Photo above: Students assist the New York Marine Rescue Center with the release of rescued seal “Ryan.” The seal is fitted with a satellite tag to track its movement.

Students, faculty, and staff from the Southampton campus community remembered Ryan Durie with two memorials: a tree planting on campus and the release of a tagged seal named Ryan. Durie, a 20-year-old junior marine vertebrate biology major, died on February 24. He was posthumously awarded his degree at the Stony Brook University Commencement Ceremony last week.

Working with the New York Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead, Ryan was released at the Tiana ocean beach. Friends and classmates Emilee DeLorenzo, Matt Lauer and Clara Gramazio created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the satellite tag for the seal, and are still looking to meet their goal of $5,000. Any additional support is greatly appreciated!

Follow Ryan’s track here: https://my.wildlifecomputers.com/data/map/?id=609e9dc631af5911ec7f2267

Photos from the event provided by Kurt Bretsch and Chris Paparo are available on Google Photos.

Students assist the New York Marine Rescue Center with the release of rescued seal “Ryan.”

Congratulations to our graduates!  The annual SoMAS Convocation occurred virtually on Friday, May 21, 2021 on the SoMAS website, Facebook and YouTube. Students gathered with their friends and family and SoMAS faculty, staff, and fellow students to celebrate the completion of their journey at Stony Brook University.

Over 250 connections watched the live stream event, where 92 undergraduate students and graduate students were recognized. This includes 7 in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 7 in Coastal Environmental Studies, 5 in Ecosystems and Human Impact, 15 in Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning, 3 in Environmental Humanities, 30 in Environmental Studies, 23 in Marine Sciences, 23 in Marine Vertebrate Biology, 13 in Sustainability Studies, 8 Master of Arts, 17 Master of Science, and 16 Doctor of Philosophy. The faculty directors of each program offered their congratulations to the students. Some were even accompanied by other members of their household, like Dr. Sharon Pochron and her chickens!

Dean Paul Shepson’s opening remarks highlighted the theme of Spring–a new dawn of a relatively new decade looking at the hopeful end of the pandemic and a new era of social justice.  Alum Jim Gilmore (MS, 1985) gave a Convocation Address giving hope about the opportunities available to our graduates. Dr. Judi Brown Clarke provided an inspiring Convocation message to our graduates.  Ms. Christina Fink read the names of our Undergraduate and MCP students, and Dr. Jackie Collier read the names of our MS and PhD students. Dean Shepson provided closing remarks that were joined by a chorus of well wishes from several faculty, staff and alumni.

The program PDF is available to download. Photos of the Class of 2021 are available on Google Photos and student slides are also available on Google Photos. Photos from the Main Campus Commencement that occurred on Wednesday May 19, 2021 taken by Kurt Bretsch are also available on Google Photos.

This event would not have been possible without the assistance from Christina Fink, Jackie Collier, Ginny Clancy, Kurt Bretsch, Nancy Black, Paul Shepson, Kamazima Lwiza, David Taylor, Chris Paparo, Tara Rider, Katherine Aubrecht, Ellen Pikitch, Brian Colle, Arlene Cassidy, Donovan Finn, Sharon Pochron, Glenn Lopez, Edmund Chang, Robert Cerrato, Robert Aller, Brad Peterson, Karine Kleinhaus, and Chris Gobler.

The Digital Convocation was compiled by Mark Lang.

In the YouTube video below, use the playlist button in the top right corner to choose different videos in the series. Jump to various parts of the SoMAS Convocation program, including Dean Shepson’s Opening Remarks, the Convocation Address from Jim Gilmore, the Convocation Address from Judi Brown Clarke, our In Memoriam tribute to Larry Swanson and Ryan Durie, the awarding of Undergraduate Certificates, the various award winners, the awarding of Graduate Certificates, Dean Shepson’s Closing Remarks, and congratulatory messages from SoMAS faculty, staff and alumni. Also included are video messages to Stony Brook students from President Maurie McInnis, her Commencement Address, Lt. Governor Kathy Hocul, and SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras’s address to all SUNY graduates. In case you missed it, the Stony Brook University Commencement ceremony and Graduate Awards Ceremony are also included, along with messages from the Stony Brook Alumni Association with a reminder that you are a Seawolf for Life!

