Anthony Murphy-Neilson (M.S. Student) – I am from Herndon, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2022 with a BA in environmental science (and another in music). While there, I studied community ecology, and completed a senior thesis on detecting and identifying invasive species by using vegetation indices to filter and sort hyperspectral drone imagery. After graduating, I spent a year working in various internships, including an environmental education position on the Long Island Sound in Connecticut, and a position with the ocean acidification program at Mote Marine Lab’s coral research facility in the Florida Keys.
I’m interested in the effects of climate change on coastal shellfish communities, and the effects of coastal shellfish communities on climate change. Specifically, I want to learn more about how we can use filter feeders to combat negative anthropogenic forcings such as pollution and HAB’s, particularly through biologically mediated restoration efforts, such as the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Project.