ASMS High School Research Team Awarded Federal NOAA Grant
Mobile, Ala. – A high school research team at the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS) was selected to receive a federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ASMS Biology Department faculty members, Dr. Rebecca Domangue and Dr. Natalie Ortell, put together a team of 6 students who live at ASMS but hail from across Alabama. Theirs is the only high school-level team to receive the highly-competitive NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) Education Mini-grant Program award to increase ocean acidification awareness, grow ocean literacy, and foster interest in career pathways in NOAA mission disciplines.
Through the ASMS Research Fellows Program, ASMS students are paired with a faculty member at the school to conduct college-level research projects. Students paired with Dr. Domangue and Dr. Ortell this year joined a research study called: “Alabama Oysters Taste Best with Tabasco, Not Ocean Acidification.”
According to NOAA, “Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere” (web). Dr. Domangue and Dr. Ortell explain that the Alabama oyster industry is highly susceptible to ocean acidification while also being an essential part of the Gulf of America economy. By bolstering ocean and ocean acidification literacy among student populations and by connecting them to this community in Alabama, the faculty members aim to set the stage for Alabama youth to help work toward adaptive solutions.
6 individual student research projects were funded through the NOAA grant award, including:
- Calcium-binding proteins in Crassostrea virginica as indicators of in situ pH stress. Lillian Abernathy, senior from Geneva County
- Evaluating the impact of phytochemicals on reducing pathogenicity in Crassostrea virginica under ocean acidification. Naria Khristoforova, senior from Shelby County
- Effect of ocean acidification, Perkinsus marinus, submerged aquatic vegetation on apoptosis of hemocytes in Crassostrea virginica. BoKyeong Kim, junior from Autauga County
- Ocean acidification's impact on the susceptibility of Perkinsus marinus in Crassostrea virginica. Hyerin Park, junior from Autauga County
- Effects of ocean acidification on Pif gene expression in Crassostrea virginica. Kayty Phan, junior from Mobile County
- Lower pH levels decrease the productivity of the nitrogen cycle in Crassostrea virginica pallial fluid. Emma Kate South, junior from Baldwin County
In addition to the research projects, the NOAA funding for the project also allowed Dr. Domangue and Dr. Ortell to connect students in the ASMS BL400-2 class to the direct importance of oysters in the coastal Alabama region. The course included a focus on career development, ocean acidification science, and stewardship. Students have conducted empirical laboratory research experiments under the theme of OA affecting oyster homeostasis, visited local oyster farm Bama Bay Oysters, and used NOAA weather and ocean monitoring data to understand the susceptibility of oysters to ocean acidification. Their course meets a need for a region that lacks ocean acidification education and also helps young people make a connection between the food web and industry impacts of ocean acidification in the region.
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The Alabama School of Mathematics and Science is the state's only fully public and residential high school for sophomores, juniors, and seniors seeking advanced studies in math, science, computer science, and the humanities. ASMS is a premier institution offering world-class learning, research, and leadership opportunities to Alabama students, empowering them to improve their community, state, and nation. Tuition, room, and board are free. Learn more at asms.net.