The Bay Scallop Bowl, a regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) hosted by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University, returned IN PERSON to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the event at Stony Brook University on Saturday February 5, 2022.

The event has 12 teams from high schools across New York and Connecticut face off in a tournament-style science competition where the students “buzz in” to answer questions correctly. Usually, there are 12 teams representing 12 schools, but this year there were originally 11 difference schools, with one school having an A and B team. Due to inclement weather in Upstate New York, the Churchville-Chili team was unable to make–missing the bowl for the first time since it began. William Floyd High School had a B team ready and the gap was quickly filled the day before the event.

The teams that competed in the 2022 Bay Scallop Bowl were from William Floyd High School, Seaford High School, Half Hollow Hills High School East, Midwood High School, Southside High School, Farmingdale High School, Locust Valley High School, Lindenhurst High School, Mount Sinai High School, and Bridgeport Aquaculture.

Dr. Chris Gobler served as Master of Ceremonies for the event and welcomed special guests New York State Assemblyman Steven Englebright and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn. The group welcomed the students and thanked the many volunteers who work so hard to make the competition possible.

The morning rounds went well, but the excitement started in the afternoon in round 9. Midwood High School Team A faced off against Midwood High School Team B, with the scores running very close. With only seconds to spare, the score was Team A with 39 points and Team B with 30 points.  Tom Wilson, the moderator for the match, read the final question with time running out. Team B interrupted the question, was recognized and correctly guessed the answer, providing an opportunity to answer the bonus question. With the score now Team A (39) and Team B (34), the 6-point bonus question was read. Midwood High School Team B conferred and gave their answer, but Science Judge Bill Wise and Moderator Tom Wilson were not sure the answer provided enough information and needed to confer with “Poseidon’s Court.” After a brief deliberation (in which everyone was on the edge of their seats) it was determined that their answer lacked one key word which would have made the answer correct. Team B did not get the points, which gave Midwood High School Team A the win to go up against undefeated Mount Sinai High School.

The tight action continued in Round 10, with both teams doing well on buzzer questions, but not on the bonus questions. Midwood High School Team A defeated Mount Sinai with a score of 38 to 35, but that placed both teams with one loss each, forcing a Round 11. The excitement from the two teams was infectious, and energized the group.

Midwood Team A started on a tear early into the round, leading Mount Sinai 42 to 4, and the Team Challenge Questions extended that lead to 65 to 28. A short break helped the Might Mustangs from Mount Sinai attempt a comeback, and they scored 44 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to earn the win. Midwood High School Team A won with the final score of Midwood High School 77, Mount Sinai High School 72.

Congratulations to all of the teams that participated this year!

As we say every year, even if you feel your part was small, it truly takes a village to pull this together and every volunteer was a necessary piece of this fun filled day! Special thanks go to the organizers of the event, without whom we would not be able to host: Kim Knoll, Kaitlin Willig-Giglio, Kurt Bretsch, Tom Wilson, Mark Lang, and Ping Liu. MANY THANKS to Joseph Dlhopsky, the official photographer for the Bay Scallop Bowl who has captured each BSB from the opening to the closing ceremonies!

Photos of the event by Joseph Dlhopolsky are available on Google Photos.

Download the Bay Scallop Bowl 2022 Program

Photo above: Dean Paul Shepson Congratulates the SoMAS Class of 2023

Congratulations to our graduates!  The annual SoMAS Convocation event was held on Friday, May 19, 2023 at the Bauman Center for Leadership and Service. Students gathered with their friends and family and SoMAS faculty and staff to celebrate the completion of their journey at Stony Brook University.

Dean Paul Shepson provided opening remarks after the processional and Mr. Geoffrey Bansen (BS, ’10) gave a keynote address. Mr. Bansen is a SoMAS alum and one of the founding members of the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band.

Stony Brook University celebrated the 63rd Annual Commencement earlier that day, with 4,895 bachelor’s degrees conferred — among the 7,830 degrees presented overall. There were also 2,115 master’s degrees, 580 doctoral and professional degrees and 240 certificates conferred at the ceremony. Graduates represented 46 states and 71 countries and ranged in age from 19 to 76. Several graduates were highlighted for their distinguished academic careers, including Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning graduate Patrick Abel. Patrick is a student-athlete who broke a 30-year-old record in the 100-meter dash and also acted when he saw his peers were struggling with their mental health by co-leading a Black & Latino Men’s Health & Wellness Program, offering them needed resources and a space of support.

