The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology-Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (CREST-PRF) track within the CREST program supports beginning CREST Center investigators with significant potential and provides them with training and research experiences that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions and establish them in positions of leadership within the scientific community. This CREST-PRF project is aligned with the research focus of the CREST Center for the Integrated Study of Coastal Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics (CISCEP) at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The goal of this research is to understand the relationship between comb jelly, Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB), pathogenic bacteria, and environmental factors in Maryland Coastal Bays. The recipient of this fellowship will participate in American Association for the Advancement of Science workshops and learn how to communicate this research to the public. The recipient will also broaden their knowledge of predictive modeling by attending the Chesapeake Community Research and Modeling Symposium.
The Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) are one of the most diverse estuaries on the east coast providing habitat for juvenile fish, osprey, and terrapins. Understanding the relationship between M. leidyi, HABs, Vibrio spp. and environmental factors can be useful for environmental managers. The proposed project will be analyzing the effects of M. leidyi on Vibrio spp. and HABs abundance in the MCBs. This data will be used to develop empirical predictive models on HABs and Vibrio spp. abundance in the MCBs. Through the collaboration with the Maryland-Department of Natural Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the CREST program at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the proposed work will be able to combine knowledge and data to further understand and predict the relationship between HABs and Vibrio spp. The work will inform the public and local government on the overall health of the Maryland Coastal Bays, regarding HABs, pathogenic Vibrio spp. and can be used to design management strategies.
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.
