Coleen Suckling, University of Rhode Island

Project Location

University of Rhode Island-Bay Campus

Project Description

Our oceans are getting warmer and more acidic and many marine organisms (e.g. oysters, mussels) are struggling to cope. Farmers growing seafood in aquaculture are therefore looking for alternative animals to grow in aquaculture which are resilient to these changes. Sea urchins have shown potential to cope well with climate change and are commercially important. However, at present they are expensive to produce because the hatchery rearing techniques need to be optimized. This project presents an excellent opportunity for students to work towards helping improve hatchery rearing methods for growing sea urchins to make them more affordable for growers to buy and grow in the field to work towards future sustainable production. Techniques will include exposing animals to warm seawater to build up their resilience and to speed up the hatchery process.

Students will focus on one or more of the following approaches depending on the project priorities during the Fellowship: 1) Assisting with maintaining phytoplankton cultures; 2) Routine animal husbandry; 3) Seawater quality measurements; 4) Developing an archive of digital imagery with the aim to measure larvae and juvenile sizes; 5) Assisting in preparing and running settlement success and post settlement feeding experiments; 6) Conducting aquarium pilot trials and experiments assessing juvenile feeding preferences and growth rates.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands on experience on topics important to RI C-AIM, using C-AIM facilities, to become familiarized with complex issues and research tools. The student will work within the RI C-AIM’s project community and their active projects which fall into several of their foci which include: i) Assessing biological and ecosystem impacts; ii) predicting ecosystem response through integration, iii) visualization and imaging and iv) Workforce development, engagement and sustainability.

Reliable, enthusiastic, driven, problem solving students are strongly encouraged to apply with time management skills. Depending on the student interests and the project needs, students will need to be flexible and adaptable to whichever priorities need to be met (e.g., aquarium work or laboratory tasks or field collections). Any skills or experience in laboratory working, microscope photography, image processing/analysis, aquarium and/or husbandry skills would be highly beneficial. Training will be provided where required to expand and exercise skill sets.

This project involves both field & lab/computer work

Required/Preferred Skills

Reliable, enthusiastic, driven, problem solving students are strongly encouraged to apply with time management skills. Depending on the student interests and the project needs, students will need to be flexible and adaptable to whichever priorities need to be met (e.g., aquarium work or laboratory tasks or field collections). Any skills or experience in laboratory working, microscope photography, image processing/analysis, aquarium and/or husbandry skills would be highly beneficial. Training will be provided where required to expand and exercise skill sets.

Will students require their own transportation to field sites and/or other off-campus locations?

Yes

Additional Information

• Dr. Suckling’s Research Page