What did you do this summer? If you are senior Biology student Jeffrey Fang, you did quite a lot!
Jeff is from Seattle and has always cared about and had a fascination for wildlife and the environment. He recalls how he initially indicated his major as Environmental Science when applying to UP and even though now he is a graduating Biology major, his overall passion has been constant.
Jeff was proactive and looked well ahead of time for a summer internship opportunity. He did a general Internet search for research internships at some of the major organizations and institutions in marine biology near the end of January and that is what brought him to NOAA’s education website where he found the NOAA-NGI Diversity Internship on the student opportunities page.
In addition to providing basic information on the application form, he indicated his top three project placements, provided three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a copy of his academic transcript, which were submitted by mid-March. Amazingly, he was fortunate enough to have received an offer for his top choice at the end of March! That meant Jeff would be headed to Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Jeff worked at the Gulf Coast Research Lab (GCRL) with Dr. Frank J. Hernandez, Jr. as his mentor. He also worked very closely with Dr. Jesse E. Filbrun and John T. Ransom, a postdoc and Master’s student, respectively, in the lab. He was part of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) and his project looked at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill’s effects on diets, growth, and condition of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) larvae in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
He gained invaluable research experience through working on his own dedicated project for 10 weeks. “Most of my time was devoted to analyzing my 357 red snapper larvae in the lab. I imaged and made seven measurements for each larvae to assess body condition. I extracted otoliths and counted their daily rings in order to age the snapper,” he adds that “comparing length at age would provide information about the snappers’ growth, while comparing dry weight at length (Fulton’s K) would reveal more about their condition.” As for their diets, he removed guts and identified, counted, and measured any potential prey items, which were mostly plankton. In addition, he had the opportunity to participate in two, 14-hour sampling trips. At the conclusion of the internship, Jeff presented his findings during a summit at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
When asked about what he learned from this experience he shared, “For one, I became learned in oil spill, plankton, and larval red snapper dynamics. But I also grew familiar with a number of statistical tests that I am certain I will use and encounter many times from here on out. Also, this whole experience was monumental in becoming exposed to and developing the mentality and work ethic required to conduct research at the graduate level and beyond. This came from working closely with a Master’s student, a postdoc, and a principal investigator and becoming familiar with the work done and challenges faced at each level. I have also come away with strong professional references, a unique Gulf Coast network, and, if all goes according to plan, an upcoming publication to boot.”
As senior year has arrived, Jeff is planning to apply to a number of graduate programs this fall and see where that leads him. Jeff’s word of advice to those entering Biology? Get experience and build rapport. He says, “It is never too early to get experience and make connections in your field, whether through volunteering, an internship, a job, etc.” He also encourages younger Biology students to consider taking more math courses beyond the bare minimum. He admits that he would have benefited greatly going in to this internship if he had a more intimate understanding of complex statistical concepts. He adds that Wetlands Ecology is a “valuable course for a career in research because you read scholarly articles every week and gain valuable exposure to interpreting some of those more advanced statistics and figures.”
Jeff shared that this summer internship exceeded his expectations in all regards: “My research topic fit my interests perfectly, I enjoyed my work, and I loved the people I got to work with – that is all I could have asked for, but was not all that I received.” Although his specific interests may have changed over time, now, after coupling his areas of interests, Jeff is looking forward to conducting research investigating the impacts environmental and anthropogenic influences have on individual and population behavior and functioning.