REU Site for Oregon Marine Science: From upper estuaries to the deep sea

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

Research training for the next generation of marine scientists and oceanographers is an important focus for the Division of Ocean Sciences. Oregon State University will be supported to host a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site for three years (2018-2020). The program is run on two campuses, the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) located in Newport, OR and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) in Corvallis, OR, and will bring cohorts of undergraduates to each campus for a ten-week summer internship. Students will conduct independent research projects with the guidance of research mentors and will participate in a variety of professional development activities, including workshops on scientific ethics, scientific writing, the graduate school experience and career options. Students will also participate in a number of field trips and outreach events. The program conducts a national search for applicants and seeks to engage students who are from schools with limited research opportunities, including community colleges. Most of the funding provided supports student stipends, housing and travel to attend the program. This project supports the national goals of developing the next generation of scientists and the scientific workforce. The OSU REU Site will provide a total of sixty-seven undergraduates with research internships over the three-year period. Research opportunities at HMSC focus on biology, ecology and environmental science, and at CEOAS the opportunities are focused on marine science applications of physics, geology, chemistry, and mathematics. Independent research projects conducted by the students will fall into one of four themes, including: 1: Biology and Ecology of Marine Organisms - genetics of marine organisms, biological and fisheries oceanography, and environmental effects of marine renewable energy development, 2: Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry - population and community ecology, biogeochemical cycling, and the deep-biosphere, 3: Marine Geology and Geophysics - volcanism in spreading centers, subduction zones, seamounts and hotspots, as well as paleoclimate and paleomagnetic studies, and 4: Physics of Oceans and Atmospheres - physical oceanography, numerical modeling, ocean acoustics, optics, remote sensing, and ocean-atmosphere observations. 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.