Merrymeeting Bay / Kennebec Estuary Research Program (Bowdoin)

21 students - 26 summer projects - 5 honors theses

Undergraduate students participate in the collection of real data through summer fellowships and through the Honor's Program. To date the Merrymeeting Bay Research Project has had twenty-one research fellows and five honors student each conducting independent research projects in the bay. The project topics range from the habitat characteristics of Snapping Turtles to Bathometric mapping of the Bay. The data collected by the students is vital to meeting the projects objectives and is often used in publications.

Honors Projects

Luke Fairbanks and Scot McFarlane. 2008-09.
"Population Dynamics and Natural History of Smelt (Osmerus mordax) in Merrymeeting Bay"

Van Hook, Lucy. 2005-06.
"Snapping turtle population ecology and status in Merrymeeting Bay and its tributaries."
Biology honors thesis. Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship. Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

Pasakarnis, Tim. 2002-03.
"Ecological recovery of Merrymeeting Bay: soil chemistry and toxicity."
Biology honors thesis.

Proctor, Chris. 2004-05.
"Carbon and nutrient budgets in the Abagadasett River, Merrymeeting Bay."
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship. Geology honors thesis.

Souther, Chrissy. 2004-05.
"Seasonal phytoplankton dynamics and biogeochemistry in Merrymeeting Bay and the lower Kennebec River."
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship. Biology honors thesis.

Grinvalsky, Julianna. 2003-04.
"Population ecology of Eriocaulon parkerii in Merrymeeting Bay.
NSF/New England Wildflower Society Research Fellowship. Biology honors thesis.

Summer Projects

Loomis, Katherine. 2005.
The impacts of human and climatic influences on the recent sedimentary record of Merrymeeting Bay.
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.
Project Summary »

Willett, Keirnan. 2005.
"Nutrient limitation of plant and microbial communities along an estuarine salinity gradient."
Merck/AAAS Biology-Chemistry Summer Research Fellowship.

Wheeler, Mary Kate. 2005.
The distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation in Merrymeeting Bay.
Rusack Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.
Project Summary »

Ledewitz, Julia. 2005.
"GIS development with historical maps."
Gibbons Informational Technology Summer Fellowship.

Supcharoen, Ratsirin. 2004.
Dynamics of tidal and river currents at the Chops, Merrymeeting Bay.
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.
Project Summary »

Souther, Chrissy. 2003.
"Physical and chemical properties of Merrymeeting Bay and the lower Kennebec River." Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.

Kingsbury, Holly. 2004.
Hydrologic flow across the lower Kennebec, Merrymeeting Bay.
Luce Research Assistantship.
Project Summary »

Souther, Chrissy. 2003.
"Physical and chemical properties of Merrymeeting Bay and the lower Kennebec River."
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.

Tyler, Maxwell. 2005.
"Bathymetric mapping of Merrymeeting Bay."
Gibbons Informational Technology Summer Fellowship.

Ledewitz, Julia. 2005.
"GIS development with historical maps."
Gibbons Informational Technology Summer Fellowship.

Hall, Adam 2005. "DNA extraction and recovery from intertidal sediments."
Merck/AAAS Biology-Chemistry Summer Research Fellowship.

Willett, Keirnan. 2005.
"Nutrient limitation of plant and microbial communities along an estuarine salinity gradient."
Merck/AAAS Biology-Chemistry Summer Research Fellowship.

Tyler, Maxwell. 2005.
"Bathymetric mapping of Merrymeeting Bay."
Gibbons Informational Technology Summer Fellowship.

Hall, Adam 2005. "DNA extraction and recovery from intertidal sediments."
Merck/AAAS Biology-Chemistry Summer Research Fellowship.

Martens, Ben. 2004.
"GIS development for the Merrymeeting Bay research program."
Luce Research Assistantship/Rusack Outreach Fellowship.

Galloway, Ethan. 2004.
"Growth, Photosynthesis and Leaf Biochemistry in Nitrogen-Fertilized Wild Rice in Merrymeeting Bay."
Luce Research Assistantship.

Church, Freeland. 2004.
"The Merrymeeting Bay Archeological Survey."
Rusack Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.

McKenna, Owen. 2005.
"Bedload flux and bedform dynamics in Merrymeeting Bay, mid-coast Maine."
Rusack Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.

"Hydrologic flow at the mouth of the Androscoggin, Merrymeeting Bay."
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research. 2004

Van Hook, Lucy. 2004.
"Snapping turtle populations, home ranges, and nesting success in Merrymeeting Bay and its tributaries."
Rusack Summer Research Fellowship.

Detering, Meghan. 2005.
"A tale of two rivers: dynamics of the convergence of the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers at Merrymeeting Bay."
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.

Burton, Mark. 2005.
"Anadromous fish spawning habitat in the lower Androscoggin River and Merrymeeting Bay."
Doherty Coastal Studies Summer Research Fellowship.

Proctor, Chris. 2003.
"Sedimentary record of ecosystem change in Merrymeeting Bay."
Research Assistantship.

Grinvalsky, Julianna. 2002.
"Freshwater tidal plant community dynamics in Merrymeeting Bay."
Rusack Summer Research Fellowship.

Farrell, Samantha. 2003-04.
"Clearing the waters: an environmental history of changing water quality in Merrymeeting Bay."
Martha Coles Research Fellowship and Koelln Fellowship.

Kyle, Ian. 2003.
"Acoustic measurements of hydrologic flow in Merrymeeting Bay and GIS development."
Gibbons Informational Technology Summer Fellowship.