Past Internships

2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 |2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 |1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993

2009

AnnaRose Adams
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Bioresource Research/CSS (Honors)

Research Title: Influence of Anthropogenic Aerosols on Marine Stratocumulus in the Southeast Pacific

Research Summary: Current understanding of aerosol interactions with marine stratocumulus in the Southeast Pacific (SEP) is limited. To address this issue, I'm studying the impact of polluted aerosols on stratocumulus microphysical properties in this region. I will be interpreting aerosol and microphysical cloud data collected from VAMOS-Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere Land Systems 2008 research flights using AEROS and IGOR Pro software. The resulting time-series and size distribution graphs will provide insight into the distribution of polluted aerosol particles in the SEP, as well as their correlation to patterns in stratocumuli microphysical and radiative properties. These results will contribute towards evaluating the role of anthropogenic aerosol and marine stratocumulus interactions on global climate change.

Mentor: Cindy Twohy, Professor, Oregon State University
Internship Site: NSF supported REU supplement - COAS

Emily Batt
Northeastern University
Sophomore, majoring in Physics

Research Title: Observations on the structure of shoaling nonlinear waves in Massachusetts Bay

Research Summary: Nonlinear internal waves are a ubiquitous feature of Massachusetts Bay in the summer. This summer I will be studying the unknown behavior of shoaling internal waves in this area as the amplitude of the disturbance approaches the water depth. Understanding this circumstance will help interpret the role of internal bores and active turbulence in energy and mass transport and by shoaling internal waves. I will be aboard a ten-day research cruise with an echo sounder used to record subsurface acoustic backscatter data that will be used to produce images of the internal waves. Visual analysis of these images can detect signatures of bores and turbulence to determine how the waves react to rapidly shoaling topography.

Mentor: Jim Lerczak, Professor, Oregon State University
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Melissa Blamires
Southwestern Oregon CC, Charleston, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Oregon Coast AquariumÕs Global Climate Change Project

Research Summary: This summer I'm helping develop a plan for global climate change messaging at the Oregon Coast Aquarium that conveys to visitors what climate change means to all creatures living on planet Earth. I'm developing a global climate change visitor questionnaire, interviewing Aquarium visitors and staff, and producing a final report that summarizes the survey findings and recommendations on how the Aquarium can best communicate these concepts to their visitors.

Mentor: Kerry Carlin-Morgan, Tina Smith, Oregon Coast Aquarium
Internship Site: NSF supported COSEE - HMSC

Katie Borgen
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title: Seafloor microbial fuel cell demonstration

Research Summary: This summer I'm developing an interactive exhibit in the visitor center on seafloor microbial fuel cell research and determining baseline electrical knowledge of public visitors.

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, Sea Grant Extension Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: HMSC Visitor Center

Hilary Browning
Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
Sophomore, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Isotopic analysis of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) otoliths to determine oceanic migration patterns

Research Summary: Future Chinook salmon management practices hinge upon a better understanding of oceanic salmon migration patterns and river population dynamics. The objective of my summer research is to study whether or not oxygen isotope ratios are stock-specific, and if they are, to begin making some inferences about migratory paths based on the relationship between stocks and isotope ratios. I will be collecting oxygen isotopic ratios from the otoliths (ear stones) of Chinook from different natal streams to determine if the fish experienced different conditions, and thus moved in different water masses.

Mentor: Jessica Miller, Assistant Professor, Fisheries & Wildlife and Jennifer McKay, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC/COAS

Xerónimo Castaneda
California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, California
Senior, majoring in Earth Science Technology & Policy

Research Title: Use of Lipofusicn to determine age structure of a threatened mud shrimp population, Upogebia pugettensis, in Yaquina Bay, Oregon

Research Summary: Mud shrimp (Upogebia pugettensis) was once an abundant crustacean in many estuaries and play an important role in determining community composition and structure of benthic estuarine habitats along the Pacific coast. The rapid loss and local extinction of U. pugettensis populations in the past decade has prompted studies to learn more about their life-history. This summer I will be studying the growth and age structure of U. pugettensis, via detection of the neural pigment lipofuscin, to determine age and growth and therefore assess population dynamics of these shrimp.

Mentor: John Chapman, Research Associate, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Brett Dumbauld, Research Ecologist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Erin Cathcart
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title: Effect of isopod parasite on mud shrimp population exhibit

Research Summary: This summer I'm developing an exhibit about the relationship between a parasitic isopod and its host the mud shrimp. I will be installing a live support system for the mud shrimp in the HMSC Visitor Center.

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, Sea Grant Extension Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: HMSC Visitor Center

Sarah Dewey
Yale University, New Haven, CT
Junior, majoring in Geology and Geophysics

Research Title: Satellite Observations of Oregon Coastal Upwelling

Research Summary: A holistic understanding of upwelling along the Oregon Coast requires many methods for data collection, remote or otherwise. The objective of this study is to optimally combine altimeter data with in-situ measurements in order to fully describe seasonal coastal upwelling. Altimeter data are widely available, and AUVs (gliders) are a prime source of in-situ information on the coastal water column. Using altimeter data to calculate expected fluid flow, I will compare this information to the properties of the water off the coast of Newport in 2008 as measured by the gliders. In addition to these data, remotely-sensed AVHRR temperature values are available, as is coastal meteorological buoy data detailing water properties. Together these data should show an overturn of the water on the coast, with an intrusion of cold, salty water as the summer goes on.

Mentor: Ted Strub, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NOAA CIOSS supported REU - COAS

Patrick Donovan
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
Junior, majoring in Geochemistry/Environmental Studies

Research Title: The Bioavailability and Transport of Bottom Boundary Layer Iron in the Oregon Coastal Upwelling System

Research Summary: This summer I will be investigating the transport of Bottom Boundary Layer (BBL) iron (Fe) during upwelling and relaxation events to determine bioavailability and delivery of iron to surface water. The bioavailability of Fe, and therefore the productivity of the Oregon upwelling system results in a potential for carbon dioxide sequestration in the system. During a recent SUCCES cruise on the R/V Wecoma, we completed incubation experiments along with the observation and sampling of a natural phytoplankton bloom. These incubation experiments will allow us to study the bioavailability and form of the BBL Fe in surface water, in the BBL, and the natural bloom will allow for comparison with the incubated samples.

Mentor: Zanna Chase, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Natalie Ehrlich
Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon
Sophomore, majoring in Biology

Research Title: The Effects of Low Dissolved Oxygen (DO) on Juvenile Flatfish Escape Behavior

Research Summary: Nearshore hypoxia along OregonÕs central coast is a recent phenomenon that may be having a large impact on the economically and ecologically important flatfish communities in the area. Because little research has been conducted on non-anthropogenic nearshore hypoxia, it remains unanswered how low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) are affecting juvenile flatfish behavior, particularly escape behavior from predators. This summer I will be analyzing in situ video footage of juvenile flatfish escape behavior captured during sampling cruises in 2008 for escape behavior changes. The analysis of this video footage will provide insight into how juvenile flatfish react within varying DO levels and will aid in addressing the broader scope of how hypoxia is affecting the early life stage fish communities in OregonÕs waters.

Mentor: Lorenzo Ciannelli, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Jenny Green
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title: Marketing HMSC Academic Programs

Research Summary: This summer I am developing marketing tools for the Hatfield Marine Science Center with a focus on academic programs. Some of the projects I am working on include the first HMSC brochure highlighting the research, courses, student research experience opportunities, K-12 programs and visitor center activities. In addition, I'm gaining project management and administrative skills to complement my research and field experience in wildlife biology and big game.

Mentor: Itchung Cheung, HMSC Academic Program Coordinator
Internship Site: OSU Office of Community and Diversity - PROMISE Program

Kendra Hoekzema
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
Junior, majoring in Biology/Biochemistry

Research Title: mtDNA identity of stranded New Zealand sperm whales in relationship to global diversity

Research Summary: This summer I will be comparing the mtDNA control region (D-loop) haplotypes of of sperm whales from New Zealand with samples collected during the Voyage of the Odyssey. The sperm whale samples are from mass strandings and individual beach cast incidents in New Zealand. By quantifying their genetic diversity, this study will provide valuable genetic information about males and colder water populations of sperm whales. I will be comparing the mtDNA control region haplotypes between regions, using a variety of methods (Fst, graphical modeling, genealogical sorting indices), whcich will show how much genetic interchange there is between the New Zealand population and other populations of sperm whales. In addition, I will also be determining the sex of the New Zealand samples, validating field observations where sex was determined, and providing the gender of a sample when the sex was not determined in the field.

Mentor: Scott Baker, Associate Professor, Fisheries & Wildlife
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Jennifer Hoey
University of California, Berkeley, California
majoring in Environmental Science Studies

Research Title: TBA

Research Summary: TBA

Mentor: Devin Brakob, Newport Program Manager
Internship Site: NOAA supported Hollings Scholar - Northwest Fisheries Science Center Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring

Alexis Hoffman
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Sophomore, majoring in Physics/Earth & Planetary Science

Research Title: The effect of geothermal heating on the stability of the glacial ocean circulation

Research Summary: Geothermal heat flux is often disregarded in oceanic global circulation models because surface forcings (i.e. winds and solar heating) are at least three orders of magnitude larger than the output of heat from the ocean floor. This summer I will be investigating whether or not heat flux from the ocean floor has an affect on the stability of ocean circulation during the Last Glacial Maximum utilizing Univeristy of Victoria (Uvic) Earth System Climate Model to determine the changes in (if any) and effects on ocean circulation.

Mentor: Andreas Schmittner, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU supplement - COAS

Zach Kelleher
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Biology/Marine Biology

Research Title: Baseline visitor research for the Northwest Renewable Energy Center

Research Summary: This summer I'm evaluating visitor responses to an existing Wave Energy exhibit and developing a prototype interactive exhibit on FaradayÕs law of induction for the Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center.

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, Sea Grant Extension Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: HMSC Visitor Center

Kate Lavelle
SUNY, Stony Brook, NY
Junior, majoring in Marine Sciences

Research Title: Thermal tolerance and the effect of temperature on morphological plasticity of Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus

Research Summary: Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, are a commercially important species in the Bering Sea and northern Pacific Ocean. They also play a crucial role in the marine food web during all of their life stages. As adults, Pacific cod are benthic, but as juveniles they reside in nearshore vegetated areas and their eggs are demersal. This summer, I am determining the maximum thermal tolerance in larval Pacific cod reared at controlled temperatures. Vertebral counts made from three cohorts of juvenile Pacific cod will allow us to conclude if the morphological trait of vertebral number is indeed plastic in this species and if it can be influenced by thermal history. These data will also show if Pacific cod is a species consistent with JordanÕs rule. The results of these physiological and morphological experiments could be used in models predicting annual recruitment and early life history effects. Results may also show that annual temperature fluctuations can create variable reaction norms on short time scales.

Mentor: Tom Hurst, Research Fishery Biologist, NOAA - Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Alix Lee
Barry University, Miami Shores, FL
majoring in Marine and Aquatic Sciences

Research Title: TBA

Research Summary: TBA

Mentor: Devin Brakob, Newport Program Manager
Internship Site: NOAA supported Hollings Scholar

Joni Lum
CUNY-Hunter College, NY, NY
majoring in Physics

Research Title: Using Optical Polarimetry to Measure Wave Height

Research Summary: Optical sampling of the nearshore region has been used with great success to gain valuable understanding of the morphodynamics of the nearshore system. Information from images have revealed a lot about the region such as depth, current and sandbar formation, but so far scientists have been unable to optically measure the actual height of waves. Developing a tool that will allow the measurement of waves through optical means will make data collection easier and more effective, bettering our understanding of how beaches shift and change, and ultimately, make coastal areas safer for people and better for the environment. Using a polarization camera, and data processing tools such as MATLAB, we hope to successfully measure wave height through optical means. Optically estimating wave height will help us understand the dynamics of the nearshore environment.

