REU

National Science Foundation Award #OCE-2349136

Since 1990, The Shannon Point Marine Center has received funding from the National Science Foundation for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program to support undergraduate students to conduct supervised research with a faculty advisor.

Each summer, eight selected students spent nine weeks at the Shannon Point Marine Center conducting original research with a faculty adviser. At the end of the session, students produce a written and an oral report based on the results of their work. Student research has included such diverse themes as productivity and nutrient cycling in marine environments, molecular ecology and genomics, ecology and physiology of seagrasses and algae, larval development and physiology, marine diseases, coastal oceanography, and coastal geology.

Funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation provides participant financial support including:

• A $6300 stipend for the summer
• A $675 food allowance. Participants are responsible for purchasing and preparing their own food. There is a well-equipped kitchen facility for that purpose.
• Housing in the SPMC dormitory
• A travel allowance up to $875

2024 Program Participants, their Research and Advisors

• William Coakley, Colby College and Holly Weisfelder, Denison University. Labyrinthula zosterae strain diversity in eelgrass beds across the Salish Sea (Morgan Eisenlord and Kathy Van Alstyne, advisors)
• Mackenzie Frey, University of Delaware. High light tolerance comparisons between five strains of coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (Suzanne Strom, advisor)
• Larkin Garden, Catawba College and Ana Hoffman Sole, Cornell University. Density dependent dispersal in functionally extinct outplanted Haliotis kamtschatkana ​(Pinto Abalone) ​(Derek Smith and Nate Schwarck, advisor)
• Kelita Clemente Juarez, Bakersfield College. Benthic gastropod larvae respond to biofilms in Tica and Riftia Mound vent fields (Shawn Arellano, advisor)
• Angel Santos, Portland State University. Bivalve transmissible neoplasia in soft-shelled clams (Jay Dimond, advisor)
• Amy Zhang, Wellesley College. Investigating tidal impacts on coastal DOM from kelp and eelgrass (Catherine Clark, advisor)

Apply for the Program

Summer 2025 Program Dates: June 16 - August 15

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or or permanent residents of the U.S. and must be enrolled in a 2- or 4- year institution of higher education. Students who have received a bachelor’s degree before the start date of the program are ineligible.

Continuing SPMC’s long-standing tradition of working with diverse students, we strongly encourage applications from underserved, underrepresented, and under-resourced groups. Applications are welcome from students at any stage of their undergraduate degree program. Questions can be addressed to spmc@wwu.edu.

Application portal will open December 15, 2024 with an application deadline of February 10, 2025.