How to Apply

REU Program applications are due on February 15th, 2025

Mentors and Project Opportunities

Each REU students is mentored by a Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory. For examples and abstracts of REU projects from previous years, visit the sub-pages dedicated to each year. On the program application, applicants will indicate two scientists they are interested in working with; students with questions about potential research projects are encouraged to contact the scientist leading the project. Please visit the research pages of individual scientists here.

2025 Mentors

• Christoph Aeppli

  Dr. Christoph Aeppli is an environmental chemist who studies transformation and accumulation of organic pollutants (PFAS and oil hydrocarbons) in the ocean. We use laboratory experiments, analytical tools (GC/MS, LC/MS), and field measurements to answer our research questions. We have two possible topics:

  1. Oil emulsification: Investigate how oil photooxidation produces surface-active compounds, that then facilitate oil dispersion or emulsification

  2. Sources and fate PFAS in the ocaen: Collect field samples, measure PFAS, and perform data analysis to identify PFAS sources in an estuary

  See the website for more information about the Aeppli lab.

• Steve Archer

  My primary research examines the exchange of climate relevant gases between the ocean and atmosphere. This involves trying to understand the processes, especially biological, that influence the direction and rates of gas exchange. Much of our day-to-day work is experimental and involves some form of biochemical analyses or gas measurement. Our current research varies from measuring the exchange of CO2, CH4 and DMS through sea-ice to trying to develop ways to reduce emissions of CH4 from cows.
  

  • One of the projects is linked to an NSF-funded project that aims to understand the influence of trace gas emission from the sea surface on the formation of new aerosol particles in the atmosphere. This is part of a collaborative project with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University and you would join a team carrying out some of the fieldwork for this project in/on local waters.
    
  • The other project will examine the magnitude of local sources of CH4 to the atmosphere, with a possible focus on the tidal influence on daily emissions from estuarine habitats. This could involve using a dynamic flux chamber system, linked to a high precision CH4 and CO2 analyzer, to directly measure flux from or into salt marsh environments.

• Peter Countway & José A. Fernández Robledo

• Sarah Douglas

  We are interested in local climate change mitigation strategies, specifically looking at the efficacy of sinking kelp to capture carbon. This REU project will use organic geochemistry techniques to assist the lab in tracing the quantity, longevity, and ultimate fate of carbon derived from farmed Maine sugar kelp, which could potentially contribute to marine carbon dioxide reduction (mCDR). We will extract and analyze amino acid fingerprints, carbon content, and other chemical biomarkers of kelp at various stages of degradation to establish a ‘preservation index’ of kelp organic matter. In sunk biomass deposition zones, the ratio of fresh to highly degraded organic matter (primarily derived from deposited kelp) would be an indication of carbon preservation. The REU student will learn organic matter biomarker extraction and identification via mass spectrometry. Since this project involves applicable research and pressing mCDR questions, specific emphasis will also be placed on scientific writing and developing a results report for community partners.

• David Ernst

  In our work, we aim to gain a better understanding of larval ecology, phenology, and physiology through the use of innovative molecular technologies, with a focus on marine aquaculture and fisheries species in the Gulf of Maine. Our current research integrates various ‘omics, environmental DNA (eDNA), and environmental RNA (eRNA) approaches to develop and utilize molecular tools for detecting and quantifying wild blue mussel larvae (‘seed’). This year’s intern will participate in an eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding project to illuminate the seasonal community structure dynamics on a mussel aquaculture lease and how these relate to wild mussel seed set timing and oceanographic data. In addition, the intern will participate in an ongoing research project to collect and test field samples from aquaculture leases in Casco Bay. This REU is limited to Colby College students.

• David Fields

  Dr. Field's is a zooplankton ecologist. The Fields' laboratory studies the role of zooplankton (eg. Copepods, lobsters and cladocerans) in transferring organic matter through the food web and in mediating bio-geochemical cycling in the oceans. Our approach is to understand how the mechanisms that occur at the level of the individual animal drive regional and global scale distribution patterns in zooplankton. This work incorporates zooplankton ecology and physiology as well as data from small-scale fluid mechanics, neurophysiology and individual animal behavior. View lab page

• Manoj Kamalanathan

• Catherine Mitchell & Cait McCarry

  In the Marine Optics Lab, we use satellites to study the ocean. Our research spans both creating ocean color remote sensing methods to measure ocean biology and biogeochemistry, and applying remote sensing methods to study changes in marine ecosystems. There are several potential projects this summer, all will involve working with satellite data and doing computer-based research, however there will likely be opportunities for some lab-based work also. See our group webpage for more details about our ongoing projects.