SoMAS Convocation Program 2023 (PDF)

Awarding of Undergraduate Certificates

B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle

• Jason Barr, Amanda Cresanti, Lillian Huynh, Iryna Ivanyuk, Josef Moses

B.A. in Environmental Studies Presented by Dr. Darcy Lonsdale

• Jacob Addeo, Anthony Badalamenti, Emma Bartik, Lawrence Bastianelli, Julian Billan, Scott Bloechle, Nicolas Burzo, Lauren Cappello, Kamryn Cardali, Jade Carmichael, Alex Casamassima, Kaitlyn Cox, Clare Dana, Lawrence Gaines, Bryan Galvez, Sarah Golden, Brianna Gomerez, Jessica Graham, Riley Haas, Erin Hwong, Bodin Kim-Dailey, Sophia Locascio, Ashley Lopez, Daniel Maguire, Tyler Mansfield, Abighail McKinney, Gabrielle Negron, Amanda Nuzzo, Nicki Paraskevi Michailides, Caleb Pearson, Maria Seliquini, Cassidy Stephen, Alexa Valentine, Cameron Virgil, Morgan Whitman, Madelyn Wicker, Qilian Yu

B.S. in Marine Sciences Presented by Dr. Darcy Lonsdale

• Elisabeth Bata, Abigayle Belknap, Cyd Bloomfield, Audrey Calhoun, Emma Campbell, Kyler Cavalcante Bezerra, Clare Dana, Juliana Dovi, Molly Fowler, Ashley Goland, Jake Guyer, Samuel Katz, Lakshta Kundal, Jonathan Lubiantoro, Clayton McGoldrick, Sarah Praisner, James Quiroz, McKenna Santilli, Amira Scantlebury-Chance, Lauren Taveira, Kellianne Ticcony, Hunter Timpson, Alexandra Uszynski

B.S. in Marine Vertebrate Biology Presented by Dr. Darcy Lonsdale

• Shivani Annumala, Ariel Arnette, Ashley Beggs, Jonathan Chen, Michelle Efthimiou, Madison Enda, Samantha Fong, Jackie Graham, Desbe Greenstein, Amelia Grillo, Tabitha Halupa, Erin Hwong, Lucas Iudica, Janiece Jones, Elijah Jordan, Ana Kreidler-Siwinski, Cass Lamb, Mary Lares, Jonathan Lim, Matthew Mazzella, Connor McCooey, Brooke Osekoski, Amanda Paolella, Amber Ringle, Alexander Travagliato, Samdup Ukyab, Matthew Widmer, Christina Woodard

B.S. in Coastal Environmental Studies Presented by Dr. Katherine Aubrecht

• Zoe Borghardt, Yanze Liu, Jonathan Lubiantoro, Zuzu Naing, Tajrian Sarwar, Kelly Steele

B.A. in Ecosystems and Human Impact Presented by Dr. Katherine Aubrecht

• Kimberly Dallas, Shannon Haller, Thomas Kelly, Brooke Liebell

B.A. in Environmental Design, Policy and Planning Presented by Dr. Katherine Aubrecht

• Patrick Abel, Zhenyun Bai, Henry Chang, Joannan Chen, Emilyn Dimaio, Kathania Fredes, Justin Holman, Marc Jordan, Marlyn Mejia Juan, Ania Pracel, Liam Ronan, Huining Tang, Bryan Villatoro, Erin Witt, Tina Zheng

B.A. in Environmental Humanities Presented by Dr. Katherine Aubrecht

• Cassandra Larosa

B.A. in Sustainability Studies Presented by Dr. Katherine Aubrecht

• Alex Casamassima, Garrett Davis, Matthew Esposito, Francesca Greco, Gavin Krois, Nadia Kuban, Hong La, Evan May, Bryan Miata, Maxwell Montague, Yuanchun Ren, Chiara Scharpf, Kellianne Ticcony, Justin Weissman

