Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Field Experiences in South Texas Coastal Dynamics
June 2 – August 8, 2008

Ten fellowships will be available for the summer of 2008, for undergraduate students to conduct independent research projects on the causes, effects and consequences of coastal environmental change. Each student will work with a faculty mentor on topics such as:

• Biogeochemistry, organic matter cycling, water column optics

• Watershed processes, land-sea interactions, coastal hydrology

• Estuarine ecology, seagrass and marsh ecosystems

• Food web relationships, nutrient dynamics

• Zooplankton ecology, phytoplankton physiology and ecology

• Larval fish ecology, behavior, mariculture

• Fish reproductive physiology, environmental toxicology

For more information on faculty research interests  click here

REU @ the Marine Science Institute

The Marine Science Institute is located in Port Aransas, on 72 acres on the Gulf of Mexico.  REU projects will take advantage of the wide variety of coastal habitats near the Institute, including shallow bays, hypersaline lagoons, seagrass beds, estuaries, mangroves, and marshes.  MSI is the lead state agency for the newly established 185,000-acre Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, the only reserve in the Western Gulf of Mexico biogeographic region.

The 10-week summer program begins with a 2-day research cruise on the R/V Katy (left), and ends with a symposium in which students will present their research results.  Along the way, students will create web pages and blogs about their research, and participate in professional development activities, including seminars, panel discussions, and ethics workshops.

• Eligibility: Students must be undergraduates in their sophomore or junior year, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and its possessions.

• Stipends: Students will receive a summer stipend of $4500 for the 10-week program, full room and board, a research allowance, and a travel allowance.

• APPLY NOW!
  Click here to download the Application Packet in MS Word format.
  Click here to download the Application Packet in pdf format.

• Deadline for applications is February 15, 2008.

Questions about the program may be directed to:
Dr. Edward Buskey, ed.buskey@mail.utexas.edu or
Dr. Deana Erdner, derdner@mail.utexas.edu

All students who are offered a position at this REU site will have until March 15, 2008 to accept or reject the offer.  Any student who is asked to accept or reject an offer before this date should contact the NSF OCE REU Program Director, Lisa Rom, at elrom@nsf.gov or 703-292-7709.

Created: Friday December 21, 2007