REU Site: Undergraduate research in estuarine and coastal marine systems

The Duke University Marine Laboratory (DUML), which is located on Pivers Island, North Carolina, will host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site during the summers of 2021-2023. Student interns will be recruited each summer and will live in the dormitories on Pivers Island surrounded by the estuarine environment while completing a 10-week program.

Interns will have a choice of advisors in the general research areas of (1)sensory physiology, ecology and behavior, (2) molecular biology and genetics, and (3) coastal and estuarine physical processes. Throughout the program there will be sessions on safety, scientific ethics, scientific writing, oral and poster presentations, graphics skills, graduate school, and non-academic science careers.

Students will give an introductory oral report during week two and a progress report during week five. The final week will involve completion of a scientific manuscript on the project and a final oral presentation. Co-curricular activities include a Marine Laboratory-sponsored seminar program, participation in selected field trips and optional water related recreational activities.

The proposed REU is organized to train students to frame research questions, to design and undertake laboratory and field work to address these research questions, and to develop the skills to communicate the results of their research. Students will be recruited nationally and from a network of regional universities who participate in the Marine Sciences Educational Consortium.

The program includes a collaboration with the REU program at Savannah State University (SSU). Interns from SSU tour the Marine Laboratory, learn about the research projects conducted at the Marine Laboratory, attend a session on graduate school and go on field trips. The Marine Laboratory houses the Marine Conservation Molecular Facility (MCMF), which is a shared-use molecular facility designed for medium-to-high-throughput genotyping on marine organisms.

Additional facilities available to students and faculty for a variety of research projects include the Duke Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing (MaRRS) Lab, which supports marine scientists seeking to use unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) in ocean and coastal applications, the extensive animal care facilities, such as running seawater and aeration facilities, and the next-generation sequencing technologies through the Sequencing and Genomic Technologies core facility on the main campus in Durham. Sensory Physiology, Ecology and Behavior research projects focus on topics such as biological rhythms, migrations of invertebrate larvae, metamorphosis, photobiology, marine mammal behavioral ecology and bioacoustics, use of drones to study the ecology and map distributions of local organisms and ecosystems, behavior and genetic analyses of invertebrate species, salt marshes, sea grasses, mangroves, oyster reef, deep sea and coral reef ecosystems, the use of underwater drones in the deep sea, biochemistry, cell physiology, fish biology, and species distribution modeling.

Molecular Biology and Genetics of Marine Animals topics focus on microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, carbon fluxes involved in photosynthesis, biological oceanography and marine biotechnology, the use of molecular tools to address basic questions in marine systems, and genetic projects on sharks, bony fish and crabs. Coastal and Estuarine Physical Processes topics focus on shallow water and coastal physical oceanography using a combination of observations, numerical models and theoretical analyses; lagoon-ocean exchanges in tidal and wave-driven flows, stratified turbulence, boundary layer flows over coral reefs, and physical-biological interactions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.