• Rachel Carlowicz
  Evaluating seasonal abundance, lipid storage, and energy density of Calanus finmarchicus and other copepod prey fields in the New York Bight 
  Dr. Joseph D. Warren, Advisor
• Walter Dawydiak
  Transcriptional Response of Aureococcus anophagefferens to the Protozoan Grazer, Oxyrrhis marina
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor
• Darren De Silva
  Effects of the harmful alga Cochlodinium (aka Margalefidinium) polykrikoides on clearance rate of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor
• Flynn DeLany
  Positive Community Interactions of Artificial Eastern Oyster Reefs (Crassostrea virginica) on Cotransplanted Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Growth and Survival
  Dr. Bradley J. Peterson, Advisor
• Allegra Ervin
  Bayesian Stochastic Stock Reduction Analysis as a Data-Limited Approach to Assess Historic Populations of Exploited Fisheries
  Dr. Michael G. Frisk, Advisor
• Madeleine Foley
  Assessing Drivers of Route Fidelity in Two Closely Related Gull Species
  Dr. Lesley Thorne, Advisor
• Christopher Fragano
  Validation of Atmospheric Model Analyses for Offshore Wind Energy Assessment Using Two Floating LIDARS South of Long Island
  Dr. Brian A. Colle, Advisor
• Theresa Hong
  Physiological Response to Thermal and Hydric Stress in the Fiddler Crab Leptuca pugilator Along a Latitudinal Transect
  Dr. Jeffrey S. Levinton, Advisor
• Geresa-Leigh Luke
  Thermal Tolerance Variation in Young-of-the-Year Winter Flounder Across the Southern New England Region
  Drs. Michael G. Frisk & Anne McElroy, Co-Advisors
• Jessica MacGregor
  Stressed-out scallops: analyzing drivers of physiological stress and mortality of the northern bay scallop (Argopecten irradians irradians) in the Peconic Estuary, NY
  Dr. Bradley J. Peterson, Advisor
• Bradley McGuire
  The ability of North Atlantic bivalves to filter feed and accumulate toxins from the harmful algae, Dinophysis acuminata
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor
• Naomi Miller
  The Link Between Extreme Storms and Climate Action: A Study of Coastal New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut
  Drs. Donovan Finn & Kevin Reed, Co-Advisors
• Kevin Shaffer
  Evaluating Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Bioaccumulation in a Long Island (NY) Coastal Lagoon
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor
• Celia Werner
  Radar Proxy Updraft Properties in QLCSs During PERiLS – 2022 
  Dr. Michael French, Advisor

Doctor of Philosophy in Marine & Atmospheric Sciences

• Hannah Blair
  Variability, abundance, and composition of acoustic and net tow measurements of epi- and mesopelagic fish and zooplankton across the southeastern US outer continental shelf and slope
  Dr. Joseph Warren, Advisor
• Erica Bower
  Analyzing Global Extreme Precipitation throughout the Entire Tropical Cyclone Life Cycle in Observations, Predictions, and Projections
  Dr. Kevin Reed, Advisor
• Raymond Czaja
  Climate change impacts on pre- and post-settlement processes: insights on the declining Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima solidissima, fishery
  Dr. Bassem Allam, Advisor
• Wengui Liang
  Regional Mechanisms of Future Hydroclimate Changes in a Warmer Climate
  Dr. Minghua Zhang, Advisor
• Brandyn Lucca
  Improving acoustic target classification and density estimates of epi- and mesopelagic organisms
  Dr. Joseph D. Warren, Advisor
• Caroline Schwaner
  Costs and mechanisms of resilience to ocean acidification in marine bivalves
  Dr. Bassem Allam, Advisor
• Teresa Schwemmer
  Early life physiological and energetic responses of Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) to ocean acidification, warming, and hypoxia
  Dr. Bassem Allam, Advisor
• Han Sun
  Connectivity Within a Large Partially Mixed Estuary
  Dr. Robert E. Wilson, Advisor
• Darci Swenson Perger
  Iron and phosphorus cycling and benthic fluxes in sandy bioirrigated sediments
  Dr. Laura Wehrmann, Advisor

SoMAS recently received a donation of a 1976 documentary film by Anne Belle, “Baymen: Our Waters Are Dying.” The 16mm film gift comes from Donna Burrell and her family. Donna’s grandfather, Edwin S. Furman, president of the Southampton Town Baymen’s Association at the time, and her father Edwin Furman, were one of the featured water-working families in the film. The film was in the care of Donna Burrell’s aunt in Canada and the family wanted to see their copy passed along to a local historical outlet for preservation.

