2018 Graduates

Abby Barrows.  Abby got her M.Phil in May 2018 and did a range of work from published peer-reviewed papers to collaborating with two non-profit groups to start a webpage with information on how to create and pass legislation reducing plastic pollution.

Abby Barrows.  I grew up on a Maine island and had the ocean as my playground.  From a young age I loved exploring the outdoors.  My passion for travel brought me to the University of Tasmania, where I earned a degree in Zoology with a focus on Marine Biology.  After spending time mapping the canopy of old-growth temperate rainforests and trapping Tasmanian devils, I studied seahorse diversity, distribution and trade in Papua New Guinea,  published two academic papers on the research.  I  then travelled extensively from the South Pacific to the Himalayas, the Middle East, Mediterranean and South America, before returning to New England.
Since 2012 I  have  been directing microplastic research , initiating the first baseline data map of microplastic pollution distribution in Maine. I used this research to help push through plastic reduction legislation and recently helped write the Maine Marine Debris Bill that was approved in March 2016.  For much of my research I managed a lab for Adventure Scientists where we processed and analyze international water samples, enabling a rare glimpse at the extent of plastic contamination in remote, understudied ocean and fresh waters.
In 2016 I began the Graduate program at College of the Atlantic, focusing on the distribution of microplastics in the marine and freshwater environment, the chemistry of microplastics, and the policy surrounding microplastic pollution. CP- Abby should be finishing her Masters around the end of 2017, already has two published papers on her work, and has three more in the works.  She has also started an oyster aquaculture farm on Deer Isle.  This is a picture of her grabbing a water sample, not sure if its in the South Pacific, the Gulf of Maine, or off Patagonia. She has been to all three places in the past year.

Undergraduate  Class of 2018

2018 graduates. Left to right: Rose Edwards, Maxim Lowe, Teagan White, Kenya Perry, Morgan Heckerd, Siobhan Rickert, and Xochitl Ortiz Ross. All except Xochitl were in marine biology their first term in the fall of 2014.

 

Rose Edwards.  I have lived in Maine my whole life. I was homeschooled through high school, spent a semester at Chewonki Semester School in Wiscasset, ME, and got my Divemaster certification when I was eighteen. I am in love with scuba diving, sharks, and fanged bioluminescent monsters of the deep, as well as writing, taking photographs, and painting with bright, vivid colors. I focus on these three passions – marine conservation, writing, and art – at COA. An example of my writing can be found on the marine studies blog here. In the summer of 2016 I did an internship in the Schoodic district of Acadia National Park. Directly following that I spent the year abroad, first with The School for Field Studies in the Turks and Caicos doing marine research, then sailing with SEA Semester along the east coast of New Zealand. In the summer of 2017, I am working as the Programs Manager for ACE, a non-profit on Cliff Island, ME that plans community events. For fun, I like to swim, read, roller skate, and drink tea, but not at the same time.

Morgan Heckerd.  I came to COA with the determination to become a marine biologist, but it wasn’t long before the school knocked me off my feet. I’ve found myself studying sustainable methods and practices including renewable energy, permaculture design, as well as some marine studies. Growing up on the coast of Maine I had the opportunity to explore the ocean on a sailboat. It’s in this background that my love for the environment is deeply rooted. In the summer of 2016 I spent a second summer working on a small island farm on Monhegan Island. CP – Morgan also  writes some powerful poetry, and is in the teacher certification program, and will graduate with the a teaching credential – so perhaps she will be teaching island children some day. Note: After graduation Morgan is living on Monhegan, where she will student teach in the fall of 2018 and then have her teaching credential.

