REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Systems

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

Duke University will host a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site located at the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, NC. The program supports internships for 9 students each summer who conduct independent research projects during a 10-week research program that includes seminars in marine sciences, field trips and a series of workshops. Students will live in Marine Laboratory dormitories and take their meals in the dining hall. Students 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, and graphics skills, graduate school and non-academic science careers. The final week will involve completion of a scientific manuscript on the student's research project and a final oral presentation. Co-curricular activities include a Marine Laboratory-sponsored seminar program, participation in selected field trips. The proposed REU is organized to train students to frame scientific 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.