Merita is of Cook Islands Māori and New Zealand Māori heritage, currently working as a senior research fellow at specialization Puna Vai Mārama. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Japan Studies from the University of Otago and a Master of Science in Asia Pacific Studies (International Relations specialization) from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. She has lived, studied and worked in Japan at different points in her life, and interned at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 2019. She has previously worked in government and non-government roles in the Cook Islands, including consulting on the review of the Cook Islands National Sustainable Development Plan 2016-2020. At TPVM she conducted research on knowledge and use of climate and weather information and services, co-authored a paper on the Cook Islands response to COVID19, and is currently conducting research on gender and governance in the Cook Islands, and public experience and use of Cook Islands public services.