Maxim Lowe. I come from Sarasota, on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Growing up near the ocean helped instill in me a love of nature and science, and I have drawn for as long as I can remember – as a result, my two passions are art and science. I was homeschooled from 4th grade through high school, and during that time, volunteered for eight years at a local wildlife rehabilitation center, spent half a year in French public middle school, went to Conserve School (an environmental stewardship semester school), and dual enrolled at the State College of Florida during my four years of high school.
Now, at COA,  I’m  combining art and science. I also hope to get my teaching certificate while at COA, as some of my biggest goals include using art as a tool to teach, through children’s books, comics, and animation. While my exact plans will probably change, I am sure they will involve science and art. Some of my favorite things to do are cooking, eating, and drawing – which I’ll be doing plenty of during my time at COA!  After spending time in Japan with a COA group during the summer of 2016, I’m spending winter 2017 in Taiwan as part of a set of COA courses taught by COA faculty Bonnie Tai and Suzanne Morse.
CP -Over the summer of 2017 Maxim is interning at the Cannery at South Penobscot, an artists space owned and run by Leslie Ross.

Xochitl Ortiz Ross.  Born in Nicaragua, raised in Italy and England, I somehow managed to find my way back to Maine, where my mother grew up. I spent most of my life in big cities longing to re-aquaint myself with nature, so my studies have focused on field biology, where I can blend my passions for biology and the outdoors. I have had the opportunity to gain first hand field-research experience both through COA on Mount Desert Rock, studying seals, and through the NSF REU program both in Colorado, studying marmots, and in Costa Rica, studying glass frogs. During the academic year I have also been working at Allied Whale, a marine mammal research group based at COA.  I am fascinated by animal behavior, particularly reproductive behavior and sociality, and its evolutionary context. I also hope to continue to develop my passion for natural history through mediums such as non-scientific writing, photography, and public communication.
CP -As you might imagine there were tons of awesome pictures of Xochitl working in the tropics, but I liked the marmot one the best.

Kenya Perry.  I grew up on an organic vegetable farm in a small town in Maine. I spent a few weeks of every summer on the ocean, and discovered my love for waves, water, and boats. When I was in 11th grade I participated in a semester program called Kroka. We skied the length of Vermont in the winter living out of a tent, carrying our supplies in our backpacks. In the spring we whitewater canoed into Canada, rowed the length of Lake Champlain, and biked from New York back to Kroka’s base camp. This program was a challenge for me, I learned how to live in a close-knit community, take care of my type 1 diabetes, all while learning how to live in the wilderness. The summer after Kroka I started farming again but I wanted to be challenged by the outdoors. I started working on an 1870’s schooner, and fell in love with old boats and sailing. College of the Atlantic is the perfect place for me to challenge myself and to learn about marine life. CP –  Last year she also built a treehouse with her partner, did an internship at a natural food’s store and is focusing academically on nutrition and outdoor education.

 Siobhan Rickert. I grew up in San Francisco, California spending my free time at the beach watching the waves and looking for animals. I was homeschooled in high school were I could dive into my interests and find my passion. My fascination with the ocean led me to volunteer at The Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands for five years, rehabilitating California marine mammals. My experience working with the sick marine mammals sparked my interest in a veterinary career. In my free time I like to be outside scuba diving, hiking, and rock climbing. During my time at College of the Atlantic I plan on studying to prepare for vet school and ocean conservation with a focus on marine mammals. For the summer of 2017 I am living back home in San Francisco working for a 24-hour veterinary hospital in San Francisco for the third summer.  CP – In the fall Siobhan will be in Chile doing her senior project studying veterinary medicine practices in a variety of settings and trying to understand how a ‘One Health’ philosophy plays out in the real world.

Teagan White.  
I was born and raised in central Vermont. My dad grew up in Woods Hole in Cape Cod, so every summer we would spend a long weekend there. I come from a long line of fish-people who love the water, so in high school I joined a program called Ocean Classroom where I lived and attended school on a schooner for four months. I discovered COA through that program because the school generously let us use their pier and library while we were anchored in Bar Harbor. Since attending COA I have taken every marine class I can get my hands on. Thus far I seem to be interested in every aspect of marine sciences, so I hope that through COA I will begin to narrow my interests and build upon my experiences. Not only does COA offer a plethora of programs I’m interested in, it is also located on one of the most productive regions of the east coast! I couldn’t be more excited to pursue my education here. For the summer of 2016 I interned with Allied Whale at COA. CP – Teagan is back on Mount Desert Rock for the summer of 2017 studying the currents and water masses around Mount Desert Rock for what should become her senior project.