OR&R Representatives Meet with University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez and Mauritius Interns

JULY 26, 2021 ─ During June and July 2021, the joint OR&R and University of New Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) and UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering hosted undergraduate interns from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez and a student from Mauritius studying at Gustavo Adolphus College to work on a variety of research projects, several conducted by the center for OR&R. The research topics include oil thickness, marine oil snow, oil and ice modeling, and microplastics research. 

People working in a lab.
The interns learned about and worked on projects supporting OR&R, such as joint projects involving OR&R, the Coastal Response Research Center, EPA Office of Research and Development, and Johns Hopkins University to advance our ability to characterize surface oil slicks. Image credit: University of New Hampshire/CRRC.

Ken Finkelstein, Willie Whitmore, and Demi Fox are the regional representatives for OR&R programs in the Northeast and provided presentations on their work in the areas of assessment and restoration, marine debris, emergency response, and disaster preparedness. OR&R director Scott Lundgren provided concluding remarks and participated in discussion with the interns and others from CRRC. Following their presentations, the OR&R team received several messages from students hoping to pursue careers in marine conservation and even at NOAA.

As described in this UNH Today article, this opportunity was co-sponsored by the UNH Coastal Research Response Center and the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering. This initiative is highly complementary to diversity and inclusion internship initiatives in OR&R, given the support to our research projects, exchanges regarding our mission work, and direct interaction with our scientists, such as during research on characterizing surface oil slicks.

For further information, please contact Ken.Finkelstein@noaa.gov, Demi.Fox@noaa.gov, William.Whitmore@noaa.gov, or Scott.Lundgren@noaa.gov.

Group of people posing for photo on a dock.
The eight-week program also afforded the opportunity to explore and learn more about nearby coasts and Gulf of Maine waters. The interns are pictured here with UNH and CRRC staff during a visit to the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Islands, seven miles off the New Hampshire Seacoast. Image credit: University of New Hampshire/CRRC.
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:43pm PST