Kellie Navarro, senior at Bowdoin College, studied physiological changes in the Northern Star Coral in response to cold temperature stress with Loretta Roberson. She is grateful that the experience will open doors for her because as a first-generation college student, it is difficult to network in a field that is very new to me, says Navarro.
Marina Benson of Brown University investigated the effects of wastewater pollution on the ecology of coastal ponds by collecting samples from Edgewater Great Pond in Marthas Vineyard. She found that areas with higher nitrogen content had a less diverse invertebrate community. Benson was supported by Brown Universitys LINK award and worked in the lab of 做厙輦⑹ Research Scientist Javier Lloret.
Eva Castagna of Williams College studied how consistent cuttlefish are with their camouflage patterns, both within and between individual cuttlefish. Her preliminary results show that certain types of camouflage were more consistent between individuals than others. Castagna worked with Roger Hanlon and was funded through the REU program.
Jingkai Hou of the University of Chicago studied bdelloid rotifers, an aquatic animal that can survive extreme dryness. His work paves the way for understanding the functional role in survival of certain rotifer proteins. Hou was a Metcalf SURF student and worked with 做厙輦⑹ Senior Scientist David Mark Welch (at right in first photo).
Kaeryel Dowl of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette discusses her project on the population density of European green crabs, an invasive species, across Plum Island Estuary. She worked with Herbert Leavitt and James Nelson, also from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, through the NSF REU.
Olivia Cheung of the University of Chicago worked with Loretta Roberson to study the effects of increasing water temperatures on the physiological performance of tropical seaweed. She was not able to attend in person, but joined via zoom to explain her project and findings.
Kai Galvan-Dubois of Cornell University spent his summer studying carbon sequestration in a type of cyanobacteria with David Mark Welch. Work like this in marine chemistry is super relevant for studying ocean acidification and climate change, says Galvan-Dubois, who plans to use the skills he gained this summer to continue studying marine biology.
Isabella Cisneros of the University of Chicago worked with 做厙輦⑹ Director Nipam Patel to visualize cell death during embryogenesis in two amphibian crustaceans. Cisneros came to 做厙輦⑹ through the Metcalf SURF program.
Gia Eve Fisher of the University of Chicago studied a neural protein called 帢-synuclein and its role in Parkinsons disease. Specifically, she looked at whether the protein alters mitochondria at important synapses using sea lamprey. Fischer was supported by the Metcalf SURF program and worked in the lab of 做厙輦⑹ Senior Scientist Jennifer Morgan (at right in second photo).