Lindsey S
- Research Program Mentor
MS at University of North Carolina Wilmington
Expertise
marine biology, biology, environmental science, ecology, sustainability, conservation, conservation biology, plant physiology,
Bio
Hi everyone! My name is Lindsey. I received a Master of Science degree in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. As a master's student, I completed a thesis-based project that examined the effects of cold tolerance on a tropical species of marine plant. From this research, I found that certain species of plants have local adaptations that allow them to survive in stressful environments. As a result of my past research, I am specifically interested in asking questions involving how different organisms respond to changing or stressful environmental conditions, specifically related to temperature stress and climate change. During the completion of my master's, I gained skills in data analysis via RStudio and Microsoft Excel, literature reviews, scientific writing, field sampling, laboratory experimental design, and oral communication. I plan to mentor students by utilizing and sharing these skills. Throughout my time as a graduate and undergraduate student, I served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate biology courses such as ecology, marine botany, genetics, and concepts of modern biology. Post graduation, I taught K-12 students in North Carolina and California, where I focused on hands-on, experiential approaches to learning. Lastly, I am currently teaching as a Biology Instructor for a community college, and part-time as a guide for outdoor education and adventure tours. I am passionate about working to inspire and mentor others, as well as photography, running, and traveling. Thanks for taking the time to read through my profile, and I look forward to working with you!Project ideas
Examining the effects of climate change on marine species distributions
My master's thesis examined the effects of cold tolerance on a tropical species of marine plant, where my research concluded that certain species of plants have local adaptations to survive in stressful environments. As a result of my past research, I am interested in asking questions related to how different organisms respond to changing or stressful environmental conditions, specifically related to temperature stress and climate change. Climate change is currently affecting sea surface temperatures, which is in turn impacting the species distributions for certain organisms. For example, increases in sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Maine has significantly impacted the lobster fishery due to the northward migration of the American Lobster. The main goal of this project is to examine similar distribution range shifts (e.g., like that of the American Lobster) in marine species that have been affected by climate change. This project will identify at least 3 groups of marine invertebrates, marine plants, fish, and marine mammals that have shifted distributions as a result of warming sea surface temperatures. Information on these organisms will be gathered from scientific research papers and will be organized into a Microsoft Excel sheet. The main deliverable of this project will be a scientific research paper in the form of a literature review. The student and myself will work together to choose which high school scientific journal to publish our final results in.
Climate change effects on marine systems through the public eye
Climate change has been at the forefront of many scientific research projects over the last few decades, including several of my own. The implications of my master’s thesis related to shifts in marine plant communities as a result of climate change driven increases in water temperatures. While my project focused on the temperature aspect of climate change, there are several other ways in which these processes affect marine plants and other organisms. Besides long-term increases in water temperature, climate change has also increased the frequency and intensity of extreme marine heat waves. Additionally, the ocean is becoming more acidic, in turn impacting organisms that use carbonate for survival, such as corals and shellfish. Furthermore, ocean currents are changing along with other weather patterns, which could have profound impacts on ocean circulation. While this list could go on, it is important to note that the general public may not know about many of these impacts. The goal of this project is to better understand what impacts of climate change on the ocean are the public is least familiar with. One of the key aspects of science is being able to communicate results, which has historically been a shortcoming for many researchers and organizations. This project will identify several impacts of climate change on marine systems, and send out a survey to friends and family. The survey participants will have an opportunity to read about each impact and rate them based on familiarity. The main deliverable of this project will be a paper that synthesizes the results of the survey. The student may also have the option to create an app or website that provides information on some of the less familiar impacts of climate change.
Identifying regional differences in human-driven impacts on water quality
Water is essential to nearly every organism and ecosystem on Earth, yet frequently becomes impaired in quality due to human impacts. I have spent significant time testing and examining water quality as it relates to marine plants, shellfish, and marsh grasses. Marine and estuarine life is especially susceptible to impaired water quality, and even the smallest changes in salinity, nutrient levels, light, and temperature can have dramatic impacts on these organisms’ survival. Salinity restricts what organisms can live where, due to the adaptations needed to overcome living in or near salty water. Small changes in salinity caused by drought or rainfall can affect energy usage in organisms that extrude salt from their bodies. Furthermore, nutrient loading and pollution in coastal water bodies can cause algae blooms, toxicity, and oxygen depletion (eutrophication), which has profound impacts on entire ecosystems. Algae blooms can also reduce the amount of light in the water column, in turn hindering the ability of bottom-dwelling plants to photosynthesize and survive. Finally, temperature is linked with many processes, and coupled with light and salinity, dictates where organisms can survive. Processes related to water quality are often intertwined and have been exacerbated by human impacts related to farming, development, resource extraction, and climate change. The goal of this project is to determine how human-driven alterations to water quality differ across regions. This project will select 3 water bodies from 4 different regions and identify which human-driven changes in water quality affect these regions the most. The participant will conduct and write a literature review to identify regional patterns in water quality. If the participant is interested in a specific animal or plant, focusing on that organism instead of an entire water body is possible as well. The main deliverable of this project will be a scientific research paper in the form of a literature review. If interested, I will assist the student with building GIS skills through mapping the results of this literature review. The student and myself will also work together to choose which high school scientific journal to publish our final results in.