Dakarai Lindsay joined the Acquafredda Lab in 2025 as a RIOS intern. During her internship, Kai assessed the diversity, relative abundance, and phenology of key phytoplankton groups associated with four aquaculture sites in southern New Jersey. She used two methods, a compound microscope and FlowCAM, to examine the water samples and identify key diatom and dinoflagellate taxa. This research aimed to identify seasonal trends in phytoplankton communities and provide insights that can enhance clam farming practices, thereby supporting better aquaculture management strategies.
Kai’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakarai-lindsay-a5662829a
Learn more about the Rutgers University Research Internship in Ocean Sciences (RIOS), a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program, here: https://marine.rutgers.edu/rios/