Alaskan oysters

University of Delaware undergraduate Elizabeth Roros said that working over the summer in Juneau, Alaska, had more than a few perks-perhaps none better than the fact that she had the opportunity to encounter incredible wildlife every day. Whether it be an eagle flying at sunset, whales breaching outside the office of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, or seals playing by the harbor, Roros said the ability to experience the nature and wildlife of Alaska was amazing.

"I was definitely in my element doing marine science and getting both field work and hatchery lab research, as well as the opportunity to experience nature was incredible," said Roros. "Getting to experience the wildlife, getting to know the people and their research, it was an absolutely fantastic, life-changing experience and it's something I will never forget."

Roros, a marine science senior in UD's School of Marine Science and Policy, spent her summer in Alaska thanks to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. Those scholarships, awarded to around 120 students a year, provide successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.

While at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Roros conducted research focused on developing tumble cage oyster aquaculture, a method of oyster farming that is supposed to produce marketable Pacific oysters for the Alaska half shell market while reducing the labor associated with oyster farming.

Currently, oyster farms in Alaska employ what is known as floating bag aquaculture and a stacked tray method of oyster farming which can be a complex and labor-intensive process.