The Peterson Marine Community Ecology Lab is seeking to interview and select six to eight (6 – 8) highly motivated volunteer research assistants for summer 2017 to work on several dissertation and monitoring projects. Research hours can be used towards research credit hours with Dr. Bradley Peterson. (High school sudents, please take note: the minimum age to be considered for a volunteer position with us is 17).
Volunteers will be asked to commit at least two days per week from late May/June through August. Exact starting and end dates are negotiable.
***We are also seeking one person who would be able to work specifically on a predator-prey project between June 5th and July 28th.
We specifically look for people who are comfortable and enjoy being outdoors, especially in the field on boats and in the water. Volunteers should be in good physical shape and enjoy hands-on work. Ability to swim is a requirement.
If interested, please send your CV/resume and a list of available meeting times to Diana Chin, diana.chin@stonybrook.edu. Alternatively, feel free to contact a lab member regarding a specific topic below. (Please note that, with the exception of the predator-prey project, it is unlikely that you will work exclusively on one project. Our philosophy is that exploring a variety of research questions and methods is essential to your scientific development!)
Summer Research Topics:
Contact: Diana Chin, diana.chin@stonybrook.edu
chemosymbiotic clams and their interactions with sediment, seagrass, and predators
Contact: Steve Heck, heck.stephen@gmail.com
predator-prey interactions (fish, crabs, bay scallops) and seagrass community structure
Contact: Alyson Lowell, alyson.v.lowell@gmail.com
free ocean carbon enrichment (FOCE) systems and impacts of ocean acidification on seagrass communities
Contact: Kaitlyn O’Toole, kaitlynotoole@gmail.com
bio-optical models of potential seagrass habitat in Great South Bay and Peconic Bay from water quality data
Contact: Rebecca Kulp, rkulp1@gmail.com
predator-prey project: do shellfish habitats emit chemical cues that mask the presence of alternative prey for mesopredators?
Other Monitoring and Research:
Beyond the above, the lab will be deploying eelgrass- and shellfish-based restoration projects and conducting assessments of water quality, seagrass, and fauna in Great South Bay and Shinnecock Bay.