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Jarvis Lab/ UNCW Coastal Plant Ecology Lab

@jarvislabsav

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Coastal Plant Ecology Lab at UNCW.

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🌊🌱 Community Science in Action on the New River!

Today was an exciting day for Coastal Carolina Riverwatch as we joined researchers from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and a wonderful group of community volunteers for our first NC SAV Watchers monitoring event in Chadwick Bay, Sneads Ferry!

Working from kayaks, volunteers helped document submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), often called underwater grasses, while collecting observations about water clarity, depth, and habitat conditions.

🐟 Why does this matter?

These underwater habitats provide essential shelter and nursery areas for fish, blue crabs, and other aquatic life. They also help stabilize sediments and support healthy coastal ecosystems.

Through this North Carolina Sea Grant-supported research project, led by Dr. Jessie Jarvis at UNCW in partnership with Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, we’re exploring how trained community scientists can help expand SAV monitoring across coastal North Carolina.

💙 A huge thank-you to our dedicated volunteers, Dr. Jarvis and the UNCW research team, our White Oak Waterkeeper, Christina Boxberger, and Board President, Jan Farmer, for helping make this field day possible!

This is just the beginning. The information and experiences gained through this pilot will help us refine monitoring methods, strengthen community participation, and build a foundation for future coastal habitat research.

Together, we’re connecting science, community, and conservation to protect the quality of water and quality of life in coastal North Carolina.

📍 Chadwick Bay | New River | Sneads Ferry, NC

🔗 Learn more about NC SAV Watchers and our research partnership:
https://coastalcarolinariverwatch.org/programs-and-projects/nc-sav-watchers/

#NCSAVWatchers #CoastalCarolinaRiverwatch #UNCW #CommunityScience #NewRiver #CoastalConservation #CleanWater

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🌊🌱 What’s happening beneath the surface of our coastal waters?

Come along for a look at community science in action! Today, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, UNCW researchers, and dedicated volunteers took to the waters of Chadwick Bay to monitor underwater grasses that provide vital habitat for blue crabs, fish, and other aquatic life. 🦀🐟

Together, we’re turning research into action to protect North Carolina’s coastal waters!

💙 Learn more: https://coastalcarolinariverwatch.org/programs-and-projects/nc-sav-watchers/

#NCSAVWatchers #CoastalCarolinaRiverwatch #UNCW #CommunityScience #CleanWater

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🌊🌱 If you can’t see underwater grasses, does that mean they aren’t there? Not necessarily!

During Friday’s NC SAV Watchers monitoring event in Chadwick Bay, visibility was a real challenge. Volunteers couldn’t see underwater grasses from their kayaks, and our GoPro captured only a faint glimpse beneath the surface!

🎥 Watch as White Oak Waterkeeper Christina Boxberger demonstrates some of our monitoring techniques.

🔬 Why does water clarity matter?

Wind, waves, boat traffic, stormwater runoff, sediment, and algae can affect water clarity. We can’t determine the cause of Friday’s conditions from video alone, but documenting visibility is important research.

🌱 Underwater grasses need sunlight to survive and provide critical habitat for blue crabs, fish, and shellfish. 🦀🐟

Protecting these habitats and improving water clarity are priorities of North Carolina’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP), supported by @nc_dmf.

Through our partnership with @uncwilmington and support from @ncseagrant, we’re working to better understand and protect these valuable habitats.

💙 Interested in spring 2027 SAV monitoring?

Email waterkeeper@coastalcarolinariverwatch.org!

#NCSAVWatchers #CoastalCarolinaRiverwatch #UNCW #NCSeaGrant #WaterQuality #BlueCrabs #CommunityScience #NewRiver

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Enough of corporate girlie fits.
I wanna see realistic scientist fits.

Who’s with me? 🔬🥼👩‍🔬🧪👩‍💻

P.S. The sweat was real. 😅

#fitcheck #stem #science #girlies #outfit

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Congratulations to all the 2026 graduates! 🎓 🎊🎉👏🎓

Friday was a fun day of celebrating undergraduate achievements and celebrating their hardwork.

First was the Honors Medallion Ceremony, then the Bio & Marine Bio Departmental Graduation Celebration. @uncwilmington @uncwhonors @uncw_csurf @uncwcms @uncw_bamb @uncwgradschool

Congratulations to everyone graduating! You have so much to be proud of! 🎉👏

Especially, to Olivia, @futuredrtrahan it’s been a pleasure serving as your mentor the last 2yrs!

#2026 #graduates #graduation #uncw #congratulations

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Today we are spotlighting our 2025 SURCA recipients and our 2025-2026 CSURF Fellows! Both of these awards are incredibly competitive and allow for time to focus on their research. We are excited to see how their projects have progressed over the year!

Come to the Showcase on Saturday April 25 1-3pm in the UNCW Library and learn from some of our leading researchers!

#undergraduateresearch #urw2026 #uncw

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Dr. Anna Weber, postdoc in @jarvislabsav is presenting @trinitylandingccrc on how species respond to climate change. Indicating how different species adapt or move.

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Last week, two of our undergraduate honors students, @_henry.lock and @sehaugh attended their first conference at the AERS/SEERS Meeting in Morehead City! They both presented amazing posters and Sophie won the undergraduate award for best poster! Great job Henry and Sophie, we’re lucky to have you!

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Reflecting on an incredible week at the CERF 2025 Conference in Richmond, VA 🔬👩🏻‍🔬 @cerfscience

I learned so much about science, careers, and community. My brain is full, my social battery is drained, but it was 100% worth it!

A highlight: I unexpectedly received a travel grant from AERS and got to attend their business meeting, such a great opportunity. @aersscience

I also participated in the CERF mentorship program, where I was paired with Geno, a retired Sea Grant/NOAA professional. He introduced me to colleagues, shared insights about CERF, and offered invaluable career advice. This mentorship experience was hands-down my favorite part of the week.

Curious about scientific conferences or how to find travel funding? Drop your questions below! 👇

#cerf #science #conference #phdstudent #gradschool
#phd #gradstudent #stem #marinebiology #womeninstem #uncw #stem #uncwilmington #conferencelife #travel #womeninscience #cerf2025

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A successful first day attending and presenting a poster at CERF 2025 (Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation) in Richmond, VA. 🌊🐟🦀

*Not pictured are the MANY concurrent talks I attended ranging from sand tiger shark foraging patterns to horseshoe crab biology to sea invasive species monitoring.

I presented a poster on the predictive aging of white grunt 🐟 otoliths from different genetically-distinct stocks in the US South Atlantic utilizing Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. (A mouthful).

I’m so thankful to be here through travel grants from @uncw_gsa & @uncw_bamb & @cerfscience & @aersscience .

Have any Q’s about conferences or graduate student travel? Comment below! 👇

#uncw #phd #cerf #conference #science #stem #womeninstem #womeninscience #fisheries #research #phdstudent #uncwilmington #marinebiology #gradschool #poster

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Every fall, UNCW’s Center for Marine Science has an Open House where professors and collaborators showcase their research and educate the public. The Ramirez Lab continues to be a hit!
@uncwcms @uncwilmington @uncw_bamb

Our table consisted of a sea turtle necropsy demonstration (which Dr. Ramirez hand-stitched himself), aging samples (fish otoliths, sea turtle humeri, and dolphin teeth) under the microscope, a food web activity, skulls, bones, and more!

Check out our lab website as we continue to do more awesome things!

www.mdramirez.com

#uncw #marinebiology #outreach #science #womeninstem #seaturtle #seaturtles #stem #womeninstem #phd #phdresearch #uncw #marinebiology #dna #aging #populationecology #ecology #marinebiologist #rehabilitation #animals #animalsoftiktok #nc #uncwilmington

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Congratulations to our Summer SURCA winners. SURCA provides payment for students conducting research over the summer. This year we have students at all stages including from just completing their time in the First-Year Research Experience program to finishing their Honors thesis. Congrats to everyone!

@uncwilmington @uncwcse @uncwcms @uncwchhs @uncwchssa

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