Oysters can provide many environmental benefits, including water filtration, habitat for wild fish, and a source of sustainable local seafood. Oysters contain nitrogen and phosphorus in their tissue and shell, and harvest of farmed oysters can reduce excess nutrients in the coastal environment. Our team is developing an online calculator for eastern oyster aquaculture that predicts nitrogen removal at harvest for farms from North Carolina to Maine. We would like to add phosphorus to this tool, but phosphate data is currently only available from Maryland and Virginia. Additional samples from farms located in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire are being collected, and this project will involve sample processing to create a regional dataset for use in the online tool.
Oyster ecosystem services: phosphate analysis of tissue and shell to support a new environmental tool
- Published on:
- Science Area(s): Internships, Research
- Region(s) of Study: Connecticut
Summary / Description
Skills Required
Seeking a student to work in a chemistry laboratory to homogenize tissue and shell samples. The student will be responsible for spectrometrically measuring phosphate in the samples. They must be comfortable working with chemicals and have a basic understanding of laboratory techniques. The student should be familiar with working in excel and will learn how to generate calibration curves and analyze data for quality control.
Type of Opportunity
- Research
Location
- Remote or in-person: In-person
- Location: Milford, CT
Other Information
- Intern Supervisor: Genevieve Bernatchez
- Number of Slots Available: 1