Shoreham-Wading River High School sophomore Natalee Cortina, a WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) student, embarked on a Stony Brook University Southampton campus research vessel to explore the wildlife and ecosystem of the Shinnecock Bay.

Natalee, along with other students on the trip, engaged in two trawls of the seafloor to search and identify local marine species. They launched probes to determine parameters such as salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen percentages of the bay. Trawling nets were hauled in to reveal collected marine life. Students learned about and handled species such as whelks, horseshoe crabs, spider crabs, sea robins, blue claw crabs and mud crabs. The trip was followed by a tour of the Marine Research Lab where they viewed tanks with other local species such as seahorses and fish collected from research dives.

Natalee was accompanied by WISE adviser Ellen Fraser.

Date Added: 5/15/2024