Summer Research Supported by SURF Grant

Kestrel Perez, Ph.D., SJNY students Milana Haripersaud ’26, Angel Herrera ’25 and Kleopatra Garo ’26, and Konstantine Rountos, Ph.D.

Three St. Joseph’s University, New York biology majors, supported by funding and a state-of-the-art research center, examined the effects of ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms (HABs) on local fish last summer.

Thanks to a three-year, $1 million grant awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the donor funded Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at SJNY, students Angel Herrera, Milana Haripersaud and Kleopatra Garo conducted their research in Stony Brook University’s Marine Research Center at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in Southampton.

The grant gave students a stipend and supported their month-long lodging on Stony Brook’s campus, said SJNY associate professor of biology Konstantine Rountos, Ph.D., a Co-PI on the NOAA grant.

“The students supported our research efforts and performed experiments in the Marine Research Center,” said Dr. Rountos, who worked alongside Kestrel Perez, Ph.D., a fellow associate professor of biology at SJNY.

Ms. Haripersaud said the research lived up to her expectations.

“Not only did I learn and hone skills in research, like microscopy and cell counting, I was also able to gain some knowledge about pursuing a Ph.D. in marine biology, and I learned how to use high-tech equipment,” the Queens resident said.

Mr. Herrera, a senior majoring in biology at the Long Island Campus, credits the experience for helping him focus on what life will look like after graduating from St. Joseph’s.

“I am more sure that in my future, I will pursue a research-related career,” said the Patchogue resident. “The knowledge and skills I have gained will most definitely put me on the correct path to a good graduate school and ultimately land me a career in marine research.”