The REU Site program for Coastal Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) invites applicants to apply for a 10 week summer research experience that places 12 undergraduates with faculty mentors. Internships are available in many areas of marine science, including marine biology and ecology; biological, geological, chemical, and physical oceanography; environmental science; fisheries; and resource management. Participants will receive a summer stipend and food allowance. Accommodations in the dorms at the College of William & Mary are provided, as well as transportation between the campuses. Students from traditionally under-represented groups in the marine sciences are highly encouraged to apply.
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science, located in Gloucester Point, Virginia, is one of the largest coastal and estuarine science institutions in the world, with more than 55 faculty and a graduate student body of more than 85. VIMS houses state-of-the-art oceanographic instrumentation and analytical facilities, a large fleet of coastal research vessels, a world-class marine science library, and is within close proximity to a variety of habitats ranging from freshwater tributaries to the coastal ocean.
During the summer students will meet every week for a seminar that features a guest speaker discussing topics such as: Scientific Reading, Writing and Peer Review; How to Apply to Graduate School: Tips from the Faculty Who Read the Files; Alternatives to Life in Academia: A Panel Discussion; How to Give an Effective Scientific Presentation; and Ethics in Science. Other group activities include 3 field trips. We traverse the coastal plain environment, from a freshwater system that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, through the estuary proper and out to the Atlantic Ocean along the shoreface of the Delmarva Peninsula. When we travel to the VIMS Wachapreague Laboratory on Virginia's Eastern Shore, we spend a full day exploring nearly pristine coastal habitats, including an open coast beach on a barrier island, mud flat, salt marsh, and oyster reef. During a research cruise in the York River estuary aboard the VIMS research vessel Bay Eagle, there will be opportunities to try state-of-the-art oceanographic instrumentation, to pull in a trawl net full of fish and crabs, and to learn a bit about vessel navigation. When we kayak the tidal freshwater reaches of the Chesapeake Bay, expect to see an abundance of wildlife and learn how land-use practices in the watershed affect the local estuary and coastal ocean.
Application deadline is February 10, 2018.
Complete information about the program is available by visiting http://www.vims.edu/education/college/summer_intern/index.php
Specific questions can be directed to Jennifer Dreyer at intern@vims.edu or jcdrey@vims.edu
