Research fellow: Stephanie Hills
Hometown: Bedford, MA
School: Roger Williams University
Major: Biology
Mentors: Dale Leavitt, Matt Griffin
Project: Evaluating oyster growth performance in upwellers under varying environmental conditions

For many students, the RI EPSCoR Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program offers the opportunity to pursue a long held field of interest.

For others, like junior Stephanie Hills, the 10-week experience provides the chance to explore options and consider the many directions in which they might head.

“I’ve worked before with genetic sequencing of algae in Narragansett Bay,” says Hills, explaining her research work with RWU Associate Professor Brian Wysor. “We were trying to develop a roster of which species are already here in case something new comes in and invades.”

This summer, under the guidance of mentors Associate Professor Dale Leavitt and shellfish restoration technician Matt Griffin, Hills is working on a project that investigates whether adding calcium carbonate, the main component of marine organism shells, to seawater and sediment strengthens the shells or alters how larvae settle.

In one experiment, Hills took samples of sediment, applied calcium carbonate to the surface, and added razor clam larvae to see if the calcium carbonate would, one, change the larvae settling preference and, two, change the sediment’s pH or acidity level.

In another experiment, she laid out 10 areas or quadrats — five with calcium carbonate added and five left untouched. By measuring the pH level prior to the application of calcium carbonate, Hills will be able to track the effects in the field.

A third experiment involved adding calcium carbonate directly to the water in the bottle upwellers, which are systems where water continuously flows. Hills explains that for this experiment, water continuously pumps past oyster larvae to simulate how ocean water is always moving due to currents and tides. One question is whether oysters can metabolize the calcium carbonate added to seawater and spit it out as new shell material.

“This project is very different from what I was doing before with the algae work,” says Hills. “I wanted to experiment with different kinds of research to see what I liked more. I think I do like the fieldwork more, but I also like the genetic, microbiology side of things, too.”

As for what she might like to do after graduation, Hills remains undecided, but says she is leaning toward working with animals. For a recent paper, she notes, she researched animal poaching in Africa and was intrigued by the idea of conservation.

Story and photo by Amy Dunkle