She made history with her Carolina studies

Aliyah Griffith is proof that Black history is still being made.

When she earned her Master of Science in 2022, she became the first Black student to earn an advanced degree in marine sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. Last year she walked across the stage again when she completed her doctoral studies in the discipline, also a first for a Black Tar Heel.

Beyond being a historic first, Griffith is notable for her scholarship, creativity and outreach to students of color interested in marine sciences.

As an undergraduate student at Hampton University, Griffith created Mahogany Mermaids after asking herself, “How can I make it easier for the next generation?”

Her now decade-old nonprofit encourages children of color to pursue the aquatic sciences through community-building, mentoring, programming and education.

Griffith was once in their shoes. She distinctly remembers a trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore where a conversation with a dolphin trainer whetted her aquatic curiosity.

“I was running around saying I wanted to be a marine biologist,” said Griffith, who published a children’s book while studying at Carolina. “Most people were just surprised that I even knew what that was, let alone what that meant.”

Growing up along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and visiting family in Barbados, Griffith had lots of opportunities to pursue her passion, and she knew she wanted to major in marine and environmental science at Hampton.

At Carolina Griffith researched ecophysiology of coral reef systems as well as the resilience of coral reef systems off the Florida coast and in the Caribbean and reef management strategies. (Submitted photo)

She hit the ground running when she began graduate school at Carolina, where she joined the lab of professor Karl Castillo in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ Earth, marine and environmental sciences department. Before making it to campus, she conducted field research in Belize and off the coast of Florida, collecting samples for her research.

“I remember meeting everyone on the faculty that first day we all come to campus,” Griffith said. “There were multiple professors that were like, ‘I heard that you’ve already conducted all this stuff. We haven’t even started yet.’”

Griffith’s research evolved during her six years as a Tar Heel. She started by researching the ecophysiology of coral reef systems, which involves external interactions with reefs, such as hurricane impacts on skeletal growth.

After receiving her master’s, Griffith focused on the resilience of coral reef systems off the Florida coast and in the Caribbean and reef management strategies during her doctoral studies. She incorporated scuba diving, satellite imagery and remote-operated vehicles into her research.

(Left) Griffith received a Harvey Beech Scholarship at the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Lecture and Awards Ceremony, and (right) presented her research at the 2024 Graduate Student Recognition Celebration. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill; The Graduate School)

A grant from National Geographic funded much of Griffith’s dissertation. The award also made her a Nat Geo Explorer, opening professional doors for Griffith and bolstering her work with Mahogany Mermaids.

In 2023 she hosted a free screening of “The Little Mermaid” for children at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., and gave them a chance to meet and interact with scientists.

This past summer she hosted a photo camp for high schoolers along the Tangier Sound in Maryland. “They were not only learning environmental science but also exploring storytelling and the use of photography to portray their perspectives,” Griffith said.

Griffith is also a consultant. She works with Barbados’ Coastal Zone Management Unit and guides organizations with curriculum development and science communication.

As a Tar Heel, Griffith enjoyed working with The Graduate School through its Grad Student Success program.

Regarding the “first” distinction she has at Carolina, Griffith doesn’t think about it too much. But she’s “really grateful for the avenue I was able to take.”

“I don’t think I would’ve been able to meet the different people I have, which has connected me to the different opportunities I’ve had, without this exact path,” she said.