Lindsey S
- Research Program Mentor
MS at University of North Carolina Wilmington
Expertise
marine biology, biology, environmental science, ecology, sustainability
Bio
Hi everyone! My name is Lindsey, and I recently 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 related to how different organisms respond to changing or stressful environmental conditions, specifically related to temperature stress and climate change. Throughout the completion of my master's, I gained skills in data analysis via RStudio and Microsoft Excel, literature review, scientific writing, field sampling, laboratory experimental design, and oral communication. I plan to mentor students by utilizing and sharing these skills. I have also served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate biology courses such as ecology, genetics, and instruction to scientific thinking throughout the completion of my graduate and undergraduate degrees. I am currently teaching K-12 students in North Carolina and California, where I focus on a hands-on, experiential approach to learning. 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.