By Katharine Sucher, Science Writing Intern
Megan Wood has accepted a graduate research fellowship with Virginia Sea Grant. Over the next two years, Megan will investigate the value of coastal habitats to juvenile blue crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay.
During her fellowship, Megan will develop a population model to better understand distribution patterns of juvenile blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. She will also study the effects of Gracilaria vemiculophylla, an exotic red alga, on blue crab populations. Some studies have suggested that Gracilaria can substitute for native seagrasses in blue crab nursery habitats. Megan’s research will provide further insight on this topic.
Ultimately, Megan hopes her research will define the effects of habitat availability on blue crab population dynamics. Megan will present her findings to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Blue Crab Management Advisory Committee to better inform their understanding of blue crabs.
Megan graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009 with a degree in biology and a concentration in ecological and biological conservation. She is currently pursuing a PhD in fisheries science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Eventually Megan hopes to research marine resource sustainability and management for a government agency or non-profit organization.
“Because these issues can affect people’s livelihoods, studying them is important not only for scientific knowledge but for local or regional economies as well,” Megan said. “I hope that my future work will help in the fight to preserve marine resources so that future generations can enjoy them.”
Megan has taught an undergraduate seminar in coastal ecology and conservation at the College of William and Mary and has mentored high school students through VIMS summer governor’s school. She is a member of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation and volunteers annually at VIMS Marine Science Day.
