Amanpreet Kohli Joins NC Sea Grant as Research and Program Coordinator
Biologist and marine scientist Amanpreet (Aman) Kohli is North Carolina Sea Grant’s first research and program coordinator.
Kohli will develop and support funding opportunities for faculty and student research and fellowships. She will also work with the North Carolina Sea Grant team to identify research priorities, engage with educational institutions across the state, participate in proposal reviews, and assist with related grant management.
“I’m excited to join North Carolina Sea Grant and advance marine science in the state,” says Kohli. “The program’s fellowships, which I’ll help coordinate, offer excellent training opportunities for its fellows.”
Kohli’s previous work includes positions as a research and outreach associate for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, where she also served as a research competition project coordinator and managed an advisory committee.
“We are extremely excited to have Aman join our team,” says John Fear, deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant. “She brings with her a wealth of experience from her time at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and has been able to hit the ground running.”
Kohli earned her Ph.D. in marine sciences with a sub-concentration in marine policy from William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (now Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences), where her research focused on disease in American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.
In her new role, Kohli will also support North Carolina Sea Grant’s advisory board, the NC Coastal Conference, and other statewide meetings.
— Marlo Chapman
Sea Grant Welcomes Hook, Line & Science Fellow
Madeline Payne is the new Hook, Line & Science Communication Fellow. In this role, she works alongside Sea Grant fisheries specialists to communicate research to anglers and others through the award-winning Hook, Line & Science series.
Payne is a Ph.D. student in the Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program at UNC Chapel Hill. Her background includes bachelor’s degrees in biological science and world languages from Southern Methodist University, as well as experience researching fisheries and fisheries habitats.
Since 2018, North Carolina Sea Grant fisheries specialists Scott Baker and Sara Mirabilio have curated weekly content for Hook, Line & Science, publishing more than 240 lay-friendly summaries of research.
“Having great communication skills is a foundation for being an effective scientist,” says Baker, “and this fellowship provides practical writing experience in spades.”
Payne will write summaries that distill research articles.
“It’s essential that scientists learn how to communicate their research to the public to improve the impact and influence of their ideas more broadly in society,” says Mirabilio.
Payne says the fellowship helps bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding. “I’m excited to contribute to making the latest fisheries research more accessible.”
— Marlo Chapman
2024 STEM Policy Fellows Begin Service
New North Carolina STEM Policy Fellows have begun their yearlong roles in high-level state government offices. “The four 2024 NC STEM Policy Fellows will serve in four of our returning host offices,” says Susan White, North Carolina Sea Grant’s executive director. “We look forward to seeing the success of these new fellows as they work to tackle key science policy issues across the state.”
North Carolina Sea Grant administers the fellowship with a generous matching grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and support from host offices.
• Anne-Elisabeth Baker holds a master’s in environmental management from Duke University and works in the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
“This fellowship will allow me to expand my understanding of state government and continue building relationships in the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and beyond,” says Baker. “I’m also deeply grateful for the built-in mentorship and networking that the fellowship provides.”
• Maylyn Hinson earned her master’s in coastal and ocean policy from UNC Wilmington and serves in the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
“I want to position myself to meaningfully contribute to the development of policies that not only address immediate challenges but also foster long-term sustainability and progress,” says Hinson. “The North Carolina STEM Policy Fellowship represents a unique opportunity for me to translate these principles into tangible outcomes.”
• Anika Pruim earned her master’s in coastal and ocean policy from UNC Wilmington and has also held internships with North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Coastal Federation. She serves in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office.
“The opportunities that I will gain through the North Carolina STEM Policy Fellowship align well with my career endeavors,” says Pruim. “I want to work at a high level in a state agency, focusing on implementing environmental policies that will promote a sustainable, clean, and beautiful North Carolina.”
• Jane Swart received her Ph.D. in biology from Duke University and works at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
“I am eager to bring everything I’ve learned as a scientist to a career in policy,” says Swart. “Working in science at a critical moment for addressing climate change, and through the pandemic, has shown me how crucial it is that science informs policy. This fellowship is a wonderful opportunity for me to make that transition.”
— Carrie Clower
StriperHub and the Shellfish Farming Academy Receive New National Funding
North Carolina Sea Grant’s StriperHub project and the Shellfish Farming Academy are receiving new support from the National Sea Grant College Program.
StriperHub, which promotes commercial domestic striped bass aquaculture, is one of 33 projects receiving funding designed to support sustainable seafood through improved efficiency, output, and profitability of commercial aquaculture businesses.
