Andriana Fragola presents her research on coral reefs at Seton Hall’s Petersheim Academic Exposition.
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Among Seton Hall’s Class of 2016 is Andriana Fragola, who will graduate with a degree in environmental studies and minors in psychology and anthropology. Her time as a Pirate has been marked by the discovery of her passion for protecting the environment and opportunities to put her environmentalism into practice.
“I originally came to Seton Hall for psychology, but realized I was not passionate about it in the way I have always been passionate about the environment and the amazing animals that share the planet with us,” Fragola said in a press release. “I switched over to the environmental studies program and am incredibly happy that I did. I have always been enamored with the planet, and in the last three years I’ve learned so much and have come a long way with the help of my professors and my own self-teaching.”
“Andy has helped me as a volunteer on research projects in South Mountain Reservation; she’s an enthusiastic and knowledgeable ambassador for the environmental studies program and during events for prospective students,” biology professor Marian Glenn said in the release.
Fragola has been active both on and off campus. As president of the Ecology Club, she has been instrumental in organizing Seton Hall’s Eco-Fest, a weeklong multifaceted effort to educate the campus community on the imperatives of environmental activism and raising awareness about how students can contribute to a sustainable planet.
“I think everyone should want to do their part in preserving the planet. We need as much help as we can get and strength definitely comes in numbers,” she said. “You can make a difference on an individual level by being an aware consumer and voting with your dollar by purchasing more sustainable products, learning what can and cannot be recycled, or even turning off the lights or water when you are not using them.”
Fragola’s activism extends beyond the campus. Last summer she traveled to Indonesia with the non-governmental organization Barefoot Conservation, where she took part in research dives and taught English to natives.
“I had the opportunity to work on my own investigation while I was overseas. I examined two different coral reef sites: one that was disturbed and had human influences on it — a fish farm and boating materials (such as) cables and large anchors — and one that was undisturbed and did not have any of these contaminants present,” she said.
Her efforts have paid off, this summer she will be presenting her research at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Hawaii, a gathering of more than 2,500 coral scientists and policymakers.
“Andy serves as a great example of how to make the most of your undergraduate experience. She took an active role in seeking out academic opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom, that reflected her interests and goals, and then pursued them with enthusiasm,” professor Michael Taylor said in the release.
As a resident of Miami, and a true lover of the oceans, Fragola is never far from the sea. At the age of 12 she became a certified scuba diver, and is currently a certified rescue diver and will be pursuing her master diver classification this summer. Fragola expressed concern about the pace of climate change and her desire to make an impact.
She explained that her biggest passion is the preservation of sharks. “Sharks are under great threat because of many stressors such as pollution, longline fishing threats, but primarily because of the shark fin trade,” she said. “Without sharks, ocean ecosystems would be extremely unbalanced and further problems would ensue. This is a cause I would love to dedicate my life to.”
Fragola intends to pursue a graduate degree in ocean conservation specializing in tropical marine ecosystems.