Marine Biology Major Secures Internship at Well-Known Research Facility

June 18, 2018

By Vanessa Strohm ’19, Marine Biology and Environmental Science
Mote Marine Laboratory (Sarasota, Fla.)

I applied for six different internships for this summer. The Mote Marine Laboratory was the first acceptance email that I received, and it was definitely the one I was most excited about. Mote is a nonprofit, well-known research facility in Sarasota, Florida.

I chose this internship because it provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with knowledgeable scientists that are experts in their field. After working there for two weeks, I have already seen the amazing amount of ground-breaking research being done at Mote. There is a plethora of different labs that are working on projects to hopefully provide answers and solutions to how humans are affecting the environment.

I work in the Ecotoxicology Lab, where I monitor red tides through extracting red tide toxins (called brevetoxins) from water samples and shellfish tissue samples. Since this is my first time working in a research lab, I am hoping this experience will give me a better idea of the life of a research scientist, and if this aspect of marine biology is right for me.

Just in the last two weeks, I have learned so much. I was very overwhelmed the first week because I was learning scientific techniques and procedures that I had never performed before. Vanessa Strohm ’19

Luckily, there are two other interns in my lab, so I am able to communicate with them and ask questions whenever I’m unsure about something.

The two main procedures that I perform on a daily basis are water extractions and clam tissue extractions. I am learning that it takes a great deal of time to actually prepare the sample before it generates data for analysis. Since the tissue extraction process is so long (23 steps), we don’t always get the chance to collect the sample and prepare it for analysis in the same day.

Another important aspect of life in the lab is being able to multitask. There are multiple projects and experiments being done at one time, and it is important to delegate the appropriate amount of time to each project in order to get them done in a timely fashion.

Mote also receives funding from the county of Sarasota to analyze water samples that are then released to the public for red tide monitoring programs. Having the chance to actually prepare and analyze data that is being distributed to the public is a very rewarding feeling.

The Bergami Summer Internship Program is funded through the generosity of Board of Governors member – and former Board Chair – Sam Bergami ’85 EMBA and his wife, Lois, and the Division of Student Affairs. The students are blogging about the experience throughout the summer.