Marine Science and Marine Biology of the Gulf of Mexico and other Coastal Oceans- TAMUG NSF REU Summer Internship Program

Timothy M. Dellapenna and William Seitz

The TAMUG-NSF REU Summer Internship Site program introduces undergraduates to the complex environmental issues facing the world’s coastal ocean and estuaries, with the primary focus on the northern Gulf of Mexico. This ten week-long internship program places interns in research labs where each develops and conducts an independent research project which they present as a poster and oral presentation at a research symposium. In addition, the interns participate in a number of enrichment programs, including marsh tours, research cruises and weekly seminars by our faculty. Since 2009 we have hosted 35 NSF Funded interns and an additional 19 TAMUG undergraduates participated in the program from a variety of funded sources.

Abstract

Dept. of Marine Sciences, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX

The TAMUG REU SITE program is characterized by six broad goals: *Recruit academically promising students from underrepresented populations *Provide meaningful undergraduate research experiences in Marine Science and Marine Biology *Increase the number of undergraduates with research skills and experiences *Provide meaningful mentoring opportunities for our graduate students *Increase the exposure of TAMUG undergraduates, graduate students and faculty to a more diverse population of talented undergraduates *Improve long-term student outcomes (e.g. graduate school matriculation and careers in the marine sciences)

TAMUG Ocean and Coastal Studies Building-their summer home

2009 TAMUG NSF REU Interns

2010 TAMUG REU Intern Kerestin Goodman (Albany State University on a sampling cruise at the BP Horizon Spill Site with controlled oil burning in the background – June 2010

2010 TAMUG REU Intern Kerestin Goodman (Albany State University on a sampling cruise at the BP Horizon Spill Site – June 2010

2009 TAMUG REU Intern Sarah Hightower (Penn. State Univ.) prepping samples.

Examples of REU Intern Research Projects: Joseph Lemanski (’11), Sienna Heights University: The Effects of the 2010 BP Oil Spill/Deepwater Horizon Incident on Deep-Sea Macrofauna Communities Jacquelin Hipes (’11), Louisiana State University: Identification of Sipunculan Larvae using Genetic and Morphological Markers Brynn Perales (’11), California State University, Monterey Bay: Genetic Identification of Tuna Species via High-Resolution Melting Analysis Marcella Nunez (’11), Texas A&M University at Galveston: The Effects of Si and Ni Concentrations on the Growth and Biochemical Compositions of the Nitzchia sp. Mikaela Weisse (’11), University of Wisconsin: Identifying Limiting Nutrients in Galveston Bay Seagrass Communities Fabiola Rivera Irizarry (’11), University of Puerto Rico Humacao Campus:Characterization of the Gastrointestinal Tract and Inking in Pygmy Sperm Whales (Kogia breviceps)

Enrichment Activities: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Lab tour Galveston Bay research cruise Gulf of Mexico pelagic sampling research cruise Coastal Wetlands canoe trip Moody Gardens Aquarium-back scene tour Barrier Island Geology Field Trip Marsh and beach seining trip Weekly faculty seminars 2011 TAMUG NSF REU Symposium Poster Session

2011 TAMUG NSF REU Interns

Joseph Lemanski (Seinna Heights University holding the cobia he caught during the 2011 pelagic sampling trip

The REU marsh tour- one of our most popular trips

The TAMUG REU marsh seining trip-2011. 2010 TAMUG REU Intern Sorimar Santiago (Univ. of Puerto Rico in Humacao) collecting fish for her experiment