Kodiak Laboratory: Internship Program, RACE Division
2008 Hollings Scholarship student
Cassandra Stieler is an undergraduate senior from Michigan State University. She is majoring in zoology, with a concentration in marine biology, and her interests lie in fisheries biology. Cassandra was a recipient of the 2007 NOAA Hollings Scholarship. In addition to providing financial assistance, this scholarship provides students an opportunity to intern for 10 weeks in a NOAA facility anywhere in the nation. A description of the Hollings Scholarship Program, FAQs and eligibility requirements may be found at http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/Hollings_info.html.
During her time at the Kodiak Laboratory, Cassandra is working closely with NMFS researchers studying the impacts of ocean acidification on golden king crab larvae. Ocean acidification is a phenomenon caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and is expected to impact many ocean-dwelling species. Cassandra assisted in project planning and was instrumental in the design and testing of a new system to diffuse treatment gas mixtures into seawater. During Cassandra’s internship, she is conducting the laboratory work associated with the project and doing an extensive literature review on ocean acidification and its potential impacts on Alaskan crustacean species. At the end of her internship, Cassandra will present her study to NOAA scientists in Silver Spring, Maryland.
  
(Left) Cassandra displays a carboy which will be used to diffuse gas into water. She helped design and build the apparatus. (Middle) Calibrating a pH meter for use in an experiment. (Right) Reading pH of seawater, to which carbon dioxide was added, lowering the normal pH level of seawater.
Kodiak High School internship students
The internship program at the Kodiak Lab provides opportunities for high school science students to learn about Alaska’s marine resources, their life histories and habitats.
Two students from the Kodiak High School Marine Science and Technology class, Carl Fox and Sonia Sorto, continued their internships, which started in the fall 2007 semester, into the spring 2008 semester. In addition, Kalani Coyle participated in the internship during the spring semester.
The interns helped with the daily care of animals held at the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center Seawater Laboratory including cutting feed, feeding animals, cleaning tanks, monitoring water quality and general lab cleaning. The interns were exposed to a working seawater laboratory, assisted with experiments, learned about Alaskan crab species and interacted with biologists and technicians. The students now have experience maintaining animals in a laboratory environment and monitoring water quality, as well as gaining practical experience in a scientific research environment and development of professional contacts.
Interns Sonia Sorto (left) and Carl Fox (right) returned to work at the Kodiak Lab for the Spring 2008 semester.
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