Research Experience

September 2019 - December 2021

Research Areas: coastal conservation, restoration ecology, faunal communities of oyster reefs, recruitment and growth, biodegradable material alternatives, ecosystem function

I successfully defended my Master's thesis research under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Pollack and funded by the NOAA CCME fellowship program. My thesis evaluated biodegradable alternatives to plastic mesh for use in small-scale oyster reef restorations.

Under the supervision of Dr. Morgan Kelly, I successfully defended my undergraduate honors thesis, which studied the effects of salinity and temperature on differential gene expression in oyster tissues as well as on predation by mud crabs. Funded by LA Sea Grant, I also explored epigenetics in eastern oysters using a methylation sensitive amplification protocol that I tailored. Previously, I worked on a project studying salinity effects on the morphology of copepods. 

My research project included morphological stomach content analysis of spawning adult striped bass as well as sampling of juvenile striped bass in multiple Chesapeake Bay tributaries. At the conclusion of the internship, I presented my findings to staff and fellow interns. My specific research was at the forefront of an initiative to determine habitat quality of striped bass nursery sites. I was able to conclude that spawning adults were not eating, as their stomachs were empty; I assumed that their energy was instead spent on reproductive activity.

I used Carbon and Nitrogen stable isotope ratios in grey seal scat to determine diet. The scat isotope data was compared to tissue isotope data. It was neat to be able to use scat to effectively determine diet composition, as it provides a noninvasive method as opposed to collecting blood or tissues from the organism. At the end of the semester, I presented findings in poster form at LSU Discover Day. Grey seals forage in the same waters as many commercial fisheries, so I was able to ask human-seal competition questions, and based on the samples that I analyzed, there is little concern for a significant threat to fisheries in the region.

I studied abroad in Juneau, Alaska taking courses in marine biology, including undergraduate research. Working with peers, I investigated the size distribution of snail species in the rocky intertidal zone. The sampling involved transects of the intertidal zone, locating snails, and measuring and recording their shell length. We were able to conclude a significant correlation between the distance from the high tide mark and shell length; as distance from high tide mark increased, shell length decreased. My team and I presented our data and conclusions in the form of a poster. 

I began my research at LSU in an entomology lab, assisting a graduate student who concentrated on ants. I spent most of my time preparing and pinning ant specimens for morphological measurements. I also assisted with sorting field samples and documenting the effects of a medicinal oil on fire ant behavior.