The Interview:

Karen: How did you get started in doing research at Stony Brook?
Jenna: Before I came to Stony Brook, I did a tour of the Southampton Labs for the School of Marine Atmospheric Sciences. Out there, there are 3 big labs that do research. There's the Gobler Lab, the Warren Lab, and the Peterson Lab. When I was doing a tour, one of the lecturers mentioned the Peterson Lab, which had started to do shark research and ecology studies around Long Island. So when I first came to SBU as a freshman, I sent an email to Dr. Peterson because I noticed there was an aquaculture project that he was working on that I was really interested in. After I reached out to him, we were able to set up a Zoom meeting and talk about it. He told me about DataCamp, an R coding intro course that he wanted me to take to get some background. And then starting in January of 2024, I began working with Lucas Wong, a master’s student whose research I assisted with for about a year. I’ve been able to expand on that work and now am doing my own independent study.

Tell me about the project.
We are investigating the impacts of aquaculture oyster cages in the Peconic Estuary. We deployed time-lapse cameras that we used to record pictures. When I started, Lucas did the diving/camera set up. And I was the one to go through the footage, analyze everything, identify timing, what fish species were there, how many fish were there, what were they doing, and important features in the water around the cages that needed to be noticed for the study. When Lucas defended his master's thesis in January of 25, one of the lecturers asked him if he was interested in continuing the project with either improved camera methods, more diving, more frequent deployments, etc. And at that moment, the lecturer looked at me and said, “This could be something you could expand on for your undergrad thesis. “

So that project has become the basis for my current work —  and for my eventual WISE senior thesis. I was able to collect additional data from examining the oyster cages. My goal was to build on that 2-year data set so we could have a better trend of where these fish are going and eventually relay this information to oyster fishermen. And now, I’m planning on doing the diving and the camera set up for next field season!

This research will help us understand if cages have negative impacts on fish species, and how we can contribute to a solution that both saves the fish and keeps aquaculture farms functioning safely. By participating in this project, I hope to contribute to sustainable solutions to ensure the prosperity and protection of fish populations while maintaining and improving aquaculture farms.

What were some of the most difficult skills you needed to learn to be able to work on this project?
I came in with basically no research background, or stats program knowledge. But I was able to work with Dr. Peterson on using Datacamp to learn coding skills. That part was initially challenging for me, because I hadn't taken a stats course yet, and Lucas helped me navigate the process and guided me through the things I needed to learn. It not only taught me how to do stats, but it helped me learn how to communicate where I needed help, and to be able to state:
“This is what I already have so far, this is what I need help with.” I think the whole experience helped me communicate in a more mature way.

What's been the most surprising thing that you've learned from doing research?
It wasn't the fish-related data that surprised me. It was the actual process of research itself within marine sciences that was eye opening. So, fish are going to do what fish are going to do. …But the one thing that really surprised me was just how much teamwork it really takes to do research. Because it's not only Dr. Peterson that I'm going to for help and support when I need it. I'm also going to other grad students within my lab. And other grad students within SoMAS. And, we all help each other out in any way we can.

For example, I ended up doing lots of collaboration with the Volkenborn lab because one of the grad students in that group was doing a similar study on the oysters themselves, and they were using the same cages that I had my cameras on. So we coordinated with them--on when we would install the equipment, who would be the one reaching out to the farmers, where on the cages would we be installing our equipment, etc.

The research I started with in the Peterson Lab also led to a collaboration with the Warren Acoustic laboratory, where I got to use my knowledge of working with cameras and helped contribute to a study on Atlantic Menhaden, for which the graduate student Dean Hernandez was using drones to conduct aerial surveys. I enjoyed being able to help out on that project. And a lot of what he taught me for his project in turn helped me out with mine. For example, using this cool program called FFMPEG turned out to be useful.

So there’s a lot of crossover, and the work that goes into any one project involves collaborative work both within the lab and with other labs. Within this environment, working with others taught me how to communicate and be able to advocate for myself while at the same time being put in the position to assist others and help them whenever they need my assistance.

Sounds like a great community!

Yes, and Dr. Peterson has also been so supportive of me and my project. He really believed in me, and trusted me to take on this thesis project even though it seemed daunting at first. He took the time to sit down and hear my ideas of what I wanted to do and help me figure out how to go about it. So I feel lucky to have such good support. He also gave me a lot of advice about diving.

Do you see a lot of connection with your research experiences and your classes?
There is a class I took with WISE, called WSE 380, where we focus on a bunch of research skills. You get to work with different graduate students on projects related to your field. And we did an ecology project where we used R to create a spatial distribution of animals that the grad student was studying. That class helped me to figure out what methods I wanted to use for my thesis. And WISE has overall been really great – because being in the program motivated me to get involved in research early on.

What are your plans for after graduation?
My ultimate goal is to get my PhD. I want to become a professor and run a research lab. Right now, my goal is to take what I've used from studying oyster ecology, and use that towards elasmobranch studies. I would love to study the sharks around Long Island and be able to advocate for them and to further protect them in the future, because they're so important.
This past summer, Dr. Peterson took a few of us out with SOFO to tag a couple of sand sharks, and we almost tagged what's called a Young of the Year, which is a shark that's less than a year old. It was so cool.

Have you had opportunities to present your work?
The first time I presented was last spring at Earthstock’s research showcase, and I was very nervous. I had never created a poster before, and I wanted to make sure that I could do a good job of communicating what we were working on. Shortly after that, I presented a poster at the URECA symposium.

Being able to make connections and see other presenters really helped me gain my confidence with presenting. And I found that I really enjoy presenting. So I look forward to doing more!

What advice would you give to other students about research?
I was a mentor for the WISE program, and I currently have two interns helping me with my data. I tell them that if there's an opportunity you want to do, just apply. It’s important to just reach out; if you don't reach out or apply, that's an automatic no. I didn't think I would be able to get into research as a freshman, and yet… here I am. I was able to get started doing something I really enjoy. So I tell others just to have some confidence and tell yourself that you're here for a reason. Just take a deep breath. Go with the flow.

As much as rejection can be harsh in the moment, it is able to show you where you can grow. Not every application will be successful – but maybe you can learn from that on how to improve and try something else to make it stronger. You need to be willing to try something else and to keep looking for other opportunities.

When you came to Stony Brook, did you know that you wanted to be a marine biology major?
Absolutely! I've wanted to do marine biology since I was 5, and it hasn't changed. My grandfather, my mother's father, was a scuba diver and he did underwater photography, and took me to SeaWorld when I was a child. And it had a big influence on what I want to do for the rest of my life. I always carry him with me…
Plus I grew up on Long Island. I grew up around the ocean. I have been fishing since I was small, and I've always wanted to learn more about the ocean. With this project on oyster
aquaculture farms, I’m learning a lot. It's been really fun, being able to interact with the fishing community and be able to make an impact in some way. And there is still so much more to learn … I know I want to discover something new about a shark.