Carolina Perez

Cohort : 1
Level: Masters
Expect Graduation Date:  December  2024
Campus:  CUNY – The City College of New York

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Carolina is a NOAA EPP/MSI Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing-II Scholar in Cohort 1 at the City College of New York (CCNY-CUNY). She is pursuing a master’s degree in Earth and Atmospheric Science.  Her research is on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Monitoring.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Monitoring: A Citizen Science Approach.

Monitoring the presence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) is beneficial to many different communities. Not only can the indication of the presence of a HAB be helpful to the blue economy that relies on the health of marine life but a HAB also indicates signs of eutrophication, runoff sites, and how weather events impact coastal communities. Collecting samples of phytoplankton can show early signs of a potential HAB in different bodies of water. Through my research, HABs will be monitored throughout New York City. An area with an elevated amount of harmful phytoplankton could potentially have chemicals or nutrients in the surrounding waters that could cause an excess of nutrients in the water that can lead to a HAB. The bodies of water with a high elevation of toxic phytoplankton will be given a chemical analysis to get to the cause of HABs in New York City waters.

Academic Mentor:  Shakila Merchant, Ph.D.
NOAA Mentor:  Christopher Kelbe, Ph.D. (Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory, AOML)