Jessica MacGregor (M.S. Student) – I am driven by a desire to better understand how coastal ocean ecosystems can be managed and restored in the face of a changing climate. My thesis work in the Peterson Lab focuses on the interacting influences of environmental stressors and changing predation regimes on bay scallop populations and their restoration in the Peconic Estuary. I am exploring this issue using respirometry, high-resolution water quality monitoring, and predation exclusion experiments.
Before diving into marine ecology research, I worked in the Chesapeake Bay wetlands as a field technician. I have a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland, where I graduated in 2018. When I’m not in the field or behind my computer, I can be found rock climbing, skiing, or recovering from surgery