Mentor: Rob Holman, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: COAS supported REU - COAS

Sea-Oh McConville
Portland CC, Portland, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: A Laboratory and field study of the interactions between macroalgae and eelgrass in OregonÕs estuaries

Research Summary: Nutrient input to estuaries often affects the structure of the ecological communities in these systems. In Oregon estuaries, nutrients from coastal oceans fuel blooms of seaweed (macroalgae) in important estuarine habitats, such as seagrass beds. To understand the effects of macroalgae blooms on seagrass meadows, this summer I will assist in running mesocosm experiments at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, as well as take part in fieldwork in Coos Bay mudflats.

Mentor: Sally Hacker, Professor, Zoology and Margot Hessing, Graduate Student
Internship Site: NSF supported COSEE - HMSC

Erica Pitcavage
Whitman College - Walla Walla, WA
Sophomore, majoring in Geology

Research Title: Miocene-Pliocene Volcanism in Turkey Related to Arabia-Eurasia Collision

Research Summary: The igneous deposits of the Cappadocia region of central Turkey, produced by volcanism in the late Miocene and Pliocene, have been studied previously, but uncertainty of the ages and stratigraphy of the ignimbrites and lava flows remains. Determining ages of nine igneous samples through 40Ar/39Ar noble gas spectrometry will provide valuable information on the volcanic history of the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province. A better understanding of this regional volcanism will give us more insight into the frequency and duration of eruptions due to the tectonic collision of Eurasia and Arabia. Precise ages will also give us more information about the chronology of the mammalian fossil record that is available in interbedded sedimentary layers.

Mentor: Bob Duncan, Associate Dean, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Brandon Reichl
Kutztown University - Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Junior, majoring in Marine Science and Physics

Research Title: Comparing Vertical Mixing and Upward Nutricline Movement as Driving Forces Behind Biological Productivity

Research Summary: This summer I'm studying the driving force behind biological variability in the oceans. On the equator at 140û W, there seems to be a combination of upward movement of the nutricline and vertical turbulent mixing of nutrients. In order to help determine how these processes work we will take data from CTD casts, satellites, and moorings. Using this data we will create depth profiles so we can compare physical (salinity, temperature, density), chemical (nutrient levels, CO2), and biological values (chlorophyll, POC) in the area. A method must be developed to differentiate between the two processes in order to properly determine which process more directly impacts productivity. This will be achieved by calculating the correlation between the time series of thermocline/nutricline depth, vertical turbulent mixing and surface biological and nutrient data.

Mentor: Pete Strutton, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NOAA CIOSS supported REU - COAS

Megan Sabal
Miami University - Oxford, Ohio
Junior, majoring in Environmental Science Studies

Research Title: Diet analysis of juvenile salmonids in relation to water flow in the Columbia River estuary.

Research Summary:Found that diet quantity (how much was eaten), but not quality (what was eaten) for both yearling Chinook and steelhead juveniles collected in the Columbia River estuary changed in response to a high flow event in spring 2008. ÊIn both cases, the amount of food in their stomach decreased with increasing flows, although the threshold at which diets changed were species specific.

Mentor: Laurie Weitkamp, Research Fisheries Biologist, NOAA/NW/NMFS
Internship Site: NOAA supported Hollings Scholar

Jasmin Segura
Humboldt State University - Arcata, CA
Senior, majoring in Botany

Research Title: Temporal and Spatial Variations in Species Composition and Toxicity of Pseudo-nitzschia Blooms off the Central Oregon Coast

Research Summary: While creating a seasonal database of temporal and spatial variations in abundances of Pseudo-nitzschia species and DA toxicity across the continental shelf off central Oregon, I am studying the relationships between DA toxicity of captured blooms and environmental variables to changes in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Multivariate ENSO Index. I will also spend the summer identifying correlations between water column stratification and (a) the occurrence of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia species in the samples (b) the relationship between DA toxicity and key nutrients and (c) the timing of razor clam harvest closures at the coast. Finally, using ratios of dissolved to particulate DA, we will test the hypothesis that offshore blooms originating inshore of the coastal upwelling front do not become toxic until transported to nutrient poor offshore waters.

Mentor: Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy); NOAA Ð Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Linda O'Higgins, Research Associate; CIMRS
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Amanda Stewart
University of Oregon - Eugene, Oregon
Sophomore, majoring in Environmental Science

Research Title: The Limiting Factors Affecting the Reproductive Success of Common Murres, Uria Aalge, at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse Colony

Research Summary: What are the limiting factors that influence chick and egg reproductive success within the Common Murre colony of Yaquina Head? This summer I will be studying the influence of ocean conditions, parentsÕ foraging capabilities, predation factors, and location of egg sites on reproductive success of common murreÕs. I will focus primarily on location of eggs and chicks within the colony and the number of mortalities associated with these areas, especially related to predation, parentsÕ ability to deliver food to the chick, and time of fledging. I will be monitoring 12 sample areas of the study within the colony for events that can limit or enhance the success of murre eggs and chicks. Specifically I will be monitoring for predation events, food provisioning, using murre parent time budgets, and whether inner colony or edge-of-colony eggs hatch first.

Mentor: Rob Suryan, Assistant Professor (Sr Res), OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Maryann Tekverk
Haverford College - Haverford, PA
Junior, majoring in Geology

Research Title: TBA

Research Summary: TBA

Mentor: Rob Wheatcroft, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU supplement - COAS

Ashley Van Brink
Elmira College - Elmira, NY
Junior, majoring in Biology and Chemistry

Research Title: An In Vitro Study of Immune Response in Chinook Salmon

Research Summary: A wide variety of chemicals are found to pollute the ocean and rivers of the Pacific Northwest United States. Their affect on the wildlife present in these aquatic environments varies with the organisms and concentrations. But, it is not always easy to know which contaminant is widely benign and which allow for detrimental affects to the organisms. This summer, using molecular techniques (cell culturing, gene expression, PCR) I will be examining the immune function of the Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the study of health in the presence of different environmental contaminants. Specifically, I will be isolating and culturing Immune cells from the head kidney to evaluate the effects of the presence of a contaminant on the immune function of the cells.

Mentor: Mary Arkoosh, Assistant Professor (Courtesy), Microbiologyy; NOAA Ð Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Linda O'Higgins, Research Associate; CIMRS
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Robin Van Dyke
College of the Atlantic - Bar Harbor, ME
Sophomore, majoring in Human Ecology

Research Title: Parasites of Eastern Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus) in the Columbia River

Research Summary: This summer I will be collecting and identifying an inventory of the parasites found in a sample of 40-50 banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus) taken from the Columbia River. I will also be collecting data on the parasites of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculteatus) and, if time allows, juvenile Chinook salmon (Onchorhynchus tshawytscha) collected at the same time and site and comparing it to the killifish data.

Mentor: Kym Jacobson, Biologist; NOAA Ð Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Internship Site: NOAA CIMRS supported REU - HMSC

Camilo Vanegas
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Freshman, majoring in Microbiology

Research Title: Identification of Larval Sebastes Samples for Stock Assessment

Research Summary: This summer I am developing a molecular genetic technique using mitochondrial DNA to genetically identify to the species level unidentified juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.) collected during the 2008 Stock Assessment Improvement Project (SAIP) cruises.

Mentor: Michael Banks, Director, Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies and Ric Brodeur, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy), NOAA/NW/NMFS
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Kevin Wakeman
Humboldt State University - Arcata, OR
Senior, majoring in Marine Biology and German

Research Title: Upper Intertidal Habitat Use by Juvenile Dungeness Crabs (Cancer magister) in the Yaquina Estuary.

Research Summary: This summer I am studying the use of Zostera japonica habitat by juvenile Dungeness crabs compared to bare substrate and areas dominated by the ghost shrimp, Neotrypaea californiensis. I'm conducting a lot of field work mapping out upper intertidal habitats and comparing juvenile Dungeness crab samples from these three habitat types to understand relative abundance related to each habitat type.

Mentor: Ted Dewitt, Ecologist, US EPA-Pacific Coastal Ecology
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Emily Whitney
Whitworth University - Spokane, WA
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Long term trends in sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Pacific

Research Summary: This summer I will be studying crossdated geoduck chronology from Barkley Sound, British Columbia using conventional methods, comparing the chronology with unconventional chronologies from Barkley Sound and Tree Nob Islands, BC and examining any trends that are excluded from the conventional chronology. This comparison will be used to address the question of whether the 1977 warming trend represents a unique upswing or a part of the natural variance caused by PDO.

Mentor: Bryan Black, Assistant Professor (Sr Res), OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

2008

Roxana Aguirre-Robertson
California State University, Los Angeles - Los Angeles, California
Junior, majoring in Natural Science-Geology

Research Title: How population density and shrimp size affects the geometry of Upogebia pugettensis burrows in the Yaquina Estuary

Research Summary: Upogebia pugettensis (the blue mud shrimp) is a thalassanid burrowing shrimp that has been found to occupy more than 80% of the intertidal flats in the Yaquina estuary (DeWitt, et al., 2004). These shrimp are important ecosystem engineers because of their impacts on structure of benthic communities and on biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon (Dumbauld et al. 1996, DeWitt et al. 2004, DAndrea & DeWitt in prep.). Previously molded casts of their Y shaped burrows reveal considerable variation in the number of openings to the sediment surface, and the distance between openings, which may be dependent on shrimp size or shrimp population density at a site. Knowledge of factors that affect burrow morphology is important for monitoring shrimp populations and modeling the impact of shrimp burrows on decomposition of sediment organic matter (Aller 1988, Welsh 2003, DeWitt et al. 2004, DAndrea & DeWitt in prep.). The purpose of this study is to determine whether burrow geometry differs in response to shrimp body size or population density. To do this, shrimp burrow characteristics of in patches of low, medium, and high shrimp densities in the Yaquina estuary were measured for: a) the number of burrow openings, b) the distance between burrow openings, c) and the burrow-shaft diameter. This was done for approximately 30 randomly selected burrow systems per density class within the Yaquina estuary. The data collected here will also be compared to data previously collected by Dr. DeWitt on existing burrow casts to determine whether the field-measured parameters can predict total burrow length, burrow depth, or total burrow volume.

Mentor: Ted Dewitt, Ecologist, US EPA-Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch and Brett Dumbauld, Research Ecologist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Rithy Bein
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Sophomore, majoring in Civil Engineering

Research Title: 360° Virtual Tour of the Hatfield Marine Science Center

Research Summary:

Mentor: Itchung Cheung, Instructor, OSU Biology Program, Academic Program Coordinator, Hatfield Marine Science Center
Internship Site: PROMISE internship - HMSC

Ariel Camp
Hofstra University - Hempstead, New York
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Density-dependent habitat selection in juvenile English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus)

Research Summary: The contribution of nursery habitats to adult recruitment of marine fish depends on the physical qualities of the habitat as well as intraspecifc behavioral interactions, which may be density-dependent. Density-dependent habitat selection (DDHS) was examined in juvenile English sole, found in estuarine nurseries at high densities, and compared to that of northern rock sole which occur at low densities in coastal nurseries and exhibit DDHS. DDHS was hypothesized to be similar between the two species, but would be initiated at higher densities in English sole. Trials were conducted over seven density treatments (0.4, 0.8, 1.5, 3.0, 6.1, 12.2, 18.6, and 23.8 fish m-2) during which fish were given equal access to a preferred sandy habitat and a less-preferred pebble habitat. Low-densities of English sole (0.4-1.5 fish m-2) showed little habitat preference, use of the less-preferred pebble habitat decreased with increasing density up to 3.0 fish m-2 where DDHS initiated and pebble use increased from 30 to 50% with density. This pattern remained even under predation pressure. Initiation of DDHS and The lack of habitat preference at low densities may indicate that English sole perceive conspecifics as indicative of habitat quality. Initiation of DDHS at a higher density (6.1 fish m-2) compared to northern rock sole (1.5 fish m-2) suggests English sole are behaviorally adapted for the greater carrying capacity of estuarine nurseries, although the possible modification of DDHS in response to other factors such as food resources, turbidity and ontogeny remain to be investigated.

