Long-time WHOI research associate Bruce Tripp, now retired, instructs Summer Student Fellows Maya Becker and Sam Kastner in the preparation of Niskin bottles, water-sampling instruments they later deployed over the side of R/V Tioga. (Photo by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

A Summer of Science by the Sea, 2014 (Part II)

Summer Student Fellows dive into ocean research

By Allie Gage | October 1, 2014

It’s a science major’s dream job: live on Cape Cod for the summer and do ocean research with top-notch scientists as a Summer Student Fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

This year, as in every summer since 1959, undergraduates from around the world came to WHOI to learn about ocean science and conduct research under the guidance of WHOI scientists. Members of the 2014 group hail from the United States, Croatia, Italy, England, Trinidad, Germany, Canada, and China. Their projects here spanned a wide range of topics, from the genetics of barnacles along the East Coast of the United States to the effects of the monsoon on salinity in the Bay of Bengal.

And this year, another undergraduate, Allison Gage, joined us at Oceanus to delve into the world of science writing. As part of her internship, Gage profiled several of the Summer Student Fellows. We published four profiles in September (see links at right). Here are three more.

It’s Hard to Kill a Killifish

Lily Helfrich
Summer Student Fellow Lily Helfrich is using a new molecular tool, microRNA analysis, to explore why some killifish are able to thrive in waters heavily contaminated with PCBs.

On the Trail of an Invader

Filip Buksa
To find out when and how fast a small gray barnacle came to New England waters, WHOI researchers turn to forensic techniques.

Recovering After a Hurricane

Maya Becker
Summer Student Fellow Maya Becker studied how vulnerable four coastal communities were to major hurricanes—and how fast they recovered.

The 2014 Summer Student Fellowships were funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey-WHOI Cooperative Agreement, The John M. Alden Fund, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Fund for Summer Student Fellows, The Christopher Haebler Frantz Fund, The AOP&E and G&G Alumni Fund, The Carl and Pancha Peterson Endowed Fund for Support of Summer Student Fellows, The Lawrason Riggs, III Memorial Fund, The Richard Vanstone Fund, The C. Russell Feldman Fund, The William D. Grant Fund, The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation Fund, The Jake Hornor Fund, The Noel B. McLean Fund,The Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region, and The Virginia Walker Smith Fund.