Marine Sciences Summer Program
Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences, this Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program offers undergraduates in STEM an opportunity to conduct guided research internships in marine science.
Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, interns work in a research-intensive atmosphere on a topic in chemical, physical, or biological oceanography or marine biology/geology/ biogeochemistry. The program includes weekly research seminars, professional development presentations, and field trips to nearby coastal marine systems. Interns will also present written and oral reports at the close of the program. For more information, contact Dr. Joanna York at jyork@udel.edu or 1-302-831-7040.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
We are currently planning to hold an in-person program during summer 2021. If that is not possible due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we have options for an array of programming from fully in-person to 100% virtual. The exact plan won't be determined until Spring 2021 and we will do our best to keep applicants updated. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this time. We look forward to reviewing your application.
Who can participate
Participants must be currently enrolled in a program leading to an undergraduate degree, as well as U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. Students from community colleges, institutions with limited research opportunities and from underrepresented groups in ocean science as defined by the NSF are especially encouraged to apply.
Where we study
Research and teaching facilities are located at UD’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes, DE. Interns live at the Daiber Housing Complex, which is fully furnished with washer, dryer, air-conditioning and Wi-Fi. The complex is less than 2 miles from the Hugh R. Sharp Campus and within walking distance of downtown Lewes.
How to apply
The summer 2021 program will run for 10 weeks from Monday, June 7 to Friday, August 13. Student support includes a $6,400 stipend, free housing, and travel assistance for the 10-week program.
The application for the Summer 2021 program is now closed. Check back in Fall 2021 for the Summer 2022 program!
Program Features
Faculty Mentors
Throughout the ten week session, students participating in the Marine Sciences Summer Program will work with faculty mentors. Mentors provide guidance in the first weeks of the internship on selection of an appropriate project. Throughout the summer, interns are guided through the process of executing the project, possibly including field work, lab analyses, and other activities. In the final weeks of the summer, students prepare a final presentation and report, again under the supervision of their faculty mentor.
Workshops, Seminars and Field Trips
Students in the Marine Sciences Summer Program are offered workshops and seminars by faculty and research experts at the University of Delaware and throughout the field of marine science.
Workshop, Seminar or Field Trip |
Speaker |
Orientation (introductions, program overview, safety, facilities tour) |
J. York |
Field Trip: Marsh Walk |
D. Miller |
Meet and Greet with Graduate Students |
|
Honor, Integrity, and Responsible Conduct of Research |
W. Ullman |
Field Trip: Rutgers Aquaculture tour with Rutgers RIOS REU students |
J. York |
Intern Presentations: Proposed Research |
All interns |
Air-Sea Interactions and Breaking Waves |
F. Veron |
Small Boat Course |
J. Swallow |
Abiotic and Biotic Chemistry at Hydrothermal Vents |
G. Luther |
Field Trip: Delaware Bay, R/V Daiber |
J. York |
How's that Data Looking? Preliminary Results Discussion |
All interns, J. York |
Communicating Results from Scientific Research |
D. Kirchman |
So, you wanna get a job someday? |
J. York |
Big Fish in a Bigger Ocean- How Do You Study Mobile Marine Predators? |
A. Carlisle |
Tour of the Robotics Discovery Lab |
A. Trembanis |
Finding New Life in the Deep Ocean |
J. Biddle |
Small Boat Practical |
J. Swallow |
Going Autonomous: Mapping Coastal Ecosystems |
A. Trembanis |
How to Find a Grad Opportunity and How to Pay for It |
J. York |
Final Presentations and Lunch |
All interns |
Summer Research Projects
Marine Sciences Summer Program interns present their research projects and findings as a part of their experience, giving them both the benefit of conducting research and that of presenting their research, skills that will prepare them for science careers.
Name |
Title |
Advisor |
Ian Johnson |
Understanding the Distribution of Microplastics Throughout the Upper Delaware Bay in Relation to the Estuarine Turbidity Maximum |
|
Devon Scott
|
Characterizing mesopredator niche partitioning of the Chagos MPA through stable isotope analysis |
|
Malique Bowen |
Quantification of Bathyarchaeota from enriched Delaware sediments |
|
Cissy Ming |
Daily Changes in the Organic Geochemistry of the Broadkill Estuary Sea Surface Microlayer |
|
Schuyler Moss |
Size distributions and dynamics of large sea spray droplets produced by breaking waves in various wind speeds |
|
Sarah Bartoloni |
Effect of Iron(III) Oxides on Methanogensis in the Great Marsh Preserve |
|
Hannah Cooper |
A Time Series Analysis of the Impact of Diel-Fluctuating Future-Day pH on Behavioral Lateralization of Amphiprion percula |
|
Lexi Bolger |
Using Globorotalia truncatulinoides Coiling Ratios to Reconstruct Subtropical Atlantic Upper Ocean Hydrography |
|
Aidan Durkan |
Heterosigma akashiwo: The Effects of Salinity, Nutrients and Strain on Toxicity |
T. Pettay |
Emily Deardorff |
Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter fluorescence throughout the summer in the Murderkill watershed, Delaware (USA) |
T. Pettay |