Salve Regina alum finds lasting impact and value in Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR undergraduate research fellowship program

On Friday, July 31, Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR’s 2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURFs) will present their summer research findings at the 8^th Annual RI SURF Conference, hosted by the University of Rhode Island.

The event, co-sponsored with Rhode Island INBRE, caps a 10-week research experience that gives undergraduates in the Ocean State a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the quest for scientific discovery and build the skills they need in pursuit of their academic and professional journeys.

Two years ago at this time, Jillian Pegnataro was wrapping up her 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) with Associate Professor Jameson Chace at Salve Regina University and preparing to present her research findings at the annual RI SURF Conference.

Pegnataro, who graduated from Salve the following spring, in 2014, with a B.S. in biology, spent her fellowship with Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR as part of a five-year study to observe the effects of climate change on near shore organisms in Newport, RI.

For so many students, the only research we know is the prepared labs in our science courses. SURF showed me that research has a purpose and that when you find a study that you care about, the work has a new meaning.

Specifically, Pegnataro says, she was investigating how the warming water temperatures affected shell disease of the American lobster and the impact on the population.

What she learned that summer, along the coast of Newport and out in Narragansett Bay, played a key role in Pegnataro’s journey to where she is today — working as an intern at the non-profit Sea Turtle Inc., spending her days, and often her nights, rescuing and caring for sea turtles on the Texas barrier island of South Padre Island.

The SURF experience, both in terms of scientific and self-discovery, was life changing, Pegnataro says:

“This internship wasn’t about grades or credits, it was a way to experience what it is like to be a scientist and it gave me a glimpse of what the future as a biology major could be. I loved the work that I did so much that I expanded on my research and wrote my undergraduate thesis on my project. I learned more about scientific writing and, most importantly, how to present the research that I had spent so much time on.”

Working under Chace’s guidance, she adds, provided an equally compelling opportunity for the small group of interns, who appreciated the individualized attention and the attention to details.

Three times a week, the crew pulled and set lobster traps, often wrestling errant eels and tossing them out of the boat or avoiding the snaps of angry lobsters. The students also scaled the Cliff Walk to quadrat sections of shoreline to survey populations.

A summer well spent

“Although it was challenging, the data that we were collecting was important to me and I was in my element,” recalls Pegnataro. “Analyzing and presenting our projects was a great learning experience. It was a privilege to work with Dr. Chace, because he is so passionate about research. He challenged us to do our best work and wouldn’t accept anything less.”

Pegnataro says SURF gave her the opportunity to conduct marine fieldwork and follow her own path. After collecting data in the field, she and the other fellows compiled and analyzed what they had found. There also was a wealth of research from previous intern projects and scientific journals to consider.

“It was a great way to experience research, and how research is used in the real world, instead of experimental projects in a lab,” Pegnataro says. “This was data that I helped to collect. I was very proud of the work that I accomplished that summer.

SURF prepared her well for the work she does today, says Pegnataro. Sea Turtle Inc., a sea turtle hospital open to the public, focuses on a mission of education, rehabilitation and conservation. The work involves cleaning and caring for the turtles, interacting with the public, answering questions, giving educational presentations, and helping run the gift shop.

When not at the facility, Pegnataro helps patrol the beaches for turtle tracks during 8-hour shifts on an ATV or works in the corral, where nests are safely relocated. The beach is 32 miles long and the patrols seek out tracks in the sand to find where the mother turtles lay their eggs.

Once workers locate tracks, a responder finds the nest and they relocate it to the corral, or a fenced in area on the beach: “We dig artificial nests in the corral and mark and date each of the nest. When making an artificial nest, we have to dig a hole about a foot into the sand and it has to be the shape of a flask.”

The reburied eggs will incubate in the sand for 50 days. During hatching season, the workers watch over the nest during overnight shifts that run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., looking for nest activity. The sand is too hot for the turtles to make it to the water in the middle of the day. Typically, a nest hatches in the middle of the night, when the temperature of the sand drops — the cue that the turtles are looking for to start emerging. The workers bring the babies back to the facility, take measurements and make sure the hatchlings are ready to be released.

If released too close to the lights of civilization, the baby turtles will travel in the wrong direction. The crew drives north, up the island, away from artificial lights to allow the turtles crawl to the beach where they hatched, so that they will imprint and return when they are mature enough to lay eggs about 12 years later.

The Sea Turtle Inc. facility houses permanent and non-resident turtles; the permanent resident status means that these turtles will not be released because of their inability to survive in the wild. The non-resident turtles will be rehabilitated and ultimately released. Pegnataro says about 90 percent of the turtles that come into the facility will be released back into the wild.

Pride, purpose & passion in science

“It is a very intense internship that requires a lot of time and dedication to these little baby turtles,” says Pegnataro. “But, I have never felt more of a purpose than I have here.”

In retrospect, Pegnataro says SURF allowed her find herself in her research and instilled a sense of pride in her results and contribution to science. The experience also made her a competitive candidate in the job market.

“It not only gave me experience in marine biology, but also showed that I am passionate about my work and that I push myself,” she says. “The level of work that we were doing with Dr. Chace was above and beyond what is expected of undergraduate research.

“For so many students, the only research we know is the prepared labs in our science courses. SURF showed me that research has a purpose and that when you find a study that you care about, the work has a new meaning.”

Postscript: Pegnataro says her original intention after graduation was to head immediately to graduate school, but traveling abroad to Costa Rica her last semester sparked a love for travel. She still intends to continue her educational path, but is happy now with her conservation and research work, and seeing more of the world.

 “I didn’t know what I wanted right after I graduated but I’m glad I took this time to find myself,” she says. “It’s programs like SURF and Sea Turtle, Inc. that can point students in the right direction, even if you aren’t sure where your final destination will be.”

Story by Amy Dunkle | Courtesy photos, Sea Turtle Inc.