Mentor: Cliff Ryer, Assistant Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife (Courtesy), NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Sean Canfield
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Biology

Research Title:

Research Summary:

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Internship - HMSC

Emily Colin
Colby College - Waterville, Maine
Sophomore, majoring in Geology and Chemistry

Research Title: Paleoproductivity off the coast of southern Chile over the last 30 ky

Research Summary: Oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) exist between the ocean depths of 500-1000m. The oxygen levels within these regions represent a balance between oxygen supply, provided by well-oxygenated, intermediate waters, and oxygen depletion, caused by bacteria consuming organic matter. The availability vs. dearth of these two factors impact many global climate feedback loops. Productivity and the flux of carbon from the surface layer to deep sea is one of the major factors controlling CO2 partial pressure in the atmosphere and global climate cycles. Here, the paleoproductivity from the southern Chilean margin is reconstructed by normalizing to the flux of 230Th. Results show that over the last 30ky, the height of productivity was found near the last glacial maximum (LGM) (26-20 cal yrs BP). A steady decline is seen in CaCO3 flux from the middle Holocene (~8 cal yrs BP) to present, while opal flux seem to plateau, and organic carbon seems to increase from the late Holocene (~5 cal yrs BP) to present.

Mentor: Zanna Chase, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Amanda Colton
University of New England - Biddeford, Maine
Senior, majoring in Marine Biology & Environmental Sciences

Research Title: Visual and olfactory cues leading to aggregations of Pacific cod and walleye pollock in prey patches

Research Summary: I studied the role that visual and olfactory cues play in aiding larval Pacific cod and walleye pollock locate and remain within patches of high prey concentration. Behavioral responses of larvae were examined in two types of experiments. "Gradient Trials" evaluated the behavioral responses of fish to uneven distributions of light, prey scent, and live prey. In "Patch Trials", I determined if larvae alter their swimming behaviors when in a feeding patch. Overall, I found that the two species have very similar foraging mechanisms, which include an ontogenetic reversal in the behavioral response to light gradients and a strengthening responsiveness to prey. Larvae of neither species exhibited a behavioral response to prey scent, suggesting that olfaction in prey detection may be restricted to later life stages in these species.

Mentor: Tom Hurst, Research Fishery Biologist, NOAA - Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Internship Site: Alaska Fisheries Science Center Internship - HMSC

Lauren Colwell
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
Junior, majoring in Geology

Research Title: An Updated Age Progression of the Louisville Seamount Trail and Comparison to the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Trail

Research Summary: Seamount trails are perhaps the most tangible surface expressions of plate motion over upwelling mantle plumes, also known as hotspots. The Louisville seamount trail was generated from one of the longest-lived hotspots in the South Pacific and is comparable to the Hawaii-Emperor seamount trail, as these two trails represent intra-plate volcanism and Pacific plate motion over a similar time interval (~80 Ma to present). In this study we present new 40Ar/39Ar age data that contribute to an updated age progression for the Louisville seamount trail. The inclusion of these new data confirms a systematic (but non-linear) age-progressive trend that, when considered with reference to the most recent absolute plate motion model (WK08G) from Wessel & Kroenke (2008), facilitates a direct comparison to the observed age progression for the Hawaii-Emperor seamount trail. We conclude that the new Louisville age data to the first-order correlate relatively well to WK08G model and the Hawaiian age data. However, toward the older end of the Louisville seamount trail, the measured age data are systematically older than both the WK08G predictions and the Hawaiian seamounts, with offsets ranging up to 6 Myr. Here we report on the implications of these deviations, including plume motion or seawater alteration as possible contributing factors, and the timing and location of morphological bends present in both seamount trails. There appears to be a correlation between the two most prominent bends in both trails, though the ages are not within an appreciable difference of each other. We also observe that magma production ceases for a significant amount of time directly after these prominent bends in the Hawaii-Emperor and Louisville seamount trails, despite a considerable difference in total output for both hotspot systems (1,300 and 130 x 103 km3, respectively).

Mentor: Anthony Koppers/Bob Duncan, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Associate Dean, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Joel Craig
Georgia Tech - Atlanta, Georgia
Senior, majoring in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Research Title: Optical Indices of Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Equatorial Pacific

Research Summary: In situ and satellite measures of various ocean and atmospheric parameters are used to understand ecosystem dynamics. Satellites are limited to the upper waters, buoys are limited in spatial scope and shipboard CTD drops are limited temporally. Lab tests have modeled the response of various wavelengths of light to particulate matter of varying sizes and consistencies in water. Ratios of chlorophyll to carbon change with species and light availability. Optical measures of fluorescence are used to measure chlorophyll. Backscatter and beam attenuation can be used as proxies for particulate organic carbon (POC). Using recently collected equator transect optical data and bottle measures of chlorophyll and particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations we seek to measure ecosystem dynamics with a less labor intensive approach.

Mentor: Pete Strutton, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU COAS, CIOSS

Fred Duerr
Oregon Coast Community College - Newport, Oregon
CC Faculty

Research Title: Ecology of Host-Parasite Interactions of Anadromous and Marine fishes

Research Summary:

Mentor: Kym Jacobson, Biologist, NOAA/NW/NMFS
Internship Site: COSEE PRIME CC Faculty Internship - HMSC

Lanaya Fitzgerald
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Environmental Science

Research Title: Interactions between Jellyfish and Fish: Predation versus Commensalism

Research Summary: Increasing jellyfish biomass in marine ecosystems around the world may affect many commercially important fish species through increasing predation and competition for food Fishes in the family Gadidae are commercially important, and can be both preyed upon by jellyfish as larvae and early juveniles, and as larger juveniles, adopt a positive commensal association with jellyfish We performed laboratory experiments attempting to mimic fish and jellyfish interactions included larval gadids in the presence of jellyfish, juvenile gadids in the presence of jellyfish and a predator, and a predator in both the presence and absence of jellyfish. In both the absence and presence of a predator, juvenile Pacific tomcod did not display the association behavior that was hypothesized. Predation by jellyfish on larval Pacific cod species was intense, suggesting that increasing jellyfish biomass may have a strong negative effect on the survival of 0-group fish. The absence and presence of jellyfish with a predator experiment illustrated the sensitivity of 2-year Pacific cod to jellyfish stings. After approximately eight stings, predators would learn to avoid contact with jellies. In all, 94.64% of larval gadids were consumed by jellyfish within nine hours. Survival of gadids increased exponentially between larval and juvenile fishes, while the frequency of contact (stings) increased between juveniles and adults. Increased juvenile gadid survival from both jellyfish and larger fish predators may be due to the stronger swimming and avoidance abilities that come with increasing size. Although juvenile cod species were not found to be associating with jellyfish in the laboratory as has been observed in the field, increasing jellyfish biomass may be creating a larger habitat for juvenile 0-group fish seek shelter from larger predatory fish.

Mentor: Ric Brodeur, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy), NOAA/NW/NMFS
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Rosalinda Fortier
University of Rhode Island - Kingston, Rhode Island
Senior, majoring in Physics, Physical Oceanography and Math

Research Title: Upwelling Tongues on the Oregon Continental Shelf: a Study using AUV gliders

Research Summary: Seasonal upwelling on the Oregon continental shelf, particularly over Heceta Bank, is important for commercial fisheries. Understanding the physical processes of this system is important for the local economy and also lends to the understanding of coastal upwelling elsewhere in the world. In this study, year-round high resolution data from three Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Gliders along the Newport Hydrographic (NH) Line (44.65°) is used to study small scale features of upwelling, called upwelling tongues. The tongues are formed by sub-pycnocline water that has been heated by the sun and sunk along the upwelling front. They seem to appear at the transition to relaxed conditions after a period of upwelling.

Mentor: Jack Barth, Professor, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences and Kipp Shearman, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU COAS, CIOSS

Nicole Goehring
Whitman College - Walla Walla, Washington
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Interannual Comparison of Juvenile Chinook Growth, Residency, and Diet

Research Summary: The mechanisms influencing early ocean survival of Chinook salmon are currently poorly understood. In order to assess factors potentially driving interannual disparities within a Chinook population, otolith growth, residency times, and diet were compared between two collections of juvenile Chinook. Samples were taken from the surf zone at Bastendorff Beach, Oregon in the summers of 2006 and 2007. While the 2006 individuals are larger in size than those collected in 2007, the densities were smaller in 2006. The fishs otoliths were extracted and analyzed by mass spectrometer for variations in calcium, strontium, and barium concentrations. Significant increases in strontium, relative to calcium, mark the transition period as the fish move from fresh water to salt water; correspondingly, drops in barium levels indicate fish exiting fresh water systems. These data, coupled with microstructure analysis allowed for the estimation of residency times and growth rates in fresh and brackish/salt water. Stomach analyses revealed species consumed and their relative quantities. Stomach contents were identified to the lowest identifiable taxonomic level and weighed. The traits examined here may serve as a proxy for survival, as studying the condition of fish when they enter the ocean enhances our limited understanding of the factors affecting Chinook salmon survival.

Mentor: Jessica Miller, Assistant Professor, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Jasmine Graves
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title:

Research Summary:

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Internship - HMSC

Alicia Jabin
Chemeketa Community College - Salem, Oregon
Sophomore, majoring in Environmental Sciences

Research Title: Behind the Scenes of the Hatfield Marine Science Center

Research Summary:

Mentor: Tim Miller-Morgan, Extension Vet Aqua Specialist, Sea Grant Extension
Internship Site: COSEE PRIME CC Student Internship - HMSC

Sam Kanner
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
Sophomore, majoring in Geology

Research Title: Quantifying Transport Associated with Internal Waves in Massachusetts Bay

Research Summary: Previous experiments have shown that large-amplitude internal waves are a significant agent in transporting particles, such as nutrients, larvae and effluent onshore. Surface drifters were deployed in Massachusetts Bay, equipped with GPS devices to quantify the transport associated with these internal wave packets. It was observed that the depth of the drogue below the surface was inversely proportional to the speed at which the drifter moved onshore. This study can be used to make a more comprehensive analysis of where and when the oil from a large-scale offshore spill may reach the shoreline.

Mentor: Jim Lerczak, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences and Kipp Shearman, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU COAS, CIOSS

Ben Klein
Amherst College - Amherst, Massachusetts
Sophomore, majoring in Geology

Research Title: Analysis of Organic Carbon in Arctic Shelf Sediments

Research Summary: The Arctic environment is extremely sensitive to changes in climate. It is therefore essential to closely observe this system to understand how it is affected by current climate change and what the implications of these changes are for the arctic as well as the larger global system. One element of the Arctic that must be studied carefully is the organic carbon cycle. A variety of analyses including Elemental Analysis for Carbon and Nitrogen, surface area analysis and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were performed in an effort to quantify the relative contributions of allochthonous and autochthonous sources of organic matter in 14 cores collected on the shelves of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. The information generated describes current processes and offers insight into shifts in the system during recent history.

