Kate Murphy (she/her)
Aqueous Fellow
McGill University
Hi Everyone! I’m Kate, and I am a rising senior at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. This summer, I am working on Hurricane Island as part of the Aquaculture Research Institute’s Aquaculture Experiential Opportunities for Undergraduate Students Fellowship.
As part of the AqEOUS fellowship, I am completing a research project that utilizes the two-eyed seeing framework to investigate the impact of handling practices on the health of sea scallops within scallop aquaculture. My study aims to better understand how environmental exposure affects scallops' feeding capacity and metabolic health. To do this, I am hoping to look at how sea scallops' filtration rate changes when exposed to various environmental stressors. With sea scallops from Hurricane Island’s experimental lease and our new field research station’s flowing seawater laboratory, I am working to develop a methodology that can help increase the understanding of sea scallops' care needs.
Now, more than halfway through my time here at Hurricane, I can confidently say I have learned more about scallops than I ever thought I would, and I have definitely grown a fondness for the bivalve. This opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of scallop aquaculture has been truly wonderful. A way I have tried to better cultivate my understanding is by conversing with different aquaculture farmers throughout Maine about their experiences. It’s been super interesting to learn more about different farming practices and gain insight into the development of Maine’s working waters. Through these conversations, it’s become clear to me that aquaculture, especially scallop aquaculture, has great potential to elicit a reciprocal relationship between Maine’s people and its environment.
Sunset rainbow from the south end of the island
This last note is part of the reason I am so grateful to have this opportunity to work and learn on Hurricane Island this summer. Fortunate to have grown up visiting Midcoast Maine, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the area. Living on Hurricane has helped me gain a whole new perspective on the place I grew up visiting and affirmed my goal for a future in marine science. I’m excited to see what insight my final project can provide and look forward to soaking up my last few weeks on the Island.
Cheers,
Kate Murphy
