Research interests:
- The impact of abiotic factors on coral reef ecology, physiology, and resilience, in particular in MCEs
- How ecological interactions drive community structure and function
- Understanding the interactions between morphology and ecological function of marine organisms
- Community ecology
- Science communication
- Conservation, policy, and management
Check out my current projects here
Previous Projects:
August 2017 – December 2019 Masters Student- University of the Virgin Islands
Advisor: Dr. Tyler Smith, Committee: Dr. Marilyn Brandt, Dr. Monica Medina, Dr. Sonaljit Mukherjee
- Differing lesion recovery of Orbicella franksi and Agaricia lamarcki from shallow to mesophotic depths
- Multi-site, multi-depth, multi-species lesion recovery assay
- Modeled and measured physical environmental variables
- Statistical analysis and modeling of tissue recovery
These results are currently in submission for peer-review. Stay tuned for updates!
May 2018-July 2018 Bridge to PhD- Pennsylvania State Department of Biology
Advisor(s): Dr. Mònica Medina, Dr. Roberto Iglesias-Prieto, Dr. Iliana Baums
- Identification of algal symbionts present in Agaricia lamarcki and Orbicella franksi corals sampled in shallow and mesophotic reefs in the northern US Virgin Islands
- Collection of coral tissue samples as a part of a larger lesion recovery assay (see current projects)
- DNA extraction and symbiont DNA amplification
- Illumina next generation sequencing
- Phylogenetic analysis and identification of sequences in MEGA
Results are still somewhat inconclusive, but Cladocopium goreaui was identify at every depth sampled and across both species!
June 2015-May 2016 Increasing Diversity and Enhancing Academia (IDEA) – UNC Marine Sciences Department
Advisor(s): Dr. Karl Castillo, Dr. Sarah Davies, Coleen Bove
- Understanding the interactive effect of nitrate and low salinity on the tropical coral Siderastrea siderea corals
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- Independent project co-advised by Dr. Karl Castillo and Colleen Bove
- Designed tank based experiment
- Partial renovation of tank system
- Daily maintenance and upkeep of 12 tank system
- Experimental dosing of nitrate
- Analytical quantification of Total Inorganic Nitrogen (TIN)
- Buoyant weights, bleaching analysis, and weekly feeding
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Read the full result of this work in my senior thesis here
Check out the research poster summarizing the results here
March 2015-June 2015 Sea Education Association (SEA) – Woods Hole, MA
Advisor(s): Dr. Amy Siuda, Dr. Erik Zettler, Dr. Linda Amaral-Zettler
- Studying the morphology and population connectivity of Panulirus argus phyllosoma
- Neuston net and 555μm plankton net towing
- Identification of plankton using light microscopy
- Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) deployment
- Identification and staging of phyllosoma using light microscopy
- DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing
- Analysis of sequence data using MEGA and Geneious
Check out the research poster summarizing our results here
August 2014-March 2015 Volunteer Undergraduate Researcher – UNC Marine Sciences Department
Advisor(s): Dr. Karl Castillo, Dr. Justin Baumann
- Investigating acclimation and resilience in corals on the Belize Barrier Reef System (BBRS)
- Design, construction, collection, and analysis of video surveys of the Belize Barrier Reef System
- Comparative analysis of novel video survey method with traditional survey methodology
- Collection of in situ water samples
- Video documentation of field data collection
June 2014-August 2014 Increasing Diversity and Enhancing Academia (IDEA) – UNC Marine Sciences Department
Advisor(s): Dr. Karl Castillo, Hannah Aichelman
- Investigating the effect of feeding on growth of the temperate coral Oculina arbuscula
- Daily maintenance of 12 tank system
- Experimental feeding regime
- Buoyant weights
- 3D surface area scanning and analysis of coral skeletons
- Symbiont counting and density analysis