Mentor: Miguel Goni, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Vivian Lin
Scripps College - Claremont, California
Junior, majoring in Biology and Chemistry

Research Title: Assessing oxygen flux and physical characteristics of permeable sediments from the Oregon shelf

Research Summary: Considering recent hypoxic events off the Oregon coast, identifying factors affecting oxygen flux across the shelf is critical to better understanding the ecological and economic impacts of hypoxia. Benthic biological activity may play a significant role in oxygen consumption, but there is a lack of data for benthic oxygen exchange rates in WA-OR shelf permeable sediments. Methods must also be developed for collecting and profiling sand cores. In order to investigate oxygen consumption in coastal sandy sediments, one core was collected from an intertidal location in Yaquina Bay and six cores from a water depth of ~15m on the Oregon shelf off Lincoln Beach. Oxygen microelectrodes were used to obtain high spatial resolution profiles of oxygen consumption rates in these cores via a flow through method. Aerated water was pumped through each sediment core, and the linear decrease in oxygen concentration during short flow-off periods was measured at different depths. Additionally, permeability and porosity of each core were measured to study the relationship between physical characteristics of sands and oxygen consumption rates. Oxygen fluxes calculated by integrating the volumetric oxygen consumption rates to a depth of 4 cm ranged from 42 to 140 mmol m-2 d-1 for Lincoln Beach cores. Permeability and porosity averaged 23×10-12 m2 and 43.5%, respectively, and were consistent with literature values for other permeable coastal sediments. Estimates of local oxygen consumption by the sediment at Lincoln Beach, according to these oxygen flux values and accounting for depth, suggest rates between 2.8 to 9.3 mmol m-3 d-1; approximating for the Oregon shelf, these values are 0.4 to 1.4 mmol m-3 d-1. In comparison to earlier estimates of oxygen consumption, which placed sediment consumption at 0.1 ± 0.1 mmol m-3 d-1, the benthic contribution to hypoxia may be much more significant than previously estimated.

Mentor: Clare Reimers, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Valerie Lindborg
Seattle Pacific University - Seattle, Washington
Senior, majoring in Biology

Research Title:

Research Summary:

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Internship - HMSC

Molly Lindle
Centre College - Danville, Kentucky
Junior, majoring in Physics and Mathematics

Research Title: An Updated Age Progression of the Louisville Seamount Trail and Comparison to the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Trail

Mentor: Anthony Koppers, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences and Bob Duncan, Associate Dean, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Kiva Oken
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
Sophomore, majoring in Mathematics and Biology

Research Title: The Effect of Hypoxia on Fish Larvae and other Mesoplankton Populations on the Oregon Shelf

Research Summary: A nearshore hypoxic zone was first detected along the Oregon shelf in 2002 and has occurred every year since. The upwelling of hypoxic, nutrient-rich Arctic waters drives the now-annual event. Many factors impact how fishes respond to hypoxia, but studies in semi-enclosed ecosystems have shown that most mobile life forms avoid habitats low in oxygen, and earlier life stages are more susceptible. Using a multinet with an attached CTD, we sampled the mesoplankton population throughout the Oregon shelf at different depth intervals during the upwelling season. We found that total biovolume is inversely proportional to dissolved oxygen, and that the hypoxia does not significantly affect fish larvae. We suspect the unexpected results are due to a combination of sunlight avoidance, species-specific responses, and sampling methods.

Mentor: Lorenzo Ciannelli, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Amy Pernarelli
Rogue Community College - Grants Pass, Oregon
Sophomore, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title: Splash! Beneath the Surface of the Oregon Coast Aquarium

Research Summary:

Mentor: Kerry Carlin-Morgan, Director of Public Programs, Oregon Coast Aquarium
Internship Site: COSEE PRIME CC Student Internship - HMSC

Samuel Peterson
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Physics and Mathematics

Research Title: Investigations on the Coastal Undercurrent off Cape Blanco

Research Summary: In this project we used computer simulations of velocity fields and lagrangian label fields to explore the undercurrent along the coast of Cape Blanco during august of 2001. We found that a large proportion of the undercurrent north and south of Cape Blanco is discontinuous from one another (in a sense to be explained). Later work will be on obtaining trajectories of water parcels in this undercurrent system.

Mentor: Alex Kurapov, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU COAS, CIOSS

Laura Poppick
Bates College - Lewiston, Maine
Sophomore, majoring in Geology

Research Title: The growth and lifespan relationship in the Pacific Geoduck

Research Summary: Growth rate and lifespan were compared within and among two Pacific geoduck populations in order to determine if early-life growth ultimately predicts longevity. The dendrochronological technique of crossdating was employed to age and measure the first fifteen annual growth increments in acetate peels of geoduck hinge plates. Significant differences in growth rate among geoducks of various ages were determined with linear regression. Analysis from both sites showed a significant decrease in growth rate during the first three years of life as age increased. Individuals that grew fastest during the first three years also had the highest measured meat weights. Because meat weight positively correlates with reproductive output, a possible tradeoff of fast growth may be the opportunity to be more fecund while ultimately living a relatively short life. The inverse growth and lifespan relationship described here may represent a common biological concept.

Mentor: Bryan Black, Assistant Professor (Sr Res), OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Megan Pros
Monmouth College - Monmouth , Illinois
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: The hypoxia phenomenon on the Pacific coast: Can copepod (Calanus marshallae) eggs hatch in extremely low levels of dissolved oxygen?

Research Summary: Despite the growing concern about the hypoxia phenomenon on the Oregon shelf, little research has been invested on the effects of hypoxia on zooplankton, an important link between phytoplankton and the rest of the ocean food web. If hypoxia on the Oregon shelf becomes an increasing occurrence and more intense, it will be important to explore the kinds of effects it will have on local sea life, especially the base of the food chain. We investigated the effects of hypoxic water conditions on the eggs of the copepod Calanus marshallae. Adults are mobile, and are likely able to move away from areas of hypoxic water, but we question if their eggs, which sink in the vertical water column, can still hatch and develop if they sink into hypoxic water. We collected water off of the Oregon, Washington, and California coasts during biweekly day cruises and during a ten day cruise on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) research ship, the McArthur II. We filled biochemical oxygen demand bottles (BOD) with water collected from Conductivity-Temperature-Density (CTD) instrument casts and placed between fifteen and thirty eggs in each bottle. The eggs were preserved after five days. We found that eggs do not hatch as well in concentrations of low oxygen compared to higher oxygen concentrations above hypoxic values. Our results also show that the nauplii that do hatch have slowed development in hypoxic water. This work suggests that hypoxic water does have some negative effect on egg hatching and nauplii development, which could have a negative impact on all the important species that feed on them if the hypoxia conditions on the shelf increase. More data is needed to further clarify the repeatability and significance of these results.

Mentor: Bill Peterson, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (Courtesy); NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU HMSC, CIMRS

Shayna Rogers
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Environmental Science

Research Title: Corvallis Ozone and Aerosol Experiment (COAX)

Research Summary: Air pollution can have serious implications for environmental health. High levels of particulate and gaseous matter in the lower atmosphere have been linked to the onset of respiratory distress, cardiovascular dysfunction, and ocular irritation in humans. Concentrations of these compounds are controlled by a variety of complex factors, including emission sources, transport and mixing, transformation, and removal (Ko, 1992). Using aerosol and ozone gas as indicator species, this study investigates the interplay of these factors at two sites in Corvallis, Oregon. It incorporates information about weather patterns, including data on temperature, relative humidity, surface and aloft winds, and mixing height to examine environmental controls on pollution. This project will increase understanding of how human exposure to contaminants can vary spatially and temporally on a local scale.

Mentor: Rick Vong, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Kether Scharff-Gray
University of New England - Biddeford, Maine
Junior, majoring in Marine Biology

Research Title: Sources and Fate of Organic Carbon in the Oregon Coastal Upwelling Regime

Research Summary: During the summer months, wind from the north blowing along the coast causes water to be transported offshore via Ekman Transport, which leads to the upwelling of deep, dense, nutrient rich water. This study aims to better understand the sources and fate of the carbon in this system. Elemental analysis will be conducted to measure the concentration of particulate organic carbon and particulate nitrogen in water samples collected along two transects off the Oregon coast. Analysis of this information will clarify the sources of organic carbon and nitrogen in the water. The information derived from this study will add to the understanding of the oceans role in the global carbon budget.

Mentor: Miguel Goni, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

Lauren Van Thiel
University of South Carolina - Columbia, South Carolina
Junior, majoring in Marine & Aquatic Sciences

Research Title: NOAA Hollings Scholar

Research Summary: studying the ecology of juvenile salmon in the Columbia River estuary. Lauren's internship included both field (sampling salmon in the Columbia estuary) and lab work (determining food habits of juvenile Chinook salmon immediately before they enter the ocean).

Mentor: Laurie Weitkamp, Research Fisheries Biologist, NOAA/NW/NMFS
Internship Site: NOAA Hollings Scholars Internship NOAA NW Fisheries Science Center

Norma Vasquez
California State University, Monterey Bay - Seaside, California
Junior, majoring in Earth System Science and Policy

Research Title: Evaluation of MHC Diversity as a Means to Study Mate Choice in Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger)

Research Summary: The use of odor cues has been proposed as one method by which rockfish of the genus Sebastes recognize conspecifics and select mates. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is known to have primary function in the immune system in vertebrates but is also proposed to play a role in mate recognition within species and in mate selection in other organisms. One hypothesis is that females maximize the heterozygosity of their offspring at MHC loci through choosing mates that maximize their collective MHC diversity. The goal of this project is to evaluate the MHC genetic diversity within a single species of the genus Sebastes. The MHC class 2 beta gene family was studied in quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger). We used degenerate primers and standard PCR protocols to amplify MHC sequences from 19 quillback rockfish. Six to eight clones were selected from each individual for sequencing and analyzed for sequence differences. In 227 sequences obtained, there were 97 distinct exon 2 sequences (79 coding sequences and 18 pseudogenes) and a range of 3-7 repeats of the intron 1 minisatellite. With phylogenetic analysis, clusters of monophyletic Sebastes maliger sequences were found among other clades that were blended with MHC sequences from Aguilar and Garza (2005). Pseudogene sequences were scattered throughout the tree. Our results primarily demonstrate the high MHC variability in S. maliger. For future directions, MHC or other candidate genes will be studied in different rockfish and examined in captive-bred rockfish larvae for evidence of non-random mating based on MHC.

Mentor: Michael Banks, Director, Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Hannah Waters
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: The effects of time-lag and ocean conditions on common murre (Uria aalge) productivity

Research Summary: The diet composition of top predators in marine ecosystems affects their reproductive output through availability (abundance and accessibility) and variation in the energy values of prey species. I studied a colony of common murres (Uria aalge) to determine reproductive success, dominant prey species, the age-classes of these prey species, and evaluated these data using PDO indices to identify if a time-lag exists between murre productivity and ocean conditions. Pacific herring, pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) and smelt (Family Osmeridae) were the dominant prey species, composing over 50% of chick diet in each year. Sand lance were predated primarily as YOY age-class, herring as 1-year olds, and smelt as 1- and 2-years. PDO and copepod biomass showed strong correlations with reproductive success, as well as with reproductive success time-lagged 1 and 2 years. These results indicate that a time-lag exists between murre productivity and ocean conditions at Yaquina Head, and suggest that studying ocean conditions and copepod biomass from the present year alone do not account for differences in prey quality by species and age-class, which affect top predator health and reproductive success. Additionally, top predator reproductive success can be used as an indicator, as it reflects multiple trophic levels and ocean conditions.

