This award provides funding for a new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (BLOS). Bigelow is a small research laboratory located in West Boothbay Harbor, ME. The BLOS faculty have expertise in ocean chemistry, optics, biology, ecology, geology and physics. The lab has state-of-the-art tools for flow cytometry, EM microscopy, PCR and neurophysiology. The REU program includes funding for eight students per summer for a total of three years. Students will learn about the fundamentals of the scientific process including how to form testable hypotheses, critically evaluate data and present information in a scientific manner. Mentor-guided programs will include individual research, experimentation and/or field work and compiling and evaluating data. As part of their projects students will have opportunities to scuba dive, participate in ocean cruises or sample directly from the Bigelow Pier. The program will be open to applicants from around the country, and a primary recruitment goal is to attract underrepresented students such as Native American to participate in Marine Science research.
