Local student explores environmental science through New York Sea Grant internship

Through a summer internship with New York Sea Grant (NYSG), Krystal Dixon of New Hampton gained real-world experience with environmental science at the Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake. Dixon, Cornell University environment and sustainability major, assisted researchers with lake sturgeon sampling and laboratory analysis to better understand the large fish’s diet. Dixon developed public education materials related to lake sturgeon restoration efforts in the state. The materials include an age-to-length relationship key that can be used for estimating the age of lake sturgeon in Oneida Lake in comparison to sturgeon found in other New York waters, including Onondaga Lake and the Niagara River. Her internship was made possible through the Cornell Cooperative Extension Summer Internship Program.

”Summer internships with New York Sea Grant and its partners provide excellent learning and career-building opportunities for students interested in environmental science, from fisheries and aquatic sciences to coastal policy and community development,” said New York Sea Grant Associate Director and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Assistant Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth, Ph.D., J.D.

NYSG Great Lake Fisheries and Ecosystem Health Specialist Stacy Furgal, Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake Associate Director and Cornell University Natural Resources and the Environment Senior Research Associate James Watkins, Ph.D., and Senior Research Associate Zoe Almeida, Ph.D. mentored Dixon, among several summer interns.

”This internship experience provides students with hands-on opportunities to learn about New York’s fish communities and the aquatic food web as well as the ecological interactions in New York waters and the innovative technologies supporting research that informs management of the Great Lakes and its watershed,” said Watkins.

”The educational materials Krystal developed add to statewide efforts to teach the public about lake sturgeon conservation, life history, and research,” Furgal said.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York. NYSG has been bringing science to the shores of New York state since 1971 and is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Sea Grant College Program.

The Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake at Shackelton Point addresses the issues of changing aquatic ecosystems in New York state and beyond. Research encompasses such concerns as fisheries sustainability, invasive species, and climate change impact on the aquatic ecosystem.