Mentor: Rob Suryan, Assistant Professor (Sr Res), OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - HMSC

Caitlin White
Lawrence University - Appleton, Wisconsin
Junior, majoring in Biology and Environmental Science

Research Title: Bopyrid isopod parasite recruitment and growth in Upogebia pugettensis and Neotrypaea californiensis

Research Summary: High prevalence of the introduced bopyrid isopod parasite OrthIone griffenis, Markham 2004 appear to limit populations of native mud shrimp, Upogebia pugettensis in eastern Pacific estuaries, even though they infest only reproductive sized shrimp and do not directly increase mortality. In contrast, all sizes of the co-occurring ghost shrimp, Neotrypaea californiensis are vulnerable to infestation by its native bopyrid isopod parasite Ione cornuta, Bate 1864 and only 0.5% of most ghost shrimp populations are infested. Thus, Neotrypaea populations are not limited by Ione. We compared processes by which the cryptoniscan stages of OrthIone and Ione appear to recruit and develop, grow and interact with the mud shrimp and ghost shrimp in Yaquina Bay, Oregon to resolve, in part, which processes control host vulnerability. Only the small male Ione grow on hosts in the absence of females, while isolated male OrthIone of all sizes grow uniformly. The host conditions that result in first cryptoniscan invasions were not discovered. OrthIone infestations did not occur by direct experimental exposure over the entire mud shrimp molt cycle. Ione and OrthIone cryptoniscans were not attracted to their respective available shrimp hosts and would not settle or remain in host branchial chambers when experimentally injected. The mechanisms of host vulnerability to cryptoniscan infestation appear to be more complex than previously supposed.

Kiya Wilson
Lewis and Clark College - Portland, Oregon
Sophomore, majoring in Earth Science

Research Title: Using an Array of NE Pacific Margin Sediment Cores to Establish a Provenance Record and Link Land-Ocean Responses to Climate Variability

Research Summary: A major challenge in climate studies is attempting to couple continental and marine records. This can be overcome by looking at both signals in the same marine sediment core. The continental fraction of these sediments, including pollen and rock fragments, reflects the effects of regional climate change on continental runoff, ice extent, vegetation and surface ocean circulation. The transport of this terrigenous materiel to the ocean, and how this transport changes over time, must be understood in order to relate vegetation (pollen) and erosion (rock) changes to specific river catchments. This project examines this question by studying provenance in an array of surface sediment cores along continental margin of the Pacific Northwest. Provenance is determined using bulk sediment 40Ar/39Ar radiometric dating of sediment cores, for comparison with bulk sediment 40Ar/39Ar ages of major rivers in the Pacific Northwest reported by VanLaningham et. al (2006).

Mentor: Nick Pisias, Professor, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences and Bob Duncan, Associate Dean, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Internship Site: NSF supported REU - COAS

2007

Charlotte Alvord
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Zoology

Research Title: Guardians of the Forest - Sea Otter Genetics

Research Summary: Using surveys and hands-on activities, Charlotte determined the publics baseline knowledge on genetics. Using this information, she designed and produced a poster with the appropriate information to address the publics understanding of microsatellite DNA analysis and PCR research. An analysis is conducted of visitors background genetics and with the formative design of her poster.

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Internship

Carrie Antolik
Eckerd College - St. Petersburg, Florida
Senior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Diversity and differentiation of mtDNA among humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on both the tropical feeding grounds and the Antarctic feeding Areas of the South Pacific Ocean

Research Summary: Throughout the 19th century humpback whales of the south Pacific (SP) were heavily exploited by commercial whaling. It is important to understand the degree of connectivity between these small south Pacific breeding populations and their associated feeding grounds in order to better understand the dynamics of recovery of humpback whales in this region. 800bp of the mitochondrial control region was sequenced from previously collected SP samples (2003 to 2005) and added to existing sequence data for the breeding grounds (1994-2002) and Antarctica (1994-2002). These sequences were analyzed to examine genetic diversity and differentiation within individual feeding and breeding ground populations. If time permits genetic connections between feeding and breeding grounds will also be investigated. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Scott Baker, Associate Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife
REU Site: Newport

Casey Benkwitt
Bowdoin College - Brunswick, Maine
Senior, majoring in Environmental Studies and Sociology (biology minor)

Research Title: Gastric Evacuation and Daily Ration of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in Coastal Waters

Research Summary: This research involved conducting laboratory studies on the gastric emptying time of juvenile salmon fed known amounts of food at 3 different temperatures. This was combined with field measurements of stomach fullness taken throughout the day to estimate a daily ration for these fish that can be used to examine food limitation in the ocean during the first few critical months at sea. (NSF/CIMRS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Ric Brodeur, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy) NOAA/NW/NMFS)
REU Site: Newport

Craig Brauer
Illinois Wesleyan University - Bloomington, Illinois
Senior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Soliciting Sex for Bopyrid Taxonomy

Research Summary: Bopyrid isopod crustaceans parasitize decapod crustacean hosts and produce pelagic larvae. While the reproductive stages of nearly all bopyrid isopod crustaceans of the northeastern Pacific have been described (Markham 1992) the pelagic larval dispersal stages have remained unknown. Complications of either culturing these parasites through their entire life cycles or associating the pelagic stages with the adults, in situ, has largely precluded descriptions of the larval stages anywhere in the world. We report epicaridan and cryptoniscan stages of Ione cornuta Bate, 1864, and Orthione griffenis Markham, 2004 that we identified by epicarids by direct association or by sexual attraction. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: John Chapman, Research Associate, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
REU Site: Newport

Jennifer Brookes
University of Portland - Portland, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Biochemistry and Biology

Research Title: Spectrometric Determination of Microbial Cell Numbers in Water Samples

Research Summary: My project included using the ZAPS MP.1 photo-spectrometer to test for the microbial cells in water. The instrument was able to make real time measurements of running water. The hope is that if the instrument works with microbes there will be industrial applications to use such an instrument to bypass many of the current limitations for water testing. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Rick Colwell, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Leah Carver
University of Massachusetts -Amherst - Amherst, Massachusetts
Senior, majoring in Geology and Earth Systems

Research Title: Analysis of Northeast Pacific cores EW9504-12PC and EW9504-13PC using 40Ar-39Ar dating, paleomagnetics, CaCO3 extraction, and radiolaria marker methods to determine glacial/interglacial influences in response to geographic location

Research Summary: Ocean cores EW9504-12PC and EW9504-13PC from the Northeast Pacific are uniquely influenced by their geographic location and sediment provenances. A variety of methods are used to analyze the cores. 40Ar-39Ar dating give bulk sediment ages, paleomagnetics are used to correlate the cores to absolute time, calcium carbonate percentages show glacial and interglacial intervals, and radiolaria assemblages show regional upwelling and serve as time markers as well. This study shows regional-scale climate variability with a focus on the variety of influences and their complexity on climate change. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Nick Pisias, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Daniel Fulton
Lawrence University - Appleton, Wisconsin
Senior, majoring in Physics and Computer Science

Research Title: Assessing Model Surface and Subsurface Fields on the Oregon Shelf During Spring and Summer Upwelling

Research Summary: The goal and course of summer work is to create visualizations of model-data and model-model comparisons. Early work focused on comparisons of Jason SSH and GOES SST data against model SSH and SST respectively, in the period between the January and July 2007, to assess the accuracy of geostrophic current and current front predictions, while current visualizations are exploring model subsurface fields through comparisons with mooring data in 2001. MATLAB scripts developed for data processing and visualization will be integrated into the automatic prediction system, with the collaboration of COAS personnel (S. Erofeeva), to allow QC in the future (CIOSS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Alexander Kurapov, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Kirsten Heesacker
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title: Short Tailed Albatross Research

Research Summary: Short-tailed albatross are pelagic birds whose lives are threatened by long line fisheries. Kirsten prototyped an exhibit and video based on by-catch from long line fisheries and the migration patterns of the short-tailed albatross. She installed a display with streamers used to deter albatross. Kirsten also received assistance with the development of the critical path and formative evaluation of her project.

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Internship

Marley Jarvis
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
Senior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Molt cycle and molting behavior of krill (Euphausia pacifica) off the Oregon Coast

Research Summary: My research is about the molting behavior of the krill species Euphausia pacifica. I am staging Euphausia pacifica tails on slides in glycerin, which allows me to see what stage in the 6-day molt cycle the Euphausiid was in when it was sacrificed. I am using this technique to answer questions about their molting behavior, such as whether or not Euphausia pacifica molt synchronously, as do some other species of krill. I am also setting up a time series to verify my identification of the correct molt stage by sacrificing euphausiids on 6 hour increments after molting and staging their tails to view the molt stages at known intervals. (NSF/CIMRS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy); NOAA – Northwest Fisheries Science Center
REU Site: Newport

Jessica Johnson
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Research Title: Green Sea Turtle Project

Research Summary: Jesse prepared and cleaned a juvenile green sea turtles skeleton for reassembly. Re-articulated its skeleton and designed a vertical mount that allowed the visitor to open the plastron to reveal the skeleton. An exhibit based around the reassembled skeleton and shell, will be designed to educate the public about green sea turtle anatomy, migration patterns, biology, and their endangered/threatened status.

Mentor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist
Internship Site: Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Internship

Aurelie Labbat
University of Brest - France

Research Title: Tides Estimated Using an Inverse Model and Comparison with Tide Gauge Data

Research Summary: The establishment of a tides model using altimetric data from TOPEX/POSEIDON mission has already been made. The software is called OTIS. This study consists in using OTIS to make a model of English Channel tides which will be compared with validation data from tide gauges. A particular focus is an improved modeling of non-linear tides such as M4. (COAS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Gary Egbert, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Jessie Martinez
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Life on the Edge: Edge Effects of Fish Use of Intertidal Seagrass Fragments

Research Summary: Examining the use of intertidal habitats including eelgrass and ground cultured oysters by estuarine fish. Oysters are cultured in areas where eelgrass is present and often viewed as essential fish habitat. This project is a first attempt to see how fish utilize these habitats and whether this practice creates an edge effect on a landscape scale. Also conducting initial experiments to test the effect of this habitat modification on juvenile English sole predation. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Brett Dumbauld, Research Ecologist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
REU Site: Newport

Grady Maxwell
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Masters Student, majoring in Public Health

Research Title: Development of HMSC Marine Science Academic Programs

Mentor: Itchung Cheung, Instructor, OSU Biology Program, Academic Program Coordinator, Hatfield Marine Science Center
Internship Site: PROMISE internship - HMSC

Emily Mortazavi
University of Arizona - Tucson, Arizona
Junior, majoring in Geosciences, Geology option

Research Title: Construction and Development of a Paleomagnetic and Environmental Magnetic Record from NE Pacific Core EW95-12JC

Research Summary: Using data from a u-channel cryogenic magnetometer, a magnetic stratigraphy of the EW9504-12PC core can be determined. This gives a dating technique for this core. In addition, to a time scale the environmental conditions of sedimentation can be determined using the magnetic mineralogy. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Joe Stoner, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Trevor Nace
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Senior, majoring in Environmental Geology

Research Title: Are Small Mountainous Streams a Significant Source of Carbon Burial as well as Sediment Transport During Periodic Inundation?

