Promoting Research Investigations in the Marine Environment, Oregon 2010
PRIME Internship at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB)
Surf-zone hydrodynamics and the delivery of larvae to the shore
Advisor: Dr. Alan Shanks, Professor, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon
Many common marine organisms develop through a series of larval forms before they take on their adult shape. Understanding how the movement of larval invertebrates and fish is affected by currents and the behavioral of the larvae themselves is important in understanding the life-history, population dynamics, and distribution of a species. The intern will work with Dr. Alan Shanks on a project examining how the movement of water in the surf zone might affect the delivery of larvae to the shore.
Additional requirements:: Field work will take place in the surf-zone therefore the intern must be a strong swimmer. The project may require the intern to start before June 20th.
Please note: The first month of the internship with Dr. Shanks will be spent doing field work in Monterey Bay, CA. Transportation from OIMB and housing in Monterey will be provided. The second month of the internship will be spent at OIMB.
PRIME Internships at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC)
Determining the role of sandy beach surf-zones as a habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon
Advisors: Dr. Jessica Miller, Professor, and Jose Marin Jarrin, PhD candidate, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University
Oregon sandy beaches provide a dynamic habitat for a diversity of invertebrate and vertebrate organisms. The number and types of organisms vary with the time of day, the tide, and with changing physical and biological conditions. The intern will work with Dr. Jessica Miller and PhD candidate Jose Marin Jarrin to determine the role of Oregon sandy beach surf-zones as a habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon during their first summer of ocean life. This study will help us understand of the ecology of the surf-zone fauna and how this changes. This information can be critical when considering ocean zoning and wave energy parks.
Additional requirements:: Field work will take place in the surf-zone therefore the intern must be a strong swimmer.
Developing new ways to culture oyster larvae to overcome the effects of ocean acidification
Advisors: Dr. Chris Langdon, Professor, Oregon State University, and Director, Molluscan Broodstock Program, and Kiril Chang-Gilhooly, Hatchery and Nursery Manager, Molluscan Broodstock Program, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University
Oyster farming on the West Coast depends on the production of larvae from hatcheries. In recent years, oyster hatcheries have had a difficult time rearing larvae due to acidic corrosive seawater brought into coastal waters by upwelling. The intern will work with Dr. Chris Langdon and the staff of the Molluscan Broodstock Program to evaluate new culture methods to protect hatcheries from these adverse ocean conditions.
Juvenile Gaper Clam Distribution Mapping
Advisors:Dr. Leslee Parr, Shellfish Program Leader, and Mitch Vance, Shellfish Project Leader, Marine Resources Program, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Gaper clams are a very highly valued commercial and recreational fishery in Oregon. A key aspect of determining the status of a population is recruitment. Recruitment is a term used to describe the number of new juveniles reaching a size/age where they represent a viable target for the fishery. Quantifying the age structure of a bivalve population allows us to understand the input into the population and requires sampling broad areas of habitat and determining the density of specific age classes. The intern will work with staff at the ODFW Marine Resources Shellfish Program to collect, process, and analyze samples that would generate a greater understanding of the population structure of Gaper clams. To begin with, the project will focus on a small area of Yaquina Bay and may expand to include the entire bay, and/or additional bays in Oregon as well as other bay clam species.
