SUMMER EXPERIENCE AT UCONN

During summer of 2003 and 2007 a group of students from the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao, Mayagüez and Bayamón as well as from Turabo University participated in a Summer experience at the University of Connecticut in Avery Point.  They were guided by Dr. Pieter Vischer, Dr. Lilliam Casillas, Dr. Wilson Ramirez and Dr. Carlos Ríos.  The establishment of a Research for Undergraduate Institute at the University of PR in Humacao is done in collaboration with the students from the Geology Department of the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez (UPRM).

Participants of the 2003 Summer Experience at UCONN

2003 Summer Experience

The members of this experience participated in a Geomicrobiology short course.  During this course they were trained in different areas where they learned to make measurements in order to establish comparisons between Barn Island and Cabo Rojo microbial mats.  The main group of students where divided in four different  sub-groups and each group were in charge to made certain measurements and compare them to similar measurement taken at the Cabo Rojo Microbial Observatory in Puerto Rico.  The main group was divided as follows:

Group 1: Comparison between AVS, Chl-a, BChl-a, LOI and ww/dw measurements of Barn Island and Cabo Rojo microbial mats.

Group 2: Profiles of Oxygen, Sulfide an pH of the Mats at Barn Island, Connecticut

Group3: Gas Measurements

Other Education & Outreach Programs

• RUI (Research Undergraduate Institutions)

• Geomicrobiology course

• K-12

In situ measurements

Presentations

After data collection several analysis were performed in order to establish comparisons between Barn Island and the Cabo Rojo Microbial Observatory.  Each group made a presentation where they were able to explain all the results obtained and compare them to the results obtained from their previous visit to the Microbial Observatory in Cabo Rojo.  A gallery of those presentations are shown below.

Awards

The participation of these students in this experience made them the deservers of a certificate that confirm that they were able to complete the mini Geomicrobiology course at UCONN.