• Nicole Poulton & Isaac Miller

  The Poulton Lab studies phytoplankton ecology and more recently the role of mixotrophy in the oceanic carbon cycle. Dr. Poulton directs the Center for Aquatic Cytometry and uses flow cytometry to detect and enumerate cells of interest using field samples and cultured organisms. These flow cytometric tools use laser light to identify and separate cells of interest within mixed assemblages of particles (including both cells and detrital matter). For this upcoming 2025 summer season, the Poulton Lab will have an opening for one REU intern that will focus on predator/prey relationships in the context of environmental stress. Drs. Poulton and Miller, alongside an REU student, will be developing new methods to support laboratory experiments with field-based observations. The participants will learn different laboratory techniques including: phytoplankton and bacterial culturing, data collection and analysis using flow cytometry.

• Robin Sleith

  Our research is focused on the connectivity between freshwater and marine ecosystems, with an emphasis on the harmful algal species that can move between these systems. Summer 2023 research will be focused on understanding the impacts of freshwater cyanotoxins on downstream marine ecosystems. We will combine molecular detection of cyanobacteria species with toxin testing in bivalves to characterize the movement of cells and toxins into the marine environment.

• Benjamin Twining & Susanna Michael

  The Trace Metal Biogeochemistry Laboratory seeks an undergraduate interested in environmental analytical chemistry to broadly study dissolved and particulate trace metal dynamics in the Gulf of Maine. The Gulf of Maine is changing rapidly, but trace metals/micronutrients remain understudied in this region. The student should be enthusiastic to participate in both ship-based fieldwork and sample analysis using mass spectrometry in the lab. Once here, the student will read academic papers for background/context, write up their methods, conduct data analysis, and present a poster based on their findings, all with structured mentorship.

• Alaina Weinheimer

  The ecology and evolution of microbial immune systems: Microbes can also get infected by viruses, too. In the ocean, these viruses outnumber microbes roughly tenfold. In order to persist, microbes have evolved a vast diversity of resistance strategies, most of which have only recently been discovered, like CRISPR-Cas based immunity. My research projects use bioinformatic to characterize which defense systems different marine microbes use and the fitness costs and benefits of these strategies. The data science and computational biology skills associated with this project can be applied to the fields of oceanography, biotechnology, medicine, and beyond.

Eligibility

An REU participant must be a current undergraduate student and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its possessions; international students and graduating seniors are not eligible for this program. An undergraduate student is defined as a student who is enrolled in a degree program (part-time or full-time) leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree. Students who are transferring from one college or university to another and are enrolled at neither institution during the intervening summer may participate under certain circumstances. See the National Science Foundation's eligibility guidelines for more information.

Students from under-represented minorities as well as students with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should have, at minimum, one year of basic biology, have taken at least one earth or ocean science course, and be in good standing with their home institution. Most REU students will have completed two or three years of college and be majoring in earth science, environmental science, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics or engineering. Prior research experience is not required, but relevant coursework and enthusiasm for conducting independent research are important. We encourage applications from non-traditional students, as well as those attending community colleges.

Proof of COVID vaccination will be required to participate in the program.

Apply

We have recently switched to a new NSF application site that will require that you sign-up and receive a NSF number. Once you have the number you can use it to apply to numerous NSF- REU programs. Please go here to create an account

BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING FOUR ITEMS

• Responses to the short answer questions form.
• Names and email addresses for two references who will write a letter of recommendation, including at least one recent science instructor who can comment on your interest and commitment to self-motivated projects. Requesting references will be a part of building your applicant profile on the NSF application site and will be submitted automatically with your application to Bigelow's REU program. Letters must be submitted by February 15th.
• PDF of your college transcripts (does not need to be official).

Once you have gathered the information above, please proceed to the application form. All application materials must be received by February 15th. Due to the high number of applications received each year, incomplete applications will not be reviewed. All application materials should be sent to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences via the online application site. Please send questions to reu@bigelow.org.

Students who are offered a position in the Bigelow REU program will be notified between March 15th - March 30th.
This REU site is funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences.

Contact Information

REU Program
Dr. David Fields
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
East Boothbay, ME 04544 USA
(207) 315-2567, ext. 313
reu@bigelow.org

2025 Important Dates

• Application Period: January 1 - February 15
• Students Notified: March 15 - March 30
• Program Dates: May 27 to August 1, 2025