User:Lynn Marie Massey

Contact Info

• Lynn Marie Massey
• Candidate, Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity & Conservation
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Research, Education & Career Interests

23:52, 9 August 2016 (EDT)~~Note: This description is from when Lynn was a MS student in our lab. After successfully completing and then working as an Environmental Consultant for a while, Lynn is now at Scripps Institute of Oceanography!! She is in the Masters Program of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity & Conservation.Virginia Rich 23:52, 9 August 2016 (EDT)

I am broadly interested in marine ecology and conservation, and scientific communication and public outreach. Having learned academically and through my research about these fields, I am excited to begin a career applying my knowledge to help understand and communicate their significance. 

I received my BS in Environmental Science with a focus in Science and Policy from the University of Arizona in the Department of Soil, Water & Environmental Science(SWES). My goals as an undergraduate were to understand United States environmental legislation and how it could be optimized to protect threatened ecosystems. I conducted summer research at the Udall Center for Public Policy investigating international trans-boundary aquifer governance to expand my knowledge of environmental legislation beyond national boundaries. I participated in a UA Student Exchange program at the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia, where I attended classes pertaining to renewable energy implementation and environmental impact statement drafting. One specific assignment included performing a literature review on the investigated environmetnal impacts associated with building the Sydney Water Desalinization Plant.

As a current Master's student, I work in a Global Change Microbial Ecology lab, where I perform metagenomic analysis on the viral fraction of seawater samples from the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. I plan to publish a manuscript discussing a detailed comparitive analysis of two samples taken from Dunk and Fitzroy Island, both located in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon waters. I am also investigating if these marine viruses are carrying pollutant-degrading host microbial genes, thus assisting surface water microbes in creating a "buffering system" that may shield the Great Barrier Reef from the full impact of coastal pollution.

During the summer of 2013, I studied abroad in the Galapagos Islands, delving into the historical development of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and learning why conerving the Galapagos Islands is so imperative to further studying ecology and evolutionary biology. Our class performed various field research projects on marine organisms, spanning behavioral analysis, food availablilty, and population dynamics. My specific research involved statistical analysis on algal abundance in relation to feeding habits of the Galapagos Green Sea Turtle. I spent 3 weeks at 7 sites following along sea turtles as they fed on various marine plants and small cnidarians, recording demographic characteristics and feeding habits. My experiences in the laboratory and the field have led to my passion for marine conservation.

• 2014, MS Environmental Science, Focus in Science and Policy, Univeristy of Arizona
• 2011, BS Environmental Science, Focus in Microbial/Viral Ecology and Marine Ecology, University of Arizona

Teaching Experience

For three years, I was a lab instructor for an introductory biology laboratory course in the Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona. My duties included lecturing and supervising experiments relating to molecular interaction, DNA analysis, photosynthesis, Mendelian genetics, and light spectroscopy. A special position was created for my first two years teaching as an undergraduate, and I taught the course a third year at the beginning of my graduate program. I continued to be a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the SWES department, where I helped develop exams, perform substitue lectures, and provide individual student tutoring for four classes including Environmental Monitoring and Bioremediation, Freshwater and Marine Algae, Applied Environmental Law, and Environmental Microbiology. I have also given substitute lectures in undergraduate marine ecology courses overviewing the anthropogenic impacts on coral reef systems. My experiences teaching students has given me profound realization of the importance of effective scientific communication.

Science Videos

1. Tilapia Farming: Feeding a Growing Population, http://vimeo.com/78182124 May 2013
2. Drought: A Threat to Tropical Rainforests, http://vimeo.com/80410408 May 2013

Publications

1. Poster Presentation: Viral Metagenomics: Can Viruses help Buffer the Great Barrier Reef from the Full Impact of Coastal Pollution?

  Dept. of Soil, Water & Environmental Science Earth Week, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, April 2013

2. Poster Presentation: The Potential Role of Viruses in Buffering the Great Barrier Reef from the Full Impact of Coastal Pollution

  The 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Hawaiin Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, February 2014

3. Manuscript (in preparation): The Potential Role of Viruses in Buffering the Great Barrier Reef from the Full Impact of Coastal Pollution, Massey, L., Gregory, A., Roux, S., Tyson, G., Sullivan, M.B., Rich, V.