Second year Marine Biology major, Fiona Sheard, joined us for an Instagram takeover about her internship at Rutgers University over the summer. Find out about oyster farms, the Cape Shore Laboratory and more!

I enjoyed sharing my personal thoughts on my internship, my major, and real world applications of Marine Biology! Spending the summer at home in New Jersey, I wanted to have some relevant work experience, and got a fantastic opportunity with Rutgers University. I’ve been working on Antarctic Krill research and I’ve received really valuable experience in data collection, data processing and the software python.

During one of our field-days, we went to the southern tip of New Jersey to see an oyster farm as part of my internship. This is a great real-world application of Marine Biology, and we saw tanks that contain oyster larvae, which circulate the water and keep the larvae protected from impurities as they grow.

The Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory also breeds clams, and we got to see some free swimming clam larvae viewed under a microscope. We finished the day viewing a land-based nursery, which is a closed system that circulates continuously and keeps up the water quality for growing oysters.

Not only is the Marine Biology field essential for the observation and preservation of marine species, it relates to fisheries management and the study of physical properties of the ocean. I truly love my major, and everything I am learning at UW.

Another thanks to the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observation and Leadership and the Cape Shore Laboratory for this wonderful opportunity!

Please message me with any questions via Instagram: @_fionakate_