Leah Shizuru was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and is kanaka ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian). She is a graduate student at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her current research focuses on phylogenomics and population connectivity of ʻēkaha kū moana (antipatharians) throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. Her love for the ocean, community and home motivate Leah to engage in efforts that support sustainability and conservation of natural resources and rich culture.