Research Summary: My research focused on determining the magnitude, depositional extent, and characteristics of particulate organic matter, derived from periodic inundation of small mountainous rivers, on coastal margins. In addition, I hope to better understand the contribution of these small mountainous rivers on the coastal as well as global carbon cycle. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Miguel Goni, Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Jamila-Dawn Payton
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff - Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Senior, majoring in Fisheries Biology

Research Title: Use of Wax Beads to Facilitate Bioencapsulation of Oxytetracycline by Artemia nauplii

Research Summary: Wax spray beads were evaluated as a means of delivering water-soluble antibiotics and therapeutics, such as oxytetracycline, to fish larvae. Fish larvae are unlikely to be able to digest wax beads but Artemia, a commonly used prey for rearing marine fish larvae, have grinding mouth parts that may be able to mechanically break down the wax beads, liberating the antibiotics. Artemia can then be used to deliver the liberated antibiotics to fish larvae. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Chris Langdon, Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife
REU Site: Newport

Elizabeth Prier
Bethany College - Lindsborg, Kansas
Junior, majoring in Biology

Research Title: Photoacclimation in Microalgae

Research Summary: The purpose of this project was to analyze the physiology of photoautotrophic marine organisms in regard to growth patterns under fluctuating light circumstances. The goal in this project was to track the growth patterns of one algal group as a function of light fluctuation at different frequencies over a set period of time. Because photoautotrophic marine organisms are an integral part of the global environment's stability, it is important to understand their physiology and how they adapt to be successful under various light situations. (CIOSS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Ricardo Letelier/Pete Strutton, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences/Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Jennifer Rolling
University of Maryland - Baltimore, Maryland
Junior, majoring in Physics

Research Title: Correlation of Sea Surface Temperature in the Gulf Stream Extension with the Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode

Research Summary: The Northern Hemisphere annual mode (NAM, also known as the Arctic Oscillation) has been identified as the dominant mode of extratropical atmospheric variability in the Northern Hemisphere. Contrary to conventional wisdom suggesting a one-way forcing of midlatitude sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies by atmospheric variability, an empirical correlation has been found to suggest that small changes in SST in the Gulf Stream Extension region of the north Atlantic may precede the NAM on intraseasonal timescales. An investigation of this finding using the same SST dataset as well as a new higher-resolution SST dataset yields similar results but at significantly reduced amplitudes and correlation values. (CIOSS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Dudley Chelton/Eric Maloney, Distinguised Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences/Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Zahirah Salahuddin
University of Maine - Orono, Maine
Senior, majoring in Marine Science and Anthropology

Research Title: Phototaxis and habitat preference of juvenile flatfish

Research Summary: English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus) are a commercially important species in the North Pacific. As juveniles, they are found in estuaries and coastal embayments. They use these areas for protection from large predators. Also, the abundance of food that is available in these areas enables them to grow much faster. In several laboratory experiments, we are going to simulate different light levels that could be found in the natural environment. Then, we are going to see which light preference they prefer. These applications will enable further studies of Rock sole and Pacific Halibut, two species that co-habitat with the English sole in Alaskan waters. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Cliff Ryer, Assistant Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife (Courtesy); NOAA – Alaska Fisheries Science Center
REU Site: Newport

Erin Seale
California State University Fullerton - Fullerton, California
Senior

Research Title: Vertical Distribution of Pacific Cod Larvae with Varying Light Intensity

Research Summary: I examined how light level influences the distribution of Pacific cod larvae in vertical columns. Fish behaviors were examined at 4°C and 8°C and compared over time to test for thermal effects and ontogenetic shifts. Pacific cod is a commercially important fishery species that spawns throughout the Gulf of Alaska and relies on ocean currents to deliver progeny to suitable nursery grounds. With existing oceanographic models of ocean currents in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, incorporating data on behavior of Pacific cod larvae can improve predictions of how dispersal and recruitment events in a changing environment might take place to preserve this fishery for years to come. (NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center-supported Intern)

Mentor: Tom Hurst, Research Fishery Biologist, NOAA - Alaska Fisheries Science Center
REU Site: Newport

Andrew Sherman
California State University Channel Islands - Camarillo, California
Senior, majoring in Chemistry

Research Title: Development of an Autonomous In-Situ Chemical Analyzer for Zinc in Seawater

Research Summary: This study will focused on an in-situ analyzer for total dissolved zinc concentrations. A commercially available nitrate analyzer will be modified for this work. Most of the lab time was used to find the optimal conditions in which the instrument can accurately measure zinc concentrations. Variables including pH, temperature, flow rate, sample and reagent volumes, and reagent concentrations will be studied. Because of its minuscule concentration in the ocean, any instrumentation must be extremely sensitive to zinc, and able to function with little to no chemical interference or background noise. (COAS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Zanna Chase, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

Matt Stuckey
University of California Berkeley - Berkeley, California
Senior, majoring in Conservation & Resource Studies/Environmental Economics & Policy

Research Title: Networks of Geoduck Chronologies: The Potential for Sea Surface Temperature Reconstruction

Research Summary: Growth increment chronologies developed from the long-lived Pacific geoduck closely track ocean variability. Geoduck chronologies capture between 50 and 60% of the variance in sea surface temperature (SST) records and can be used to reconstruct SST over the past 100 to 150 years. However, at some sites in northern BC and AK the relationship between SST and geoduck growth has sharply diminished over the past 20 years. A similar phenomenon has occurred in tree-ring chronologies at similar latitudes in a phenomenon known as the “divergence effect,” which may be a consequence of climate change. The geoduck chronologies that show this divergence also have a history of harvesting which coincides with the dissociation of climate-growth relationships. We developed additional geoduck chronologies at unharvested sites to determine whether the divergence effect is a consequence of human disturbance from harvesting or larger ecosystem shifts due to changing climate in the north Pacific. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Bryan Black, Assistant Professor, OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center
REU Site: Newport

Jennifer Wolschllager
Eckerd College - St. Petersburg, Florida
Senior, majoring in Marine Science (Biology Track)

Research Title: Evidence of Selection in a Vomeronasal Type 1 Pheromone Receptor Gene in Fishes of the Family Embiotocidae

Research Summary: Numerous fish species have been shown to use pheromonal communication to mediate mating interactions. In mice, and other mammals, pheromones are received/processed by a large family of vomeronasal type 1 (V1r) pheromone receptor genes. Although fishes do not have a vomeronasal organ, they have recently been shown to possess one or two V1r-like genes, which are thought to have a similar function in fishes as in mammals. I sequenced V1r pheromone receptor genes in 15 of the 23 species in the Family Embiotocidae in order to characterize sequence differences and look for evidence of selection in the genes. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Michael Banks, Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife
REU Site: Newport

Diane Wu
Cornell University - Ithaca, New York
Junior, majoring in Chemistry and History

Research Title: Increasing Power Generation in Benthic Microbial Fuel Cells through Supplementation with Lactate

Research Summary: An important factor that affects power output from a microbial fuel cell is the electron transfer process at the anode. In the lab, I built fuel cells and conducted time course experiments to investigate if the electron transfer process is sensitive to the addition of an exogenous electron donor. In addition, I collected and analyzed chemical samples to determine the efficiency of carbon oxidation and how the supplemented fuel cells performed over time. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Clare Reimers, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Newport

Regina Yopack
Simmons College - Boston, Massachusetts
Senior, majoring in Physics and Environmental Science

Research Title: Comparing Glider Observed Velocities and Geostrophic Currents

Research Summary: The use of autonomous underwater gliders is a new, cost effective approach to studying oceanic processes. Coastal gliders are being used to profile the Oregon coast's unique upwelling season as well as profile for such variables as hypoxia and water velocities. The water velocities measured by the glider are used to help characterize the surface layer of water and it's seasonal variations. The comparison of observed water velocities by the glider using dead reckoning and modeled geostrophic currents helps to reveal geostrophic influence on the upper Ekman layers whose velocities are mostly effected by atmospheric conditions. (CIOSS-supported REU Intern)

Mentor: Kipp Shearman, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences
REU Site: Corvallis

2006

Christian Andresen
Univ. of Texas El Paso- El Paso, Texas
Junior, majoring in Environmental Sciences

Project: Researching the genetic basis of adult run timing differences for fall and spring Chinook from the same watershed. Characterizing genetic sequence variation for one of the clock genes called cry. There are seven copies of cry in zebrafish and likely twice this number in Chinook. Working on the 5th copy we have discovered. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Dr. Michael Banks, Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife

Trista Baxter
Oregon State University – Corvallis, OR..
Junior, majoring in Biology

Project: Using Media Presenter software, Trista developed an interactive kiosk based on the auditorium program “OceanQuest’06”.

This exhibit prototype compares the biology, geology and research instruments employed by HMSC off the Oregon coast, in the Marianas and in the Southern Ocean between South America and Antarctica.

(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Betsy Brewer
Davidson College – North Carolina
Junior, majoring in Environmental Education

Project: ROV Usage in Place-Based Education.

Betsy assembled a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) using inexpensive materials that can be replicated in a classroom. Curriculum suitable for engineering design challenges or environment education was compiled.

(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Alexandra Cwalina
Stony Brook University - Stony Brook, New York
Junior, majoring in Geological Oceanography

Project: Analysis of the effects of surface heating, winds, and shelf circulation on temperature in the coastal ocean off Oregon.

Through use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Gliders, also known as Slocum gliders, we can collect data for a longer and less interrupted time period to determine the ocean circulation and understand the evolution of temperature in the coastal ocean. In effect, local fishing communities will be better informed of the area's physical state while the science community will gain a greater understanding of the variability of temperature in the coastal ocean. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Kipp Shearman, Assistant Professor, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences

Stefanie Gera
College of Wiliam and Mary - Williamsburg, Virginia
Upcoming Senior (Class 2007), majoring in Biology & Environmental Science

Project: Determining migratory history of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) along the Oregon coast using otolith increment and mirochemical analysis as an indicator of life history patterns and growth rate.

Otoliths, like tree rings contain increments that reflect changes in environments. We studied how growth rate and a particular chemical marker Strontium (Sr) varied in each of the three habitats used by steelhead during their lifecycle: freshwater, brackish water and ocean water in order to reconstruct life history profiles. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Jessica Miller, Assistant Professor, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station

Alyssa Harris
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Junior, B.S. Biology / B.A. International Studies

Project: Formative evaluation of educational outcomes from a surge-type aquarium.

By changing the aquarium copy, props and diagrams, Alyssa was successful at improving participant understanding of PISCO’s (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Ocean) research on intertidal recruitment.