The film was featured in a 1983 New York Times article “Film Maker Blends Bay and Ballet” and in a 2018 Dan’s Papers article “Showcasing Old Film’s Modern Message“.

Reporter Ann Benedict noted that “the film placed second at the Chicago International Film Festival in the category of “Documentaries on the Environment and Conservation” and Anne received a silver plaque for this distinction.” Copies of the film were available through public library systems in New York City and on Long Island. The film was “received with great enthusiasm by artistic and environmental groups alike”.

A memorial to Harry W. Reeves and Deceased Members of the Southampton Town Baymen’s Association, Inc. is located near the windmill at the Southampton Campus of Stony Brook University. This list includes:

• Pierre H. L. Cann
• Edward Laghcik
• William A. Dull
• William Stubelek
• Howard W. Page
• Martin Camarata
• Joseph D. Tuttle
• Cornelius Poillon
• Donald Ryan
• George F. Jablonski
• William Burczak
• Jacob Antilety
• Stanley Cheslik
• Julius Zykowski
• Edward G. Giery
• Austin Squires Van Scoy
• Anthony P. Ryder
• Stanley J. Doroski
• Robert Corwith White
• Fred H. Smith
• Stanley Witkowski, Sr.
• Frank A. Zarro
• Elmer A. Carter, Sr.
• Donald R. Penny
• James E. Slowey
• Walter W. Lane
• Wdwin S. Furman
• Eugene F. Vonatzski

The Wednesday March 6, 2024 Southampton Seminar Series featured a screening of the film along with a panel discussion featuring SoMAS Faculty, former Southampton students, Baymen, and Southampton Trustees. Chris Gobler introduced the film, then Irene Tully, a friend of Anne Belle spoke. The panel included Will Caldwell and Mike DePerte (baymen), and Scott Horowitz and Ed Warner Jr., Southampton Town Trustees. The complete event recording is available on the SoMAS YouTube Channel.

The digitized version of the film is available on YouTube:

Photo above: Dean Paul Shepson Congratulates the SoMAS Class of 2024

Congratulations to our graduates!  The annual SoMAS Convocation event was held on Friday, May 17, 2024 at the Bauman Center for Leadership and Service. Students gathered with their friends and family and SoMAS faculty and staff to celebrate the completion of their journey at Stony Brook University.

Dean Paul Shepson provided opening remarks after the processional and Ms. Laura Klahre (MS, ’97) gave the keynote address.

Stony Brook University celebrated the 64th Annual Commencement earlier that day, with 4,905 bachelor’s degrees conferred — among the 7,785 degrees presented overall. There were also 2,075 master’s degrees, 580 doctoral and professional degrees and 225 certificates conferred at the ceremony. Graduates represented 45 states and 65 countries and ranged in age from 19 to 77.

SoMAS 2024 Convocation Program (PDF)
Convocation Keynote Address (PDF)

Awarding of Undergraduate Certificates

B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle

• Taylor Fitzgerald, Indigo Fox, Kevin Gamboa, Skyler Harman, Samantha Lankowicz, Kosta Sakellaridis, John Tafe, Chelsea Truong, Vincent Vozzolo, Sierra Whiteman

B.A. in Environmental Studies Presented by Dr. Gordon Taylor

• Morgan Bittmann, Nicolas Burzo, Jake Butkevich, Andy Carbajal, Jade Carmichael, Kaitlyn Casper, Carmela Cassara, Maruf Dawan, Matthew Dean, Maxwell Eisenberg, Thomas Giovanniello, Rebecca Greenwald, Merines Hernandez Rosario, Miracle Johnson, Dylan Jung, Xavier Kabemba, Daniel Kao, Arthur Kuntarakornkiti, Allison Ledermann, Sunwoo Lee, Willow Mercer, Scout Miller, Katherine Molloy, Brandon Mooney, Jack Obiol, Kevin Pipicelli, Patrycya Prusaczyk, Elizabeth Raczkowski, Jacinto Rojas III, Lauren Russell, Sydney Sherbitsky, Daniel Spanbauer, Samara Steinbock, Naila Strong, Tania Valenzuela Lozano, Olivia Vargas, Kunyue Zhang, Kevin Zheng

