SSU REU 2027

This project is part of a summer REU program in marine sciences in Savannah, Georgia, that emphasizes early undergraduate participation (freshmen and sophomore), to target students during a critical time in their STEM career. This REU provides a first research experience to bright young scientists who are not traditionally considered for an REU, and includes a 2-day research cruise opportunity. This opportunity to conduct high-quality oceanographic research is in an environment that is accommodating, nurturing, and educationally broad. In targeting students with no prior research experience, the REU provides them with new skills and yields small cohorts of the next generation of research oceanographers. The broad range of faculty mentor qualifications, experience, and facilities provides additional intellectual merit, thus broadening each participant’s experience. The cruise will include all the participants, PI, co-PI, graduate assistant, and additional faculty mentors whose research utilizes coastal/estuarine field sampling. The cruise provides participants with direct, collaborative experience working with the science and ship’s crew, off-shore sampling and data collection, and common oceanographic instrumentation and equipment (e.g., CTD, plankton nets). These experiences provide opportunities for interns to develop research questions but also serve as a common bonding experience for all the students conducting science together.