(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Ethan Herget
Portland State University- Portland, Oregon
Senior, majoring in Organismal Biology

Project: A comparative analysis of visitor experiences and
expectations at 4 informal learning sites: Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area tide pools, Seal Rock State Park tide pools, Oregon Coast Aquarium touch pool and Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitors Center touch pools.
This work will provide much needed data on the differences in use of natural and human built tide pool environments for free-choice learning. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Shawn Rowe, Marine Education Learning Specialist/Assistant Professor, Oregon State University/Sea Grant Extension

Rose Kormonyos
Whitman College- Walla Walla, Washington
Junior, majoring in Biology

Project: Researching how annual growth increments in long-lived geoduck clam shells provide a record of ocean climate, much the same way that tree rings provide a record of terrestrial climate. We are working on chronologies from two sites in the north Pacific, with preliminary results that geoduck growth may provide an excellent record of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation over the last 100 years. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Bryan Black, Assistant Professor, OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center

Patrick Luke
Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon
Junior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife

Project: Temporal patterns of larval ghost shrimp in Yaquina estuary. Ghost shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) are important ecological components of Pacific estuaries. Recruitment of ghost shrimp to estuarine tideflats is highly variable among years and the larval component of the life cycle of this species is poorly understood. Patrick Luke is continuously sampling zooplankton during the summer of 2006 near the mouth of Yaquina estuary to determine temporal patterns of abundance of early- and late-state larvae of ghost shrimp. These data will be compared with temporal patterns of adult ghost shrimp egg production, larval development, and post-larval recruitment to provide an improved understanding of the population dynamics of this ecologically and economically important benthic invertebrate.(NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentors:
Dr. Anthony D'Andrea, Assistant Professor; College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Dr. Brett Dumbauld, Research Ecologist, USDA-Agriculture Research Service
Theodore H. DeWitt, Ecologist, US EPA-Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

Alexandra Penny
Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island
Sophomore, majoring in Environmental Studies

Project: Working with researchers at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife studying the effects of rapid decompression of rockfishesduring capture using hook and line. Her research project will relate physical signs of barotrauma for various species at capture to internal injuries that may affect survival. Her project will be able to compare responses to barotrauma among different species and provide information directly applicable to current fisheries management problems in estimating mortality of discarded fish in several fisheries on the west coast. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentors : Steve Parker, Assistant Professor, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Resources Program and Bob Hannah, ODFW

Kate Ruck
james Madison Univ. - Harrisonburg, Virginia
Junior, majoring in Biology

Project: Growth rates and distributions of Euphausia pacifica off the Newport Line

Creating length frequency histograms for Euphausia pacifica that have been sampled off the Newport hydrographic line from 2001-2004. These histograms are then used to estimate growth rates by following cohorts of animals as they grow from eggs to adults. Accurate growth rates will improve understanding of the energetics and ecology of a species that is such an important link in the aquatic ecosystem. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor :Dr. Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy); NOAA – Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Joel Scheingross
Univ. of California - Berkeley, California
Junior, majoring in Environmental Sciences & Geology

Project: Studying how physical factors such as light level, availability of food, temperature and turbulence affect the vertical position of larval Pacific Cod (a commercially important fish found throughout the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska). This information, will be used to improve our understanding of the distribution and recruitment patterns of Pacific Cod in response to changing environmental conditions. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Dr. Tom Hurst, Research Fishery Biologist, NOAA - Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Angie Sremba
Kalamazoo College - Kalamazoo, Michigan
Junior, majoring in Biology

Project: Comparison of Euphausia pacifica ingestion rate's on five different micro algae

Comparison of ingestion rates of the euphausiid Euphausia pacifica on five types of phytoplankton. Calculated ingestion and filtration rates of E. pacifica and the effects on the percentage of body carbon consumed per day by the euphausiids. This study confirmed that E. pacifica can consume particles as small 2 µm, enabling them to exploit a wide range of food types in the ocean.

Mentor : Dr. Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy); NOAA – Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Lillian Tuttle
Centre Collete - Danville, Kentucky
Sophomore (class of 2008), majoring in Biology & Philosophy

Project: Early ocean ecology of juvenile steelhead salmon (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as indicated by parasite communities.

Steelhead salmon are anadromous trout native to the North American Pacific coast with all ten Oregon and Washington stocks either endangered or likely to become so. Through analysis of the steelhead parasite community, we will compare differences in parasite species composition between various sites off the Oregon and Washington coasts, as well as gain important ecological information about the diet and movement of steelhead after their first few months at sea. (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor :Dr. Kym Jacobson, NOAA/NW/NMFS; Biologist

Lauren Woods
Ohio Wesleyan Univ. - Delaware, Ohio
Sophomore, majoring in Zoology

Project: Shrimp sex and blood sucker sex: Parasitic bopyrid isopod crustaceans extract hemolymph from their decapod crustacean hosts but broad variation in host weight losses with the weights of their parasites indicates that interactions between these bopyrids and their hosts are complex and likely to vary with parasite development. Lauren Woods is experimentally testing how bopyrid isopod infestations alter growth and sexual development in the ghost shrimp
Neotrypaea californiensis and mud shrimp Upogebia pugettensis beyond simple weight losses to partially resolve this relationship. . (NSF-supported REU Intern)

Mentor : Dr. John Chapman, Research Associate, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

2005

Matthew “Mac” Campbell
Willamette University - Salem, OR
Senior, majoring in Biology and Spanish

Project: Feeding Ecology and Dietary Variability of Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and Other Sharks Off Oregon and Washington (through identification and analysis of stomach contents). (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor : Rick Brodeur, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy), NOAA - Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Heather Hunsperger
Eckerd College - Saint Petersburg, FL
Junior, majoring in Marine Science

Project: Development of microsatellite (genetic) markers for assessing the population structure and diversity of Olympia oysters, Ostrea conchaphila, to help identify optimal populations for use in restoration projects in Pacific Northwest estuaries. (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentors: Dr. Chris Langdon, Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife, and Dr. Mark Camara, Aquaculture Genetics Specialist, USDA

Colin James
Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
Senior, majoring in Biology

Project: Burrowing Shrimp as Bioengineers
Conducted formative evaluation process using the Public Wing as his social laboratory. Colin redesigned the Burrowing Shrimp display, reducing complex biological concepts to a more simple approach appropriate to the general public. He raised the burrow molds display to facilitate learning and made a new poster that was ultimately outsourced to a professional design firm for fabrication.
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Clara Lampi
Kalamazoo College -Kalamazoo, MI
Senior, majoring in Biology

Project: Research on behavioral characteristics of Northern Rock Sole, Lepidopsetta polyxystra, investigating whether nighttime swimming behavior is influenced by different habitat conditions such as fish density and benthic structure.(NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor : Dr. Tom Hurst, Research Fishery Biologist, NOAA - Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Stephen Levas
Cornell University – Ithaca, NY
Senior, majoring in Biology

Project: Research on sediment preferences of flatfish, investigating the question: do English Sole (Parophrys vetula) when given a choice between a substrate they do not match in color and one that they do, prefer to be on the substrate they do match? (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor: Dr. Cliff Ryer, Assistant Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife (Courtesy); NOAA – Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Tricia Ratliff
Oregon State University – Corvallis, OR.
Sophomore, majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife

Project: CHOMP! CHOMP!
The objective of Chomp! Chomp! is to illustrate the basic principles of the
food web. Tricia design and evaluated an interactive exhibit using visitors
to the Public Wing for feedback.
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Natalie Román
Emporia State University - Emporia, KS
Senior, majoring in Environmental Biology

Project: Calculating population densities of two common euphausiid species, Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera, (using samples collected with MOCNESS and vertical nets in coastal waters off Oregon and Northern California), towards an approximation of total euphausid biomass in Oregon’s coastal waters. (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor: Dr. Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy); NOAA – Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Tamara Rosser
Oregon Coast Community College – Newport, OR.
Sophomore, majoring in Aquarium Science

Project:OceanQuest 2005
Tamara took the lead in the multimedia production “OceanQuest”, which was featured daily during the summer of 2005. This program highlighted the recent deep-sea research conducted from HMSC.
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Rena “Kate” Shultz
The Evergreen State College - Olympia, WA
Senior, majoring in Chemistry

Project:(NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor: Dr. Clare Reimers, Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

Christine Singbusch
University of North Texas - Richardson, TX
Junior, majoring in Biology

Project: Molecular study of microsatellite flanking regions in two species of Rockfishes, Sebastes pinniger and S. melanops, to determine whether a high number of similar regions of the genome sequences in the two species provide evidence of a common origin. (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor: Dr. Michael Banks, Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife

Andrew Smith
University of Wisconsin – Stout, WI
Senior, majoring in Applied Science

Project:Research on the effects of a newly discovered bopyrid isopod parasite, Orthione griffenis, on the weight and mortality of its North American host Upogebia pugettensis and whether the parasite warrants consideration as a major species in northeast Pacific soft-bottom estuary community dynamics.(NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentors: Dr. John Chapman, Research Associate, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Dr. Brett Dumbauld, Ecologist, USDA

Joy Smith
Coastal Carolina University - Myrtle Beach, SC
Junior, majoring in Marine Science and Biology

Project: Research on the effects of lunar phase changes on biomass of four trophic levels found within a marine ecosystem off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii: phytoplankton, zooplankton, micronekton, and spinner dolphins. (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor:Dr. Kelly Benoit-Bird, Assistant Professor, Biological Oceanography, College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences

Raquel Sosa
California State University – Monterey Bay, CA
Senior, majoring in Earth Science

Project:Research on habitat selection and recruitment of juvenile Rockfish, Sebastes sp., in Yaquina Bay, Oregon, comparing four different habitats: sand-mud, rocks, eelgrass and anthropogenic structure (pilings). (NSF-supported REU Intern)
Mentor: Dr. Scott Heppell, Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

EPA 2005 Summer Interns

Lesley Merrick
OGI School of Science and Engineering at OHSU
Masters of Science in Environmental Science and Engineering
Graduation: December 2005

Project: Laboratory toxicity test for the effects of dissolved sulfides on the root/rhyzome system of Zostera marina, the native eelgrass found in the Yaquina Bay estuary.
Mentor: David Young, Research Environmental Scientist, U.S. EPA, Western Ecology Division, Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

Donald M. (Matt) Hawkyard
Oregon State University
Senior, Fisheries and Wildlife

Several projects including burrowing shrimp research and sediment chemistry analysis.
Mentor: Ted Dewitt Marine Ecologist, Tony D'Andrea

Alison Hyde
Oregon State University
Senior, Environmental Science

Project: Change in burrowing behavior or burrowing shrimp based on differing nutrient and substrate conditions and variance among mapping techniques for the sea grass, Zostera Marina
Mentor: Theodore DeWitt, Marine Ecologist

Codi Smith
Junior, Newport High School, Newport, OR

Project: Investigated several planting methods for growing eelgrass in indoor mesocosms.
Mentor: Bruce Boese, Research Oceanographer, U.S. EPA, Western Ecology Division, Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

Heidi Goddard-Trenholm
Senior, Newport High School, Newport, OR

Project: Comparison of the benthic community in a very small estuary (Beaver Creek) with that of a larger estuary (Salmon River) with similar sediment characteristics.
Mentor: Janet Lamberson , Research Aquatic Scientist, U.S. EPA, Western Ecology Division, Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

Mary Vaughan
Senior, Newport High School, Newport, OR

Project: Investigate the effect of dissolved sulfides on hydroponic eelgrass growth.
Mentor: Pete Eldridge, Ecologist, U.S. EPA, Western Ecology Division, Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, (assisted by Lesley Merrick).

Christopher Janik
Oregon State University
Computer Science Major, 2006 graduation

Project: Comparison of Yaquina watershed empirical nutrient data with SPARROW watershed model predicted data.
Mentor: Anne Sigleo, Environmental Scientist

Teizeen Mohamedali
Western Washington University
College of the Environment major, 2006 graduation

Project: Nitrate sorption capacity of Yaquina River sediments
Mentor: Anne Sigleo, Environmental Scientist

2004

Kathryn (Kat) Adams, Toledo, OR
Linfield College - McMinnville, OR
Year:Sophmore
Major: Elementary Education & Biology

Project: Help interpret data found out about the borrowing shrimp in the bay. Will show a model of the shrimp’s burrows and other animals that live in the burrows that the shrimp make. Will try to show what and how the burrowing shrimp, the guest and mud shrimp affects marine life in the bay's estuary.
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Peter Blum, Corvallis, OR
Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
Year:Senior
Major:Environmental Science

Project: Work with seismometers and interpret the data. Construct an interactive display model for the public to observe and learn from.
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, OSU/Fisheries & Wildlife: Public Marine Education Specialist)

Emily Cornwell, McMinnville, OR
Kalamazoo College - Kalamazoo, Michigan
Year:Sophomore
Major:Biology & Spanish

Project: Working on a research project: The effects of residency on the social structures of clownfish as well as gaining experience in aquarium and aquatic veterinary science.
(Supervisors: Peter Noah , Curator Of Animal Husbandry and Tim Miller-Morgan, Extension Vet Aquat Specialist)

Ashley Emerson, Kansas
Mount Holyoke College - South Hadley, MA
Year:Senior
Major:Biology

Project: Looking at fish larvae as an indicator of climate change. Sorting samples from the Newport line at the NH05 station and determining which species of fish larvae/fish eggs are present.
(Supervisor: Dr. Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy);NOAA/NW/NMFS)

Angela Lee Foreman,
University of California-Davis

Project: Study of the contaminant effects on immunologically challenged marine organisms, using juvenile Chinook salmon as a model. Experiments involved exposing fish to different concentrations of the Listonella anguillarum bacteria to better understand how the fish immune system reacts with metabolites and how it alters the immune function.