B.S. in Marine Sciences Presented by Dr. Gordon Taylor

• Boaz Abramson, Taylor Alleluia, Strayer Bartoshesky, Seamus Callaghan, Ariana Colon, Alesi Cook, Anna Crouse, Joel Cuenca-Levanon, Tristan Ene, Nathaniel Felicetti, Tiana Ferrer, Erin Fix, Justin Flores, Jonah Florholmen-Bouman, Cassidy Guianen, Jake Guyer, Milan Hauer, Kevin Heitmuller, Sydney Hennessy, Ella Kaneshiro, Faith Keller, Adrianna Mannino, Alayna Radner, Michaela Reitzel, Paul West, Beatrice Wicker, Sarah Wittenburg, Jun Peng Wu, Molly Yang, Katy Zurbaran

B.S. in Marine Vertebrate Biology Presented by Dr. Gordon Taylor

• Abbie Austin, Grayson Avesato, Chase Carey, Aracely Chavez, Matthew DeMilt, Tracy Feng, Mae Galliher, Charleigh Kilgallon, Kaitlyn Kopetic, Cass Lamb, Sang Youb Lee, Steven Leyva, Liam Macintosh, Vandana Menser, Ayla Naghsh, Amy Oblitas Rojas, Carolina Padilla, Analisa Pizzola, Mallory Reading, Amber Ringle, Angelina Sapienza, Cayla Schaeffer, Jade Wu, Selena Yapp, Jasmina Yeung

B.S. in Coastal Environmental Studies Presented by Dr. Donovan Finn

• Anthony Calabrese, Leslie Mejia, Riley Smith, Laila Swingle

B.A. in Ecosystems and Human Impact Presented by Dr. Donovan Finn

• Shawna Bonilavri, Juliette Gomez Rojas, Alexa Lightbourn, Fiona McLoughlin, Jaden Xu

B.A. in Environmental Design, Policy and Planning Presented by Dr. Donovan Finn

• Madelene Julia Asuncion, Zhenyu Bai, Bowen Cheng, Jaden Davis, Donowa Dopwell, Anthoni Haynes, Weronika Kosciolek, Francis Andre Loquellano, Emma McCarthy, Marlyn Mejia Juan, Valiana Melissourgos, Quinlan Montgomery, Adrian Ponichtera, Phillip Ren, Joseph Rispoli, Danielle Stone, Alyssa Swett, Helena Tang, Mahmoud Telab, Heather Wickham

B.A. in Environmental Humanities Presented by Dr. Donovan Finn

• Sylvia Bird, Julia Davies, Marlon Duran, Suzette Hernandez

B.A. in Sustainability Studies Presented by Dr. Donovan Finn

• Julianna Bernard, Mia’ Bonventre, Garrett Davis, Reese German, Marina Lee, Sean Mello, Noah Perez, Christina Reed, Alyssa Swett, Ankitha Varanasi, Elizabeth Vool, Blair Wittneben, Aneesa Zaman,

Awards 

Undergraduate Research Honors presented by Dr. Paul Shepson, Dean

• Sylvia Bird – Environmental Justice in Place: How Urban and Rural Needs Differ in the Upper Midwest – Dr. David Taylor, Advisor
• Shawna Bonilavri – The Effect of Polyvinyl Alcohol exposure on Azolla growth – Dr. Sharon Pochron, Advisor
• Merines Hernandez Rosario – The Impact of Short-term Exposure to PVA on Planaria Regeneration in Pond Water – Dr. Sharon Pochron, Advisor
• Alexa Lightbourn – Bird Species Decline in Response to Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change, and Human Pressures: Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar 2005 vs 2022 – Dr. Patricia Wright, Advisor
• Leslie Mejia – The Use of Black Carbon as an Indicator of Wildfire Impact on Coastal Waters – Dr. Luis Medina, Advisor
• Noah Perez – The Effect of Polyvinyl Alcohol Contamination on Planaria Survivorship, Growth and Regeneration – Dr. Sharon Pochron, Advisor
• Kunyue Zhang – The Impact of BPA on Earthworm Health – Dr. Sharon Pochron, Advisor