“Supporting sustainable, domestic seafood production, through aquaculture, is a key component to a thriving, blue economy across the U.S.,” says Jonathan Pennock, director of NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program. “Sea Grant will continue to work alongside communities to gather and share aquaculture-related knowledge that helps the industry and the environment.”
This project’s principal investigators are Eric Herbst, North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal aquaculture specialist; Benjamin Reading in the Department of Applied Ecology and Russell Borski in the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State University; and Gibson Gaylord, a fish nutritionist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Since StriperHub’s inception, the program has supported the growth of the striped bass aquaculture industry by demonstrating effective commercial-level culture, economics, and marketing practices. This funding will help enhance striped bass aquaculture production and economic feasibility. Specifically, the research team will evaluate the effects of reduced feeding frequency and the addition of thiamine to the fish’s diet.
“StriperHub, including our collaborators at NC State and around the country, has demonstrated the potential for and technical feasibility of commercial striped bass aquaculture production here in the U.S.,” says Herbst. “Thanks to this additional support from NOAA, we are now able to address production efficiency and cost through refinements in feed formulations and feeding strategies, with the goal of improving economic viability.”
In addition to supporting the striped bass aquaculture industry, the project will support the training of a graduate student who will contribute research, extension, and outreach efforts.
North Carolina Sea Grant also will receive additional funding from the National Sea Grant College Program to support other projects that improve aquaculture capacity, as well as expand aquaculture-related activities. Resources will go to the ongoing Shellfish Farming Academy, a continuing education course at Carteret Community College teaching all aspects of shellfish aquaculture production. Funding will also support communications and outreach for public awareness of shellfish mariculture and coastal development challenges and solutions.
— Carrie Clower
Sea Grant and APNEP Name New Joint Fellow
Cambria Miller, a biology master’s student at ECU, is the 2024 joint fellow for North Carolina Sea Grant and the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP). With ECU’s James Morley as her advisor, Miller will investigate the spread of blue catfish and its impacts in the Albemarle Sound.
“Cambria Miller’s research is poised to provide seminal knowledge on the impact of blue catfish on our native species,” says John Fear, deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant and the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute.
“I am grateful and honored to receive this funding,” says Miller. The joint fellowship supports graduate students from North Carolina-based institutions who conduct research within APNEP’s North Carolina region.
“APNEP is a strong partner in the development and implementation of North Carolina’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan,” says Tim Ellis, APNEP’s quantitative ecologist. “Blue catfish is a high-priority species under that plan because of the negative impacts it can have on ecosystem integrity.”
Blue catfish numbers are booming in the estuary, Ellis explains, “but little is known about their interactions with native species and habitats, or what role they may have in deteriorating water quality.”
— Dave Shaw
Rebecca Jones Takes Joint Role as Communication Director
Rebecca Jones is the new communication director of North Carolina Sea Grant, the NC Water Resources Research Institute, and North Carolina Space Grant.
“Rebecca brings a breadth of skills to our programs — clearly science communications, but also an expertise in coordinating across multiple programs — that will strengthen Sea Grant, Space Grant, and the Water Resources Research Institute’s integration, leading to growth in the programs’ reach across the state,” says Susan White, executive director for the three programs.
Jones joins NC Sea Grant, WRRI, and Space Grant from Montana State University, where she served as an associate professor and the writing program administrator in the Department of English. There, she helped develop the student-run nonfiction news magazine Bitterroot, which won the school’s Provost’s Teaching Innovation Award.
Jones received her B.A. in English from UNC Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition from UNC Greensboro. She also spent a summer as a reporter at Tideland News in Swansboro.
“I grew up in Morehead City roaming the marshes and wandering the Outer Banks,” says Jones. “I spent a good portion of my childhood with commercial fishermen, fly fishing guides, and oyster farmers, listening to talk about fisheries, tides, rivers, and hurricanes.”
— Carrie Clower
“Mountains to Sea” Fellows Study Climate Change, Coastal Flooding, and More
North Carolina Sea Grant, the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute, and the Urban Water Consortium have selected new “Mountains to Sea” fellows to research coastal and freshwater resources across the state.
• Chideraa Ndubuisi, a student pursuing a master’s in epidemiology and a Ph.D. in infrastructure and environmental systems at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, is researching how water-based pollutants influence health.
“What really excites me about my research is the chance to dig into the mystery of microplastics — those tiny, hidden pollutants in our water,” he says. “It feels like a treasure hunt where what I find could help us protect our environment and health.”
• Autumn Robinson, a Ph.D. student at East Carolina University’s Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biomedicine, and Chemistry, is researching the use of bacteria in wastewater treatment plants.
