Honors Thesis Research
Bowdoin College's Schiller Coastal Studies Center
My Role: Honors Fellow
Advisor: Jonathan Allen
Advisor: Jonathan Allen
Orr's Island, Maine
Summer 2025
Summer 2025
I was awarded a $5,000 Charles Center Honors Fellowship grant through William & Mary to complete my honors thesis research on larval cloning in sea stars, sand dollars, and brittle stars.
Highlights:
- Conducting eight experiment trials across four species:
Asterias forbesi
Asterias rubens
Echinarachnius parma
Ophiopholis aculeata
Asterias forbesi
Asterias rubens
Echinarachnius parma
Ophiopholis aculeata
- Collecting animals from more than five field sites by hand and snorkeling
- Observing hundreds of larvae under the microscope almost every day
- Teaching elementary school age campers about critters in touch tanks
- Educating Harpswell about sea stars through an impromptu video emailed to the community
Sea star larval clone
An example of one experiment
After snorkeling to collect sand dollars
Juvenile sea stars collected from the field
Impromptu educational video being filmed by a member of the community
Maine Allen Lab!
Sea star larval clone
An example of one experiment
After snorkeling to collect sand dollars
Juvenile sea stars collected from the field
Impromptu educational video being filmed by a member of the community
Maine Allen Lab!
More information: