2025 Internship Project Overview

My project addressed two gaps in marine disease ecology: monitoring transmissible cancers in the wild and developing methods to culture bivalve cells in the lab. We collected soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria) from Long Cove, Harpswell, Maine, to monitor the prevalence of bivalve transmissible neoplasia (BTN), a leukemia-like disease that spreads through seawater and causes major population declines. Using real-time qPCR assays, we found BTN cases increased over the summer as waters got warmer. In parallel, we explored various methods for establishing the first bivalve cell line from Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), carrying forward a research effort dating back to the 1960s. We identified promising conditions for early cell growth after optimizing previously established protocols as well as testing additional supplements such as salmon-derived growth factors and clam hemolymph serum. This work lays foundational steps and opens new possibilities for experimental systems in invertebrate immunology and aquaculture pathology.

 

ORGANIZATION/RESEARCH GROUP

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

LOCATION

East Boothbay, Maine

 

Interns

Rose Habib ’27
Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Minor(s): Archaeology, Quantitative and Computational Biology
"This internship gave me the opportunity to work at the intersection of field ecology and molecular biology. Beyond technical skills, I gained insight into the broader ecosystem of research: how teamwork drives progress, networks of scientists exchange ideas, and essential support makes ambitious projects possible. I was grateful to contribute to decades of ongoing effort in marine biology research. This experience not only deepened my interest in marine disease ecology but also helped me see the value of integrative approaches in science."

Click to view the end-of-project presentation

 

Peter Countway
Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

Mentors

  • José Fernández-Robledo, Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
  • David Fields, Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences