Growing up, Ayi’s home aquariums fueled his curiosity and passion for aquatic life. This interest led Ayi to pursue a B.S. in Biology at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. During undergrad, he was an active volunteer at the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, where he assisted in the care and release of threatened and endangered fish species of the southeast United States. During this time, he was heavily involved in the Society for Freshwater Science Emerge program, which helped get him interested in pursuing research. Ayi gained that experience through internship programs at Florida International University and University of Washington, where he studied the dynamics of biodiversity in Florida Bay’s seagrass beds, and fish olfactory systems.
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\nAs an Environmental Educator at the Georgia Aquarium, Ayi developed and led STEM-based programs that promote ocean literacy, conservation science, and community engagement for learners of all ages. Passionate about blending education, research, and conservation, Ayi joined as a Staff Biologist in the Coral Workforce Development Lab at Mote Science Education Aquarium in June 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18872,"template":"","department":[24],"class_list":["post-18805","staff","type-staff","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","department-coral-health-disease-research-program"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n