GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

"The National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s (NERRS) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) Program was established in 1997 to support graduate students interested in coastal and estuarine sciences (http://nerrs.noaa.gov/Fellowship.aspx). By providing stipends, a living laboratory, and a broad network of fellow scientists, the Reserve system aims to encourage and enable talented young scientists to contribute to the knowledge base, provide the science to support coastal decision-making, and train future coastal scientists and policy-makers."

"One of the largest graduate programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the GRF program has supported more than 300 students since 1997. Fellows conduct their master’s and doctoral research in the 27 National Estuarine Research Reserves located in 23 states and Puerto Rico – truly living laboratories for scientists, teachers, and students."

At any one time each Reserve hosts up to two graduate research fellows for one to three years. Students interested in applying for a NERRS Graduate Research Fellowship at Waquoit Bay NERR or interested in more information about the program can contact Dr. Chris Weidman, WBNERR Research Coordinator, at Chris.Weidman@state.ma.us.

Projects:
Salt Marsh Systems & Sea Level Rise

Sarah Corman is studying how coastal systems will respond to global change, particularly the response of salt marshes to warming....

"I am working at multiple NERRS reserve sites (including Waquoit Bay) to investigate how resource allocation to above and belowground structure is impacted by warming in the salt marsh dominant plant, Spartina alterniflora."

This research will help inform conservation of salt marsh systems, and the sustainability of marshes with sea level rise. Additional work for this project is being conducted at Waquoit Bay to consider the role of flowering time in shaping marsh productivity. By understanding how growth occurs in this species, we will be able to better predict how marshes might respond to warming.


Contact Info: Sarah Corman Brown University, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Sarah_Corman@brown.edu

University: Brown University

Years: 2010

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Species-Specific Patterns in Bivalve Larval Supply to Waquoit Bay

This study is focused on understanding the patterns of species-specific fluxes of pelagic bivalve larvae dispersal between Waquoit Bay and coastal waters as well as fluxes within a sub-estuary of the bay. These fluxes will be related to the environmental conditions and the hydrology at each location. This will provide information on what affects the natural abundances of bivalve larvae in Waquoit Bay, in terms of how local conditions can affect the growth and settlement of larvae and how species-specific fluxes can vary with location and hydrographic parameters. This data set will enable the comparison of spatial and temporal patterns in larval distributions to the recruitment of key species in the bay, some which have been affected by nutrient loading and eelgrass destruction.

Contact Info: Christine Mingione: cmingione@whoi.edu

University: MIT / WHOI Joint Program

Years: 2007-2010

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