SoMAS Dean’s Scholarship Awards for Academic Excellence Presented by Dean Paul Shepson

• Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences: Indigo Fox
• Coastal Environmental Studies: Leslie Mejia
• Ecosystems and Human Impact: Alexa Lightboum
• Environmental Studies: Sydney Sherbitsky
• Marine Sciences: Jun Peng Wu
• Marine Vertebrate Biology: Mallory Reading
• Sustainability Studies: Christina Reed

Timothy Magnussen Memorial Scholarship Award Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle

• Alexander Laporte (Junior), Isabella Gagliano (Senior)

Petra M. Udelhofen Memorial Scholarship Award Presented by Dr. Brian A. Colle

• Sophia Caprara

Nuria Protopopescu Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching Presented by Mr. Thomas Wilson

• Darci Swenson Perger

Provost’s Award  for Academic Excellence

• Sydney Sherbitsky

Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

• Christina Reed

Award of Graduate Certificates

Master of Arts in Marine Conservation and Policy Certificates Presented by Dr. David Taylor

• Serena Bandlow, Juliana Dovi, Jessica Esposito, Thaliyah Fraser, Silvia Gao, Thomas Gaylor, Isabella Imbo, Royce Kang, William Laffey, Claire Liebowitz, Jonathan Lim, Isaac Nikolic, Ana Penavic, Bryanna Porter-Pompey, Jessica Salmon, Yurika Tomita, Daniella Toto, Emilie Wigchers

Master of Science and Doctoral Certificates in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Presented by Dr. Jackie Collier
Master of Science in Marine & Atmospheric Sciences

• Jeffrey Kraemer
  Effects of Hypoxia and Acidification on Early-stage Bivalves Under Natural and Artificial Cycling Conditions
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor
• Melissa Leone
  Using Passive Acoustics to Quantify Fish Spawning, Marine Mammal Presence, Sources of Anthropogenic Noise, and Changes in Behavior of an Endangered Shorebird
  Dr. Joseph Warren, Advisor
• Rebecca Rogers
  The Role of Nutrients, Prey, and Temperature in Controlling Harmful Algal Blooms Formed by Dinophysis acuminata
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor

Master of Science in Marine Atmospheric, & Sustainability Sciences

• Kirsten Hutz
  Assessing Human Impacts on Historically Monitored Zostera Marina Habitat and Future Restoration Sites in the Peconic Estuary
  Dr. Sungheel Jang, Advisor
• Kate Colucci
  The Contribution of Nitrate to CDOM Absorption Coefficients in Oceanic Waters
  Dr. Steven Beaupré, Advisor
• Mackenzie Laney
  Bioaccumulation Of Per/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Benthic Marine Polychaetes: Impact of Species and Sediment Origin
  Drs. Kevin A. Reed & Christopher J. Gobler, Co-Advisors
• Miles Litzmann
  The Observed Relationship Between Radar Proxies of Midlevel Updrafts and Low-level Mesocyclones, and Their Connection to Tornado Formation & Intensity in Supercells
  Dr. Michael French, Advisor
• Ian Maywar
  An Interspecies Comparison of Albatross Flight Behavior Relative to Wind Variability
  Dr. Lesley Thorne, Advisor
• Josef Moses
  Flood Risk Perceptions and Protective Actions: Investigating the Impacts of Immersive Visualization and Group Interactions on Vulnerable Populations
  Dr. Brian Colle, Advisor
• Jason Mueller
  Mapping the Seabed Sediment of Oyster Bay Harbor, NY to Analyze the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Shellfish Dredging
  Dr. Roger Flood, Advisor
• Sivanna Trainer
  Understanding the Effects of Temperature Stress and Disease on Bay Scallop Argopecten irradians Health and Physiology
  Drs. Bassem Allam & Emmanuelle Pales Espinosa, Co-Advisors
• Justice Woke
  Assessing the Performance of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Coupled with Ion Exchange Resin for Per-/polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Removal in Water by Rapid Small-Scale Column Test (RSSCT)
  Dr. Arjun K. Venkatesan , Advisor
• Lucas Wong
  Differences In Species Richness Between Floating and Benthic Oyster Aquaculture Cages
  Dr. Bradley Peterson, Advisor