Read about Angela’s unique internship experience, as recently highlighted by the American Association for Advancement of Science.
(Supervisor: Mary Arkoosh, Microbiologist/Immunologist;NOAA/EC/NMFS)

Kelly "Betsy" Glaesemann, Lincoln, NE
Texas A&M University - Galveston, Texas
Year:Senior
Major:Marine Biology

Project: Working on the size-specific sediment preference of English sole. Previous work has been done with Pacific halibut & northern rock sole sediment preference, but little is known regarding English sole. Understanding their sediment preference furthers knowledge of their essential fish habitat.
(Supervisor: Dr. Cliff Ryer, Assistant Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife (Courtesy); NOAA/AK)

REU Intern

Nancy "Lynn" Goodman, Portsmouth, Ohio
Shawnee State University - Portsmouth, Ohio
Year:Non-graduating senior
Major:Biology (Chem minor)

Project: Working on examining the abundance, distribution, and feeding behaviors of juvenile Coho salmon within the Juan de Fuca eddy off northern Washington State. Comparing data to data on juvenile Coho’s from the LaPush transect, which is further south and outside of the eddy to see if there is a difference in these factors and if the eddy provides a favorable feeding habitat for juvenile Coho salmon. Examining zooplankton samples from some of the same sites to calculate an index of selectivity for prey items.
(Supervisor: Dr. Ric Brodeur, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy) NOAA/NW/NMFS)

REU Intern

Walter Hannah, Toledo, OR
Ithaca College - Ithaca, NY
Year:Junior
Major:Math

Project: Working on the development of a quasi real time hydrophone monitoring system. Specifically developing software to control the buoyancy.
(Supervisor: Dr. Bob Dziak, Associate Prof. Oceanography (Sr. Res); OSU/CIMRS)

Kristina Johnson, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Year:Senior
Major:Biology

Project:My project involved performing a survey of fish parasites among yearling and subyearling chinook and coho salmon collected in June and September 2002. I compared north-south trends for June, as well as a temporal trend (June vs. September) for the Columbia River transect.
As for a north to south trend, I found that the trematode we have been calling Deropagus (the ID is still in flux) is more abundant south of the Columbia River transect, while the trematode Lecithaster is more abundant in the north. Temporally, the Columbia River fish had less total parasites (especially no Deropagus or Lecithaster trematodes), but more of the trematode Podocotyle. There were roughly the same number of nematodes in the Columbia River fish for both June and September.
(Supervisor: Dr. Kym Jacobson, NOAA/NW/NMFS; Biologist)

REU Intern

Katri Laukkanen, Forest Grove, OR
Pacific University - Forest Grove, OR
Year:Senior
Major:Environmental Biology
Project: Measuring the oxygen flux across the sediment-water interface as a result of macrofauna mesofauna and microbial activities. Determine burrowing shrimp (ghost shrimp specifically) impact on O₂ uptake as a result of their population density.
(Supervisors: Dr. Anthony D'Andrea, Assistant Professor;OSU/COAS and Dr. Ted DeWitt , Assistant Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy) EPA/Pacific Coast Ecology Branch)

REU Intern

Kalin Lee, Corvallis, OR
Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
Year:Junior
Major:Zoology

Project: Both tree-rings and rockfish otolith rings can be measured to provide chronologies. These chronologies tell us the past natural variability of the climate and ecosystem. By studying the correlation between these two different types of growth rings we can better understand the connections between marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
(Supervisors: Dr. George Boehlert , Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife and Dr. Bryan Black , Research Associate, OSU/CIMRS)

REU Intern

Jessica Ramsey, Saint Cloud, Florida
Salem College - Winston-Salem, NC
Year:Junior
Major:Biology & Spanish

Project: Working with juvenile flatfish and their feeding habits as a function of light.
(Supervisor: Dr. Tom Hurst, Research Fishery Biologist, NOAA/AK)

REU Intern

Rachel Ruppel, Temple, New Hampshire
State University of NY - Syracuse, NY
Year:Junior
Major:Environmental Science

Project: My project is to describe coho and chinook salmon habitat by linking salmon catch and physical and biological ocean characteristics, such as temperature, salinity and concentration of chlorophyll-a. Research cruises collected data in June of 1999, 2000 & 2001; and I will be making grid maps, or rasters, from those data. Then I will use the maps to create a model that explains the relationship of salmon catch to the measured ocean variables. By understanding what salmon need to survive (i.e. their habitat requirements), we can learn how changes in the ocean environment can affect salmon populations.
(Supervisor: Dr. Bill Peterson, Professor, Oceanography (Courtesy); NOAA/NW/NMFS)

REU Intern

Leslie Soule, Salem, OR
Willamette University - Salem, OR
Year:Senior
Major:Biochemistry

Project: Working to measure sulfide content in the anode chambers of plankton-based fuel cells. Hypothetically, the plankton will degrade providing a carbon source for microbes, which will then oxidize it to CO2 and reduce sulfate thus producing sulfide. The sulfide content in each cell (cells are set to different potentials) will help to indicate its role in donating electrons to the cell and help further the optimization of power from the fuel cell.
(Supervisor: Dr. Clare Reimers, Professor, COAS)

REU Intern

Brian Yellen, Scarsdale, New York
Brown University - Providence, RI
Year:Junior
Major:Geology-Biology

Project: Chris Landgon's lab is dedicated to developing better methods by which to culture marine species currently being exploited due to excess market pressure. I’m working on rearing larval marine ornamental fish to alleviate pressures on wild coral reef fish. I’ll be conducting a series of experiments with different live feeds to determine optimal goby larvae growing conditions.
(Supervisor: Dr. Chris Landgon, Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife)

2003
Katie Chapman
Bowdoin College
Project: Experiment data entry and fish lab work.
(Supervisor: Robert Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

Tara Duffy
University of Dayton
Project: Activity patterns of juvenile northern rock sole.
(Supervisor: Thomas Hurst, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Mary Kvitrud
Luther College, Minnesota
Project: Genetic Identification in Scat Resolves Species and Number of Salmon Consumed by the Pacific Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina).
(Supervisor: Michael Banks, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Jeffery Muir
University of Hawaii, Hilo
Project: Assisted with all field work - Ocean surface trawling and estuary purse seining. Also performed lab analysis - removed otoliths, stomachs, and other dissections.
(Supervisor: Robert Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

Inia Mariel Soto Ramos
University of Puerto Rico
Project: Affinity by English sole for emergent benthic structure.
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

2002
Lewis Barnett
Oregon State University
Project: Effect of ambient illumination on the behavioral response of juvenile English sole to disturbance by a bottom trawl footrope
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Olivier Drean
Caen University, France
Project: Description and analysis of shell morphologies of the Pacific oyster
(Supervisor: Chris Langdon, OSU Fisheries and Wildlife)

Ariel Erberle
Project: Artemia/phytoplankton culture
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

Erin Jackson
University of New Mexico
Sound in the Sea: Marine mammal acoustics of the Pioneer Seamount hydrophone (Supervisor: Dave Mellinger, OSU Cooperative Institute for Marine Resource Studies)

Jenelle Jones
Project: Aquarium identification guide
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

Mary Kvitrud
Luther College, Minnesota
Project: Genetic Identification of Salmonid Species from Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Scat.
(Supervisor, Michael Banks Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, OSU)

Emily Locke
Project: Jack mackerel abundance and feeding habits
(Supervisor: Bob Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

Adam Patton
Project: Multimedia auditorium presentations using Director application
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

Kara M. Rehmke
Oregon State Universtiy
Project: Analysis of gut content and stable isotope signatures of several species of fish collected on the Astoria Canyon 2000 cruises
(Supervisors: Ric Brodeur and Keith Bosely, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

Nick Tagliavento
Oregon State University
Project: Comparison methods for assessing the abundance of juvenile flatfish in shallow water bays and estuaries
(Supervisor: Al Stoner, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Adriana Veloza
East Stroudsburg University
Project: Effects of turbidity upon foraging by plantivorous juvenile marine fishes
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer and Alex Derobertis, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Whitney Weston
Community College, Roseburg, Oregon
Project: Captive breeding: conflict between maintaining genetic variation and loss of behavioural fitness
(Supervisor, Michael Banks and Ian Fleming Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, OSU)

2001
Jennifer Berger
Project: Created exhibit signage on Sebastes
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

Chris Cochran
Project: Life history of whitebait smelt off the mouth of the Columbia River. Presently working on publishable manuscript.
(Supervisor: Bob Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

Liz Davis
Project: The Abundance and Feeding Habits of Surf Smelt in the Lower Columbia River Estuary: May-September 2001
(Supervisor: Bob Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

Chanda Jones
University of Texas, Corpus Christi
Project: Effects of streptomycin upon functioning of the teleost lateral line system: is there a motivational effect?
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Lindsey Light
Project: Developed and evaluated public science demonstrations
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

Oscar Parsons
Project: Designed Dock walk training web site
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

Amy Stacey
Project: Enthnobotany of the Yaquina estuary
(Supervisor: Bill Hanshumaker, HMSC Visitor Center)

2000
Elizabeth Shimps
North Carolina State University
Project: Effects of fish size upon foraging in the dark: discordance with visually based foraging models
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

1999
James Douglas
Rice University
(Supervisor: Bob Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

1998
Amy Chiuchiolo
Boston College
Project: Growth depensation in juvenile marine fishes
(Supervisor: Sue Sogard, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Angela Lawton
Lawrence University
Project: Functional response of juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma and sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria under low light and dark conditions
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Cascade Sorte
Publication: Sorte, C. J., W. T. Peterson, C. A. Morgan, and R. L. Emmett.
2001. Larval dynamics of the sand crab, Emerita analoga, off the central Oregon coast during a strong El Niño period. J. Plankton Res. 23(9):939-944.
(Supervisor: Bob Emmett, NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center)

1997
Ricardo Lopez
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Functional responses and effects of prey size upon the non-visual foraging of juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

Torie Wesby
Savannah State University
Project: Effects of competition on growth rates in juvenile marines fishes
(Supervisor: Sue Sogard, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

1996
Dean Marshall
Savannah State University
Project: Effects of illumination on interactions between a juvenile marine planktivorous fish and its predators
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

1994
Sheena Ballard
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
Project: Temperature limitation of growth in juvenile marines fishes
(Supervisor: Sue Sogard, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

1993
Simone Brooks
Hampton University
Project: Social facilitation as a mechanism controlling the onset and maintenance of shoaling in juvenile sablefish
(Supervisor: Cliff Ryer, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center)

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