A rising junior at Roger Williams University, Gabrielle Baillargeon was one of eight students from across the United States to win a research fellowship known as the Ocean Global Change Biology Research Experience for undergraduates at the University of California Santa Barbara. A marine biology major, Baillargeon has focused her research on creating guidelines for hobbyists who collect fish on how to make sustainable aquarium purchases.
PBN: What first interested you about marine biology?
BAILLARGEON: Growing up in the Arizona desert, I was introduced to the marine world through the television screen – during an episode of “Shark Week.” I was immediately mesmerized by the vibrant colors of the coral reef, the sleek bodies of sharks and the playful eyes of seals. From that point on, my passion for studying sharks was ignited, and my lifelong drive for pursing marine biology was instilled within me.
As I delved deeper into the marine world through constantly educating myself about sharks and other marine life, I learned of the many threats to the ocean, such as shark finning. I was both saddened and inspired to dedicate my life to researching sharks and educating others about these incredibly important apex predators in order to preserve the health of the ocean ecosystem.
PBN: Why did you choose to study that field at RWU?
BAILLARGEON: My ultimate career goal is to pursue fishery research of fish population dynamics to influence data-driven management strategies of such populations, and also to engage in educational outreach to coastal communities about sustainable fishing methods.
I chose to study marine biology at RWU to give me both a broad understanding of the basic biological concepts and an in-depth understanding of specific marine biology concepts and the lab skills needed to pursue research in various marine biology fields.
RWU provides unique opportunities to study a wide variety of marine biology courses as well as gain important real-world research experience outside of the classroom, which is what led me to this school.
PBN: What is it like to work in the RWU WetLab and what types of research have you pursued in this facility?
BAILLARGEON: The RWU WetLab is a dynamic work environment where various aquaculture projects are always taking place and being run with the help of students, which fosters a unique community of intellectual, passionate individuals in the marine biology field.
In the WetLab, the projects include raising larval fish, basic husbandry of marine ornamental reef fish, culturing algae and student-led research projects. My role in the WetLab was working in the algae and copepod department. My responsibilities included culturing algae, maintaining the algae culture and maintaining copepod stocks.
The algae are used primarily to feed the copepods, and the copepods are in turn used to feed developing larval fish that are a part of the RWU aquaculture research program.
PBN: You were one of eight students chosen from hundreds of U.S. applicants for a spot in University of California Santa Barbara’s Ocean Global Change Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates. What does this opportunity represent to you?
BAILLARGEON: The REU at the University of California Santa Barbara represents an opportunity to completely immerse myself in research, working with experts in the field of ocean-change biology. I am excited to work closely with a group of motivated, passionate students from universities across the United States.
I see this as an opportunity to enhance my scope of knowledge in terms of field research methods and to develop a deeper understanding of how community and population-level research is carried out.
One of the aspects that I am most looking forward to is determining where my research passions truly lie through the work I do this summer at UCSB, so that I have a clear understanding of the type of marine biology research I want to pursue as I enter graduate school.
PBN: How will this opportunity allow you to develop research you’ve already begun while studying at RWU?
BAILLARGEON: I hope to gain greater proficiency in applying mathematics to solve problems posed within biological systems. I am now working on a research project that aims to develop a mathematical model that will predict sustainability levels of marine ornamental fish species, with the goal of putting all of this information into a user-friendly smartphone app.
This REU will hopefully provide me with new knowledge on how fisheries operate as well as innovative ways to approach fishery management that I can incorporate into my model for the sustainability of marine ornamental fisheries when I return to RWU in the fall.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