Doctor of Philosophy in Marine & Atmospheric Sciences

• Christopher Brianik
  Evaluation of Triploid Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) for Northeastern Waters: Growth, Immunity, Disease and Survival
  Dr. Bassem Allam, Advisor
• Cong Cao
  Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds from Urban and Suburban Regions in New York State
  Dr. John E. Mak, Advisor
• Stephen Heck
  Cascading Effects of Black Sea Bass, Centropristis striata, on Bivalves and Interactions with Seagrass Habitat Complexity and Predator Identity
  Dr. Bradley J. Peterson, Advisor
• Megan Ladds
  The Role of Zooplankton Grazing in Altering Plankton Community Diversity During Harmful Algal Blooms
  Dr. Christopher Gobler, Advisor
• Kimberly Lato
  Effects of Urbanization on the Ecology of Gulls
  Dr. Lesley Thorne, Advisor
• Darci Swenson Perger
  Benthic Iron Fluxes and Cycling in Sandy Bioirrigated Sediments
  Dr. Laura Wehrmann, Advisor
• Laine Sylvers
  Ability of Macroalgae to Combat Harmful Algal Blooms and Other Anthropogenic Threats to Coastal Ecosystems
  Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Advisor
• Kristofer Tuftedal
  Climatologies of Convection Across the United States
  Dr. Michael French, Advisor
• Nathaniel Willse
  Filling Critical Data Gaps in Crustacean Fisheries With A Mixed Approach, Using Stakeholder Engaged Research, Regional Expert Testimony, and Historic Data To Resolve Data Deficiencies
  Dr. Yong Chen, Advisor
• Darci Swenson Perger
  Iron and phosphorus cycling and benthic fluxes in sandy bioirrigated sediments
  Dr. Laura Wehrmann, Advisor

Many thanks to Ginny Clancy for organizing this event! This event could not have happened without the support of the numerous volunteers, including Christina Fink, Steve Ortega, Nancy Black, Kim Knoll, Erica Shannon, Kaitlin Giglio, Diane Vigliotta, Lucas Merlo, Tom Wilson, and Mark Lang.

Photos from the event taken by Kurt Bretsch are available on Google Photos.  Video from the livestream edited by Mark Lang is available on YouTube. The student slideshow created by Lucas Merlo and Tom Wilson is available on YouTube.

On October 2nd, Stony Brook University students celebrated the 50th ANNIVERSARY of the ASHLEY SCHIFF NATURE PRESERVE by gathering together to appreciate the nature preserve on campus and to honor the memory of Prof. Ashley Schiff (1932–69), whose sudden death on Oct. 1, 1969 inspired the campus to establish the Nature Preserve.

This student-centered arts procession started at the Staller Center for the Arts, and proceeded up the ramp between Staller and the Administration building, down the Academic Mall to the SAC, turning due South through the Engineering Quad to the bike path running along Circle Drive. Upon arrival at the Schiff Park Preserve the group discussed the woods and the future path to gaining a more protected status for the preserve. The procession concluded with tree-planting ceremony.

Undergraduate students from various academic departments conceptualized, designed and created artworks, many being wearable works, to address a specific environmental concern. Some students used natural materials gathered at the preserve itself. The main themes of the artwork range between the artist’s optimism about acknowledging Nature’s vital role to human and other species to their pessimism about our collective role in polluting and endangering shared ecosystems. Many of the materials used in the projects are recycled, found, or recovered products.

Once at the Schiff Park Preserve, participants were encouraged to identify the wide-range of native species, some of which have been largely destroyed elsewhere on Long Island, through the use of the free mobile app iNaturalist.

Many thanks to those who helped organize the event, including Assistant Professor David Mather and Professor Nobi Nagasawa from the Art Department, Lecturer Sharon Pochron from SoMAS and Undergraduate Student organizer Eve Metzger.

More information on Dr. Schiff and his legacy is available at the Friends of Ashley Schiff website.

Photos from the event are available on Google Photos.