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Author: Samantha Setta

I'm a PhD student in the Rynearson Lab at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). My research interests are focused on human impacts on the oceanic ecosystem, particularly effects on the primary producers (phytoplankton) at the base of the food web. Currently, I work with cultures from regions of the ocean that are nutrient limited and will conduct experiments to investigate how these phytoplankton survive.
Sheepshead, a lesson from the past
Fisheries

Sheepshead, a lesson from the past

What happens when archeology and science intertwine to teach us a lesson from the past? Read on to find out…
August 19, 2021 Samantha Setta
How citizen scientists are preventing coral bleaching
Conservation Coral

How citizen scientists are preventing coral bleaching

Researchers and citizen scientists teamed up across an enormous ocean region to document the 2016 coral bleaching event in the…
June 5, 2021 Samantha Setta
The ugly truth behind seafood
Fisheries Remote Sensing

The ugly truth behind seafood

Some large-scale commercial fishing vessels that operate on the high seas have a problem. Read on to learn more about…
January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Samantha Setta
Mercurial fish: Climate change and temperature could change how much mercury you’re eating
Biogeochemistry Pollution

Mercurial fish: Climate change and temperature could change how much mercury you’re eating

Dr. Amina Schartup’s research focuses on many important issues to both marine and human health, including methylmercury concentration in fish.…
December 1, 2020December 1, 2020 Samantha Setta
It’s a cold, cold winter for Arctic phytoplankton
Ecology

It’s a cold, cold winter for Arctic phytoplankton

Ever wonder what winter is like for marine organisms? What about those that rely on light for growth? In a…
October 9, 2020October 9, 2020 Samantha Setta
SURFO Special: How do we address the massive fluoro-pollutant crisis in the United States?
Book Review

SURFO Special: How do we address the massive fluoro-pollutant crisis in the United States?

Every summer, the URI Graduate School of Oceanography hosts undergraduate research interns called SURFOs. In this post learn about how…
September 26, 2020 Samantha Setta
SURFO Special: From outer space to the microscope: How NASA’s satellites are helping us understand the ocean’s smallest life
Remote Sensing

SURFO Special: From outer space to the microscope: How NASA’s satellites are helping us understand the ocean’s smallest life

Every summer, the URI Graduate School of Oceanography hosts undergraduate research interns called SURFOs. In this post learn about how…
September 26, 2020 Samantha Setta
Underwater musicians: estimating health of an estuary using sound
Climate Change Fisheries Noise

Underwater musicians: estimating health of an estuary using sound

Ever hear a snapping underwater? Wonder who is making the sound? Researchers can use sound to take the pulse of…
September 10, 2020September 10, 2020 Samantha Setta
Coral

How corals thrive in deep ocean waters

Ever wonder how corals live in the cold, dark depths of the ocean? How could climate change impact these organisms?…
August 13, 2020August 14, 2020 Samantha Setta
Antarctic Sea Ice – What do Adélie Penguins have to do with it?
Conservation Ecology Glaciers

Antarctic Sea Ice – What do Adélie Penguins have to do with it?

In light of global climate change and warming ocean waters, is there any good news? Turns out some Antarctic penguins…
July 13, 2020July 13, 2020 Samantha Setta
Fisheries and Sustainability Certification: Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
Book Review

Fisheries and Sustainability Certification: Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

What do sustainability certification labels on fish at the market mean? How do these measures impact fishers, industry, and governments?…
June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 Samantha Setta
Turning up the heat: lab-adapted symbionts help coral survive warming waters
Biological oceanography Coral

Turning up the heat: lab-adapted symbionts help coral survive warming waters

Ever wonder how organisms might adapt to climate change? How about humans aiding in this evolution? Read on to see…
May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 Samantha Setta
Book Review ocean engineering

Jellyfish: Future Scientists of the Sea

Is there a way to increase measurements across oceans using a hybrid of robotics and biology? In a recent study,…
March 19, 2020 Samantha Setta
A story of success for the Cayman Island’s Nassau Grouper
Conservation Fisheries

A story of success for the Cayman Island’s Nassau Grouper

Nassau Grouper are a historically overfished population in the Caribbean, but after new regulations were implemented in 2003, has the…
February 20, 2020February 21, 2020 Samantha Setta
An arms race: Foraging Fish vs. Rorqual Whales
Biological oceanography

An arms race: Foraging Fish vs. Rorqual Whales

Ever wonder how filter feeding whales are able to capture smaller, fast fish? The authors of this study looked at…
January 23, 2020January 24, 2020 Samantha Setta
Lights, Camera, and the Action-Packed World of Giant Viruses
Microbiology

Lights, Camera, and the Action-Packed World of Giant Viruses

A newly discovered giant virus might even be capable of altering its hosts ability to derive energy. A virus that…
December 24, 2019 Samantha Setta
Sea Level Rise in the Age of the Paris Agreement
Climate Change

Sea Level Rise in the Age of the Paris Agreement

Global greenhouse gas emissions are resulting in global warming and climate change. Some of the effects of global warming can…
November 25, 2019 Samantha Setta
Artificial photosynthesis uses CO2 drawdown for fuel
Alternative Energy ocean engineering

Artificial photosynthesis uses CO2 drawdown for fuel

Can CO2 in the world oceans be used to create a fuel source and reduce atmospheric concentration at the same…
October 23, 2019October 24, 2019 Samantha Setta
Traces of human plastic pollution in ocean sediment
Plastic Pollution

Traces of human plastic pollution in ocean sediment

Is the plastic we produce being stored in our oceans’ sediments? To answer this question scientists studied a sediment core…
September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 Samantha Setta
Does ocean circulation provide prey for a top ocean predator?
Fisheries

Does ocean circulation provide prey for a top ocean predator?

Ocean circulation patterns are generally thought to move water from one area to another in the world’s oceans. One example…
August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 Samantha Setta

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