Application deadline is April 7, 2023.
- Eligibility: Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and currently enrolled in a graduate degree program (full-time or part-time) leading to a master's or Ph.D. degree.
- Participants receive a $10,000 stipend throughout the duration of the program.
- Mote’s Research Experience for Graduate Students has funded two graduate research internship positions annually since 2019.
There will be two REGS positions available for Summer 2023 in the following research areas:
Ocean Technology Program
The Ocean Technology Research Team is the arm of Mote Marine that is able to develop and utilize various forms of cutting-edge technology in conjunction with a wide range of interdisciplinary scientific goals to solve problems, streamline processes, and monitor the Eastern Gulf of Mexico’s water quality. One of our underway projects is the development and production of a more robust and energy efficient version of our Programmable Hyperspectral Seawater Scanner (PHySS) sensor. The PHySS is capable of detecting various phytoplankton taxa, including the toxic red-tide producing Karenia brevis.
The modality of the PHySS is more than 15 years old. While it was novel at the time, technology has advanced at a rapid pace making many of the parts and components of the PHySS obsolete. This project will look at re-evaluating how the PHySS analyzes its seawater samples in an attempt to have it quantify concentrations, not report presence solely on a similarity index. The idea behind this project is to use the scattering of light to quantify concentrations of the phytoplankton Karenia brevis based on the light scattering properties of said phytoplankton.
Using a benchtop hyperspectral camera, build a library of hyperspectral data for water; pure, fresh, sea, tap, with nutrients, with CDOM, etc. Create also, a library of spectral data during growth curves post inoculation with phytoplankton species (separately).
Using a benchtop hyperspectral camera, determine the unique color signature of Karenia brevis via hyperspectral imaging. This will allow us to isolate the k brevis phytoplankton in the spectrum and “dial it in” for more accurate identification. Using a benchtop hyperspectral camera, determine the unique light scattering properties of the current library of phytoplankton to ultimately compare Karenia brevis to differing species of phytoplankton.
Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program
Many oviparous reptiles, including marine turtles, have temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). As temperatures increase globally, researchers are identifying sex ratio skews in hatchlings, juveniles, and adults. If these patterns persist, global adult populations will become female biased, increasing the likelihood of decreased hatchling production and possible extinction. It is currently unclear how temperature is affecting the nests in our growing population on the Gulf of Mexico. This is a critical data gap in recovery plans for sea turtles. This research project will utilize Mote Marine Lab’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program to compare temperature profiles of imperiled sea turtle nests on multiple beaches within Sarasota County.
Application Process
To apply, please visit mote.smapply.org and select the Research Experience for Graduate Students Program.
Applicants will receive notification by late April.
Questions?
Email your questions to: intern@mote.org