Maine Sea Grant Welcomes a New Cohort of Undergraduate Scholars
Maine Sea Grant is excited to announce our 2026 cohort of undergraduate scholars, who hail from the University of Maine Orono, Maine Maritime Academy, the College of the Atlantic, and the University of New England. Our undergraduate scholars program provides tuition and research funding assistance to allow passionate students to pursue research interests in various marine science topics, including marine ecology and aquaculture research.
To learn more about how this opportunity will help these students further their research interests and professional goals, you can read their stories below.
Abigail attends the University of Maine Orono and is planning to graduate in May 2027 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine science concentrating in marine biology. She plans to attend graduate school with hopes of receiving a doctoral degree in marine biology. Receiving this scholarship helps Abigail dedicate more time and energy to her academic and research pursuits in marine and environmental science. The support will enable her to expand involvement in research that advances our understanding of coastal ecosystems while preparing Abigail for a career focused on marine conservation and stewardship.
Anna is a student pursuing a dual major in marine biology and small vessel operations at Maine Maritime Academy, graduating in 2028. Her main goal is to pursue opportunities that incorporate both fields over the next few years, with the end goal of working on research vessels in either a scientific or operational capacity. With most of her prior experience being ecotourism-focused, she’s also interested in opportunities that can incorporate education. This scholarship will assist with Anna with her studies at Maine Maritime Academy as well as expand her network and opportunities.
Caitlin is a senior at the University of New England (UNE) double majoring in marine and environmental sciences. Upon graduation, she aspires to do seasonal work where she can blend environmental-related education with conservation efforts. This scholarship will allow her to dive deeper into the marine aspects of conservation through a potential fellowship offered by UNE, and continue working in the marine science center with their resident marine creatures, most notably lobsters!
Emma attends the University of New England, where she majors in Aquaculture, Aquaponics, and Aquarium sciences, and minors in Geographic Information Systems. She plans to graduate in the Spring of 2027. She’s particularly passionate about working in the aquaculture industry, specifically the growing of filter feeders like oysters, clams, and mussels. She would love to continue to be involved in research that investigates ways to make aquaculture more sustainable, whether that be through physiological mechanisms of aquaculture products, or through culture system design. The Maine Sea Grant scholarship will assist both her academic and research goals by supporting her in gaining her undergraduate degree from the UNE and allowing her to continue research on phytoplankton communities in the Saco Bay with Dr. Patricia Thibodeau’s plankton ecology lab. With Dr. Thibodeau, Emma is working to create a time series that quantifies phytoplankton community composition over time, and to analyze how population dynamics may be shifting with changing environments.
Esme McDonald, class of 2027, is majoring in human ecology with a concentration in field Studies and marine science at the College of the Atlantic. This summer, Esme will be conducting a behavioral seal study and photo identification project on the Edward McC. Blair Marine Research Station on Mount Desert Rock. The project examines how environmental factors and area usage influence aggressive interactions between seals. With the support of the Maine Sea Grant, Esme will be able to complete a 10 week-long study, as well as continuing the project’s development into her final academic year.
G. Shoenfelt is a sophomore at College of the Atlantic, who is majoring in human ecology with a concentration in marine sciences. They expect to graduate in 2028. The Maine Sea Grant scholarship will help support their study of mercury and methylmercury concentrations in organisms and the environment around Mount Desert Rock. They hope to examine the mechanisms of bioaccumulation, biomagnification, and trophic transfer of these trace metals through food webs. After graduating from College of the Atlantic, they plan to pursue a Ph.D. in marine biology and continue marine pollution research in other regions of the world.
Josie Mansisidor is an undergraduate student at the University of Maine. She expects to graduate in Spring of 2027 with a bachelor’s degree in marine science. This scholarship will support her research on larval oysters in increasingly alkaline environments. Josie is interested in aquaculture in a changing environment and plans to gain experience in the oyster aquaculture industry before returning to graduate school to further her education.
Kara Mickiewicz is a student at the University of New England, double majoring in marine science with a concentration in marine biology and environmental science. She will graduate with her BA in December 2026 and plans to continue into a master’s program beginning in January 2027. Kara has spent the past two years involved in marine mammal research and is currently studying the occurrence of small cetaceans in the Gulf of Maine, conducting boat‑based surveys, mapping hotspots to understand habitat use and environmental drivers, and coding habitat suitability models to assess potential climate-driven shifts in their distribution. This scholarship will help reduce the financial burden of being a first‑generation college student and support her continued development as a researcher.
Rachel is a student at the University of Maine, majoring in marine science and minoring in fisheries biology. She is expected to graduate in May 2027. She is pursuing a career in fisheries biology and hoping to apply her background in eDNA and environmental contaminants to her future career. This grant will support Rachel while she finishes her research project, where she is studying the combined effects of PFAS contamination and temperature stress on postlarval lobster, as well as her semester abroad at the Darling Marine Center, where she will spend the Fall semester researching and learning in the laboratory.
Sarah Chang is a senior at the University of Maine in Orono, double majoring in marine science and earth and climate science with a minor in dance. Her career goals as a researcher include species conservation, climate change mitigation, and animal behavior. This scholarship will fund Sarah’s research on the novel predation of cunner wrasse on American Lobster eggs in the Gulf of Maine. As a part of the Honors College, she will be writing up and defending her thesis on this project in the Spring.