial conservation, environmental education, and life at sea.
Our work spans coral reefs and coastlines, classrooms and communities, research vessels and small boats—where learning, listening, and respect for the natural world guide everything we do. We bring technical knowledge combined with lived experience, allowing us to meet people where they are, translate big challenges into meaningful action, and support ideas from their earliest spark through real-world impact.
Whether you’re seeking guidance, collaboration, or a partner to help turn a vision into something tangible, our team is here to navigate the journey with you—thoughtfully, responsibly, and with care for the ocean and the communities connected to it.