Undergraduate Research
SURFO SPECIAL: Understanding Cold-Water Corals
SURFO student, HuxleyAnn Huefner, describes her summer research on deep-water corals.
Author: Diana Fontaine
I love writing of all kinds. As a PhD student at the Graduate School of Oceanography (URI), I use using genetic techniques to study phytoplankton diversity. I am interested in understanding how environmental stressors associated with climate change affect phytoplankton community dynamics and thus, overall ecosystem function. Prior to graduate school, I spent two years as a plankton analyst in the Marine Invasions Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) studying phytoplankton in ballast water of cargo ships and gaining experience with phytoplankton taxonomy and culturing techniques. In my free time I enjoy making my own pottery and hiking in the White Mountains (NH).
Undergraduate Research
SURFO SPECIAL: Robots and Velcro: How You’re $2,500 Away from Being an Oceanographer
SURFO student, Ashley Hutchins, describes her summer research on a cool remote controlled vehicle known as GeoFF.
Undergraduate Research
Deep Learning of the “Sea”: Using Artificial Intelligence to Better Understand our Earth’s Climate
Exploring ocean sea surface temperature datasets might be the answer to understanding our Earth’s climate.
Undergraduate Research
Bay Watch: Tracking Long-term Changes in Nutrients and Phytoplankton Composition in Narragansett Bay, RI
Phytoplankton composition can vary based on environmental changes. How can we study these important organisms over time?
Fisheries
Here’s the “Catch” with the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes to global fisheries. Using a Maine lobstering community as an example for global small fisheries,…
Biological oceanography Coastal Management Conservation Coral
Will dead corals help reefs recover from disturbances?
This is a guest post by Kelly Wong. Kelly is a current Master’s student at California Sate University, Northridge in…
Climate Change Coastal Management Conservation Coral
Does coral size matter?
Nina Bean is a 2nd year master’s student at the California State University, Northridge in Dr. Peter Edmunds’ Polyp Lab.…
Biological oceanography Climate Change Evolution Human impacts Microbiome Plastic
Catching a ride on plastic: how dangerous bacteria might travel across oceans
Plastic is abundant in the ocean ecosystem. Not only is it harmful to marine animals, but as scientists discovered, it…
Coastal Management
To fish or to dive?: A case study of fisher and diver perceptions of coral reef management
This week is #BlackInMarineScience week and here at Oceanbites we’re featuring the work of Black scientists all week long! Today’s…
Aquaculture Biodiversity Biological oceanography Coastal Management Conservation Human impacts Invasive Species
No language bounds in the ocean
What happens when an animal is found outside of its native range? Does it take over? How does it get…
Climate Change Coastal Management En Espanol Ocean Exploration Physical oceanography Undergraduate Research
El Golfo de San Lorenzo es un histórico rompecabezas de oxígeno
Adalberto Ubinas Romero es un estudiante de último año en la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao con especialización en…
Behavior Biology Conservation Developmental Biology
Whisk-y Business: How Insights from Whisker Anatomy Can Expand Our Knowledge of Seal Behavior (Guest Post by Aubree Jones)
This is a guest post by Aubree Jones. Aubree is working towards her PhD at the University of Rhode Island.…
Biodiversity Biological oceanography Climate Change Genetics
Around the world on a quest for diatoms
How do scientists explore the diversity of tiny cells in the vast ocean? Does diversity change in relation to environmental…
Chemistry Ecology Fisheries Human Health
How does mercury end up in our seafood? (Guest Post by Patricia Myer)
This is a guest post by Patricia Myer. Patricia is a third-year Chemical Oceanography PhD student at the University of…
Climate Change Coastal Management Physical oceanography
SURFO SPECIAL: The oxygen puzzle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Each summer, the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) hosts undergraduate students from all over the country…
Coastal Management Conservation Coral
SURFO SPECIAL: A virtual adventure in coastal restoration
Coastal and Marine National Parks welcome millions of visitors every year, and they need our help! Habitat degradation is a…
Book Review
Plastic Problems in Marine Pathways
What if I told you that the organisms in the ocean produce half of the oxygen we breathe? Then what…
Biology Coastal Management Conservation Ecology Fisheries Policy
Getting your toes wet: Citizen science as a means for long-term monitoring
To understand ecosystem level changes, it is important to monitor an ecosystem over a long period of time. However, long-term…
Biological oceanography Ecology Evolution Methodology
Southern Ocean diatoms: while they’re small, they are mighty!
Tiny organisms called phytoplankton fuel the marine food web. How have they adapted to live in the Southern Ocean where…
Coastal Management Coral deep sea Economy Human impacts Noise ocean engineering Ocean Exploration Pollution
Life in the Abyss: the ecological impacts of deep-sea mining
Did you know that about 95% of the ocean is unexplored? The deep ocean is logistically very difficult to access,…