“What excites me about my research is that I am working to help solve real-world issues impacting environments and communities,” she says. “I strongly feel that the best way to solve tough problems is through collaboration, and I am really happy to be doing research that allows me to do that.”
• Mary-Margaret McKinney, director of coastal restoration for Native shorelines at Davey Resource Group and a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Coastal Studies program at ECU, investigates perceptions about salt marshes.
“I have always been fascinated with how people think and make decisions and what motivates those decisions,” she says. “I believe that most people are interested in keeping our coast as healthy as possible and would choose environmentally friendly landscaping options if they understand the impact of their choices.”
• Jack Baer, a graduate research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is addressing the limitations of modeling techniques used to predict flooding.
“I absolutely love modeling — it can be extremely difficult at times, but it’s always rewarding when you finally build a solid, running model,” he says. “I’m also excited that this research gives me a chance to have a positive impact on the lives of other North Carolinians.”
• Bevin Hardy, a Ph.D. student in anthropology at UNC-Chapel Hill, is investigating social resilience, social networks, and place attachment in potential responses to climate change.
“The most exciting part of my research is being able to learn from community members and immerse myself in a new culture,” she says. “I truly believe this can bring about meaningful solutions and strategies for dealing with climate change impacts.”
— Margaret Wack
Sea Grant and Space Grant Award Joint Research Fellowships
North Carolina Sea Grant and Space Grant programs are pleased to introduce the recipients of the 2024-25 joint research fellowships, Megan Geesin and Peggy Mullin. This fellowship supports interdisciplinary research addressing critical challenges in the state’s coastal and watershed environments.
Fellowship recipients utilize instruments and/or remote-sensing data resources from NASA, NOAA, or other federal, state, or commercially available datasets.
• Megan Geesin, a Ph.D. candidate from East Carolina University, will be conducting research on the effectiveness of oyster breakwaters in mitigating shoreline erosion and stimulating marsh growth in North Carolina’s Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system.
Geesin’s study promises to advance sustainable shoreline protection strategies amidst accelerating coastal erosion, providing crucial insights into their long-term viability and ecological benefits.
“As living shorelines and oyster breakwaters become a more popular shoreline stabilization method, it is important to understand the benefits and trade-offs of different substrates under different environmental conditions,” says Geesin. “These findings can help managers choose the best shoreline protection option for areas prone to accelerated erosion and habitat loss.”
Her findings will inform policymakers, coastal planners, and environmental managers on optimal approaches to shoreline stabilization that enhance resilience to climate change impacts.
• Peggy Mullin, a master’s student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will conduct research that focuses on understanding dynamics in salt marshes and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities in Currituck Sound.
Mullin plans to quantify relationships between water quality parameters and the presence and extent of SAV in Currituck Sound. Her research will utilize remote sensing tools to develop new methods for monitoring and conserving these vital habitats.
“By exploring the use of remote sensing tools, this work represents an opportunity to expand and refine ongoing water quality modeling efforts in coastal North Carolina, helping managers and residents better monitor water quality in the region,” says Mullin.
Mullin’s research will advance understanding of these critical habitats’ response to changing environmental conditions. Her work not only contributes to habitat preservation in North Carolina but also establishes methodologies transferable to other estuarine systems facing similar challenges worldwide.
In a unique collaboration, the North Carolina Space Grant and Sea Grant Programs are partnering with Louisiana to fund graduate research fellows in both states. “This ‘bigger picture’ perspective will hopefully make the results of each project more relevant across many areas,” says John Fear, deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant.
— James Werner
Sea Grant Set to Launch Mariculture Literacy Project
North Carolina Sea Grant will offer workshops on shellfish mariculture for educators, thanks to a 2024 eeBLUE Aquaculture Literacy Mini-Grant through the North American Association for Environmental Education. NAAEE and NOAA are funding the project as part of their partnership to further environmental literacy and build more resilient communities nationwide.
In collaboration with the North Carolina Coastal Federation and North Carolina Shellfish Growers Association, the project will offer workshops about mariculture, integrating current and new resources.
Jane Harrison, North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal economics specialist, will lead the project.
“I’m excited to connect Sea Grant’s learning resources, like shellfish mariculture lesson plans, to students on the coast,” says Harrison. “Aquaculture science is vital to our state’s growing oyster industry, and this project brings it into the classroom.”
Eric Herbst, North Carolina Sea Grant’s mariculture specialist, and Erika Young, the program’s marine education specialist, will also play key roles.
The team will develop two mariculture lesson plans aligned with North Carolina science standards and Career and Technical Education programs, as well as a mobile visual display, which will debut at the NC Aquarium at Roanoke Island before traveling to other aquariums and public spaces.
— Carrie Clower
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