Melissa Steinman
Portland State University, Master’s Candidate Researcher
Melissa Steinman works with Dr. Anne Thompson on the project, focusing on microbes and how they interact with gelatinous grazers.
Steinman is currently working towards earning her MS in Biology from Portland State University.
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Affiliations and areas of interest
Portland State University Department of Biology: https://www.pdx.edu/biology/
Carey Sweeney
Portland State University, Lab Technician
Carey Sweeney is the lab technician for Dr. Anne Thompson at the Marine Microbial Ecology Lab. Sweeney processes samples of pyrosomes (cone-shaped clusters of marine invertebrates) by extracting DNA and performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for sequencing. This testing allows the team to evaluate the impact of pyrosomes on the microbial community structure of the Oregon Coast system. She also maintains cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) cultures in the lab.
Sweeney’s interest in the relationship between microbes and other marine organisms was spurred by her background in veterinary medicine. She became a certified veterinary technician in 2016, and in 2020 she received her BS in Biology from Portland State University.
Sweeney has been the undergraduate representative for the Oregon chapter of the Society for Women in Marine Sciences since 2019 and is a member of the Oceanography Society.
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Anna Ward
University of Oregon, Biology Graduate Student Researcher
Anna Ward works closely with Dr. Kelly Sutherland on the project, highlighting marine microbial interactions with pelagic tunicates (free-floating sea organisms). With a focus on food-web dynamics, Ward assesses the intricate predator-prey relationships between pyrosomes (cone-shaped clusters of marine invertebrates) and salps (small gelatinous invertebrates).
A current Masters student in the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon, Ward developed an affinity for the ocean and all its inhabitants early in life. She received her BS in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego. In addition to her current research on plankton ecology, Ward participates in research projects related to food-web dynamics, biophysical coupling, and biological blooms.
Ward is the founder of the Oregon chapter of the Society of Women in Marine Sciences. She was named a UC San Diego Research Scholar in 2019 and received the UC San Diego EducationCorps Spirit of Service Award in 2016.
Ward attributes her love of the ocean to her background as an avid swimmer and swim coach.
Affiliations and areas of interest
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology: https://oimb.uoregon.edu/
University of Oregon, Biology Department: https://biology.uoregon.edu/
Contact information