Earlier in June we welcomed this year’s participants in the Research Internships in Ocean Sciences (RIOS) program. RIOS is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, in which students participate in a ten-week internship in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS). Students from around the country are paired with Rutgers scientists and participate in a wide range of research projects based in New Brunswick, at the Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS), or at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory.
During the first week of the program, students participate in multiple field trips and are exposed to the different research areas of the DMCS community. This year, the activities included a Raritan River cruise on the R/V Caleta, where they collected water quality data and documented the transition from saltwater to freshwater in the Raritan River Estuary and a Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary cruise aboard the R/V Arabella, where they documented a rich biodiversity of fish and invertebrates. The RIOS students also explored the Grassle Marsh Nature Trail, learned about horseshoe crabs at Graveling Point Beach, assisted with long-term sampling in the RUMFS boat basin, and visited the Tuckerton Seaport.
In August, the RIOS students will present the results of their research in a public poster session. Please stay tuned for more details!
For more pictures from the RIOS student’s first week at Rutgers please check out